Jamie Willsdon

Lighting maintenance is a way to cut costs. It also protects assets and helps remain compliant. It’s an integral part of any block manager’s modus operandi and can make a profound difference to block lighting in particular. It’s obvious that regular checks, attending to problems as they arise and generally ensuring good housekeeping is uppermost on any ‘to do’ list, and is essential to proactive management. If a block manager has reliable teams, the job of maintaining any premises becomes a whole lot ea

QUESTION   My landlord has placed an outside light 4 ft from my bedroom window, and it is so bright and intrusive. There are 2 lights there one opposite each other. It is only the one that shines directly into my bedroom that is difficult. It is the only one light out of 6 that is intrusive. The remaining omit sufficient light to make the area safe in the dark. Can I quote the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 re Statutory nuisance lighting. I live on a Thames mooring of 6 boats and 4 have bou

Every year more blocks appear on the skyline. Apartment living is the future for many, especially Londoners, and the quality of design has lead to some really exciting living spaces. However, isn’t it time to overhaul both strategies and attitudes towards block lighting. It may sound like a minor aspect, in the architectural game plan, until something goes wrong, then block managers have to deal with the consequences. Time and again poorly specified fittings and controls installed by developers fail far t

Picture the scene – a new development is ready for sale and one of the first prospective buyers turns up in the evening to view.  It’s an impressive sight; everything is brand new and the areas around the common walkways and drive glitter with lights, bathing everything in a comforting and reassuring glow.   A well-appointed block of flats has been completed and is ready for new residents. But come back a year later, and things are very different.  Many of the lights have stopped working, giving the outsi

Service Charges are a key area of friction between residents and property managers, and paying for unexpected repairs or maintenance can be a thorny issue for flat owners. Most well-managed blocks have reserves to call on when major refurbishment or repairs are needed, but for those unable to build up suitable funds – and obsolete equipment urgently needs replacing – residents are expected to put their hands in their pockets and split the cost. Imagine this scenario. You live in a small block of six flats

With the trend towards building luxury apartment blocks showing no sign of slowing down, in future more and more flat owners and renters are likely to be parking their cars in underground car parks. If you manage a block with one of these on-site, it may not always be uppermost in your mind. Rather than being considered an integral part of the common areas, all too often car parks are simply regarded as a convenient add-on for residents. This attitude may be exacerbated by the fact that car parks often

Emergency lighting, like terrorism insurance or the airbag in your car, is something that we all hope we will never need. Thankfully, in most blocks it is infrequently – if ever – used, so this aspect of block lighting isn’t always uppermost in block managers or their residents’ minds. An understandable but potentially dangerous attitude and one that, as lighting consultants, we are working to change. If there were to be a major incident at your block and residents were plunged into darkness the emergency

How hard do you imagine it would be to find your way out of your block in the dark if the lights had failed? Emergency lighting saves lives. Anyone living in a flat hopes they will never need to rely on it but when a major incident does occur, effective, well maintained lighting and signage is vital. In an article on emergency lighting regulation published earlier this year, I wrote: “Imagine how much more serious the worst-case scenario could become if your system is poorly maintained and doesn’t work pr

Where LED lighting is concerned, all warranties are not created equal. There are as many different guarantees on the market as there are manufacturers out there. With bold claims being made that these lights will virtually last a lifetime, you could be forgiven for thinking that the warranties they come with will be equally durable. But, as block managers are finding to their cost, this is not necessarily the case. Two particular issues are of concern to end users when it comes to LED lighting. First, how

Wondering why the energy bills for the blocks you manage are so high? Could lighting be the problem, asks Jamie Willsdon. Have you ever taken a closer look at the way the energy bills for the blocks you manage are split? If not, you could be in for a shock. More than 70% of the charges for a typical residential block could be accounted for by the lighting alone. Many blocks around the country have outdated lighting systems and a good proportion of these have communal lighting turned on all day and night,

The Reeds Development is a stunning residential scheme of 130 luxury apartments located close to Watford Junction Station.   THE BRIEF: Despite the very  high standard of the development, residents at The Reeds and their property managers had become increasingly concerned that the lighting had become outdated and now posed a potential risk to health and safety. Maintenance costs were exorbitant and the failing system was no longer fit for purpose. The client was also holding a quotation running into thou

Since 2002, leaseholders have had the legal right to take responsibility for managing their block under the Right to Manage. They are free to engage the services of a property manager of their choice or to self-manage their development. So far so good, but as Urban Owners point out in their online guide to RTM, with control comes responsibility. Once the RTM company has been set up, the directors must take on a number of obligations on behalf of their fellow flat owners. These responsibilities include: -