p.1-2 Re: Proposed Transfer of East India Estates to Poplar HARCA 

The Council has been consulting residents of the East India Estates about the proposal to transfer the ownership and management of the Council’s homes to Poplar HARCA. We are now pleased to send you details of what this proposal will mean for leaseholders. 

The proposed new landlord is a not-for-profit registered social landlord called Poplar HARCA. See Section 4 of the enclosed document for further information. 

Poplar HARCA will: 

• Improve safety and security on the Estates and to individual blocks and dwellings with new or upgraded controlled entrance doors to blocks, enhanced lighting and signage and new boundary fencing to the Estates.
• Improve the appearance of the blocks and the environment of the Estates to create an attractive area for all to be proud of, by cleaning and repainting communal block areas, improving lighting, hard and soft landscaping of communal areas and refurbishing existing refuse systems or providing underground refuse stores.
• Improve the access to the blocks with new door entry systems and canopies
• Make environmental improvements
• Build new homes on the Estates for sale and for rent 

Poplar HARCA will have more money to spend on repairs and improvements than the Council but it will be up to tenants of the estates to decide whether or not the proposed transfer can proceed. This is a legal requirement but the Council also wishes to give leaseholders an opportunity to express their views about the proposal.
Therefore there will be a separate consultation exercise with leaseholders through a ballot held at the same time as the ballot of secure and introductory tenants. While it will be the tenants’ vote that decides whether the proposed transfer can go ahead, the Council will consider leaseholders’ views and pass the results of the leaseholders’ ballot to the First Secretary of State so that these can be taken into account in the final decision. 

When the ballot takes place you will receive details of how to participate from an independent organisation called Electoral Reform Services [ERS].