Introduction to HOPs

The Housing & Property Operations team (HOPs) consists of a diverse range of roles and responsibilities, but certainly punches above its weight in terms of the revenue and capital spend we manage – circa £20m per annum.

HOPs’ functions fall into 5 key areas;

• Asset management

Monitoring our funding requirements against the demand for life-cycle investment, EPC surveys, policy advice, position statements and Government reporting and sector initiatives.

• Revenue and Capital Programme management

Targeted solutions to ensure the life-cycle investment provides the greatest return, procurement solutions, strategy for VFM outcomes, and CSR and Social Value measures.

• Responsive activities

Surveys and remedial works for building defects; damp, condensation, structural, Disrepair and HHSRS, insurance related events and Void property refurbishments.

• Elective activities

Supporting Right to Buy applications with deed plans, leasehold sales, Mutual Exchange inspections, resident alteration applications and Party Wall notice responses.

• Compliance activities

Mechanical, Electrical and Public health (MEP); domestic and commercial gas supplies and appliances, electrical installations and their plant and equipment, asbestos; surveys and removals and administration of the landlord’s register, and the supply, storage and distribution of mains water.

Bob Purton and Dave Coleman are the Operations Managers of HOPs and oversee 30 staff including building surveyors, project managers, clerks of work, resident liaison officers, customer care and technical support officers, and management assistants to make it all work seamlessly. Peter Chivrall is Building Services Manager with direct responsibility for building services engineers, and assistant mechanical and electrical engineers and is part of the wider management team.

Members of the HOPs management team have worked directly and indirectly in public sector social housing and commercial buildings for a combined 60+ years, with Bob Purton as Principal Building Surveyor within an outsourced consultant to a Kier Building Maintenance partnership for 10 years. Their careers have been as diverse as you could ever hope for and have delivered a number of firsts for Harlow Council in terms of £multi-million projects and programmes, to replacing the original New Town installations and building fabric elements. HOPs continue to lead on innovative projects and solutions, researching new ideas from regional and national conferences, expo events and sector specific forums.

As a New Town, the challenges are varied and frequently make you stop and think how best to do justice to those who came before, and do right for the next 75 years. Many of the original buildings still exist and will become your responsibility to maintain and improve, from the country’s first high-rise flat block and the first Local Authority owned theatre, shopping precincts, system-built housing estates and listed buildings from the 60s and 70s.