Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

[Dan Tomlinson MP]

I have asked Simon to follow up with FirstPort as we have not received a response to our request for a meeting.

Kind regards
 

Dan Tomlinson
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
dan.toml...@parliament.uk
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Reference when replying DT/ST

________________
Sent: 31 December 2025 14:42
Subject: Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

 

 

Hi Dan and Simon

 

Hope you've had a good holiday season and happy new year.

 

I’m following up as there has been no response or update since Simon’s email of 26 November confirming that Dan had written to FirstPort to request a joint meeting between our RTA, FirstPort and Taylor Wimpey, and that dates and arrangements would follow.

Since then:

• on 9 December, our RTA wrote to both TW and FP setting out the outstanding issues and requesting engagement

• the email to FP explicitly requested a response by 19 December

• you were both copied into that correspondence

• no responses have been received from TW, FP, or your office

In the absence of any engagement, residents are increasingly concerned that matters are simply being allowed to drift.

This is particularly serious given the current position being taken by TW. As matters stand, they are effectively reneging on their warranty commitments by requiring leaseholders to pay for the replacement of the CHP system whether temporary or permanent, along with all associated running and operational costs, despite the original system having failed within its warranty period. In practical terms, residents are being forced to fund the consequences of a system failure that should fall squarely within the developer’s responsibility.

Could you please confirm:

1. Whether Dan’s request to FP for a joint meeting was acknowledged

2. Whether any dates were proposed or declined by FP or TW

3. What the current position is, and how you intend to progress this

If a meeting is no longer being pursued, it would be helpful to have clarity now so we can consider alternative routes. At the moment, there is no visibility on next steps despite repeated, time-bound correspondence.

Please come back to us with an update.

Kind regards,

Abbey

On behalf of 57/59HDD RTA

 

 

 

Kind regards

Abbey 

 

 

On Wednesday, 26 November 2025 at 17:24:39 GMT, Simon Throssell <simon.t...@parliament.uk> wrote:

 

 

Thanks Abbey – jumping in here on Dan’s behalf.

I can confirm that he has written to FirstPort to request a meeting between you, them and Taylor Wimpey. Either he or I will let you know the dates and arrangements when we have them.

It may be that Dan cannot attend due to Ministerial commitments – but I will be there to facilitate along with one of Dan’s parliamentary team.

Best wishes and take care
 

Simon Throssell
Caseworker for Dan Tomlinson MP
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
simon.t...@parliament.uk
If you would like to receive Dan’s e-newsletter, please click here.

My working days are Wednesday and Friday. In my absence, please email dan.toml...@parliament.uk or call 020 7219 6510.

Reference when replying DT/ST

______________
Sent: 23 November 2025 11:55
Subject: Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

 

 

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your email.

Please find attached the three emails we referenced. They show clearly that FirstPort have still not provided substantive or consistent answers to the core financial and technical issues, despite multiple detailed requests from the RTA.

As you’ve seen, we have already sent our focused set of questions to FirstPort and Taylor Wimpey. Given the history of partial or contradictory replies, we think the most productive approach now is to proceed to a meeting where the relevant people, particularly someone from FirstPort’s finance/accounts team and someone from Taylor Wimpey, are present and able to answer these points directly.

We’re flexible on dates. If FirstPort can offer two or three options, we will make ourselves available.

Thanks again for your continued support. Residents are exhausted by the constant back-and-forth, and your involvement remains essential in getting straight answers and accountability.

Kind regards,
Abbey
On behalf of RTA 57/59 HDD

Attachments:

• Re: Disputed plant & machinery overrun for year ended 31 Mar 2025

• SR00775004 Stage 2 Complaint

• Financial Implications of CHP-related issues on Millbrook 4C (Case Ref: DT15604)

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On Friday 21 November 2025 at 10:14:51 GMT, Dan Tomlinson MP <dan.toml...@parliament.uk> wrote:

 

 

That sounds like a good plan of action, Abbey.

I look forward to receiving your focused set of questions in due course.

Best wishes and take care
 

Dan Tomlinson
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
dan.toml...@parliament.uk
If you would like to receive my e-newsletter, please click here.

Reference when replying DT/ST

_________________
Sent: 11 November 2025 17:50
Subject: Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

 

 

Hi Dan

Thanks for your message and for confirming the lines of communication with FirstPort.

We’ve discussed next steps within the RTA, and here’s what we would like to propose.

First, we will send a focused set of written questions to FirstPort. These will deal specifically with the CHP system, the temporary boilers, and the financial impact of both – historically and going forward. Given the scale of the charges and the inconsistencies in previous explanations, we expect full responses within seven days of receipt and prior to meeting with FP.

Once those answers are in, we would welcome a meeting that you facilitate. For this to be productive, we will need the relevant people in the room – in particular someone from FirstPort’s finance/accounts team who can speak directly to the figures, and someone from Taylor Wimpey who can address the developer-side elements. Without them, we risk yet another circular conversation.

The aim is simple: clarity on the numbers, clarity on who authorised what, and clarity on how these issues will be prevented from recurring.

If you’re content with this approach, we’ll send over the questions and offer some dates for the meeting.

In response to your request about a summary of the current situation to inform letter to Martin Kink, The Property Institute and the Minster for Housing, I have attached a doc to this email. I am afraid though it is not a summary as some back ground is needed to explain how we have ended up here and Taylor Wimpy's part in it.  

 

Thank you for your continued support

 

Kind regards

Abbey 

On behalf of RTA 57/59 HDD

 

 

On Tuesday 4 November 2025 at 09:04:34 GMT, Abbey Beyene <abbey....@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

 

 

Hi Dan 

 

Apologies for not responding sooner. I am currently out of the country and will respond fully later this week with all the issues we have after discussing it with our RTA, and some suggested dates for a meeting with Beth, and ideally someone from their accounts/finance team. 

 

The situation and the way FirstPort are dealing with us has been unbearable to say the least. 

 

Kind regards 

Abbey

Sent from my iPhone

On 31 Oct 2025, at 17:27, Dan Tomlinson MP <dan.toml...@parliament.uk> wrote:
 



Abbey – thank you for your reply. 

With regards to the meeting – perhaps you could put together a proposed agenda which I can pass on to FirstPort accordingly as well as a selection of dates and times that would work?

I have access to a dedicated Political Correspondence enquiry line and the team provided me with the response that I forwarded accordingly. Simon tells me that emails from Beth Lancaster with him copied do not bounce and he makes sure to flag them with me when they come in.

You are very much within your rights to withhold payment. I would of course always suggest that you seek legal advice when it comes to such action. But I remain very willing to help and support you as I am able to.

I can confirm that MP colleagues recently held a further session in Parliament to discuss FirstPort’s communications, levels of management and financial transparency. The contents of the inquiry will be used to inform letters sent to Martin King, The Property Institute, and to the Minister of State for Housing. If you are able to produce a few paragraphs summarising the current situation in HDD then I would be happy to top and tail it and send to those individuals for review and response.

Do let me know.

Best wishes and take care
 

Dan Tomlinson
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
dan.toml...@parliament.uk
If you would like to receive my e-newsletter, please click here.

Reference when replying DT/ST

__________________
Sent: 29 October 2025 21:51
Subject: Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

 

 

Hi Dan

Thank you for your note and for sharing the responses from FirstPort and Taylor Wimpey.

We appreciate your continued engagement and would welcome your offer to facilitate a meeting between the RTA and FirstPort, this would be helpful, provided it leads to direct answers and accountability rather than further deflection.

We would also like to understand whether we have your backing if residents choose to withhold payment of disputed charges until the accounts are fully explained and evidenced. While the £90 late fees have now been removed, if any further penalties were to be imposed, how far would you be willing to support us in challenging them?

Finally, could you please confirm who at FirstPort responded to your enquiry? Beth Lancaster maintains that her emails to you always bounce, which raises questions about who is communicating on her behalf and if all concerned at FP are actually communicating and know who is says what. 

We would appreciate a quick reply as payments are due on Thursday 30 October. 

Kind regards

Abbey

On behalf of RTA57/59 HDD

Sent from my iPhone

On 29 Oct 2025, at 20:10, Dan Tomlinson MP <dan.toml...@parliament.uk> wrote:
 



I hear you, Abbey, I really do. I share your concerns about the way these matters have been handled by FirstPort and can appreciate the serious impact they are having on you and your neighbours. Please do take care of yourselves.

I have now received responses from FirstPort and Taylor Wimpey which I have pasted below. Do read their contents carefully and let me know whether it would be helpful for my team and I to facilitate a Teams call to be arranged between the association and FirstPort to discuss this further:

Response from FirstPort
 

Thank you for your comprehensive update and for clearly setting out the concerns raised by the Recognised Tenants’ Association (RTA). I appreciate the urgency and depth of frustration expressed, and I want to assure you that we are treating this matter seriously.

Please find below our response to the key points raised:

1. CHP System Age and Developer Liability
We acknowledge Taylor Wimpey’s confirmation that the CHP system was installed in 2016 for another building, and that 57–59 HDD were connected later. We understand the concern that residents purchased new homes but were linked to an older system. While FirstPort did not design or install the infrastructure, we have asked the developer for their view on the implications of this connection and requested clarification of their position.

2. Fire Alarm Fault and Shutdowns
We accept that the repeated shutdowns were often triggered by faults in the Garrison Heights car park fire alarm system. This fault lies outside the control of 57–59 HDD residents. While the alarm link is safety-critical and cannot be disabled, we are actively exploring mitigation options with Taylor Wimpey and our contractors. Vicky Hirani will provide a technical update as soon as possible. As the Property Manager, this is something he is currently working on.

3. Developer Credits and Cost Transparency
Taylor Wimpey funded the boiler replacement and temporary plant. These contributions have been applied to the accounts via journal entries and offsets. However, we recognise that residents require clear evidence of:

• The total cost of the works
• The amount and date of Taylor Wimpey’s payment
• A reconciliation showing how credits were applied to 57–59 HDD

This documentation will be provided as part of the Section 22 inspection by 6 November 2025.

4. Warranty Documentation
Taylor Wimpey has confirmed they funded the installation but did not retain the contractor. As such, FirstPort is responsible for obtaining any documentation. We are actively pursuing this with the subcontractor and will confirm whether any breakdowns or callouts since April 2024 fall within warranty coverage. No costs will be passed to leaseholders if covered. Again, this is something the Property Manager, Vicky, is working on.

5. Section 22 Inspection
We confirm that your Section 22 notice served on 30 September 2025 is valid. All invoices, receipts, and supporting documentation will be made available electronically by 31 October 2025, in accordance with statutory requirements.

6. Payment Deadline and Section 19(2)
We acknowledge the request to suspend the 30 October payment deadline. While we are unable to formally defer the deadline at this stage due to operational funding requirements, we confirm that disputed sums may be withheld pending verification, in line with Section 19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. No enforcement action will be taken against residents who are withholding payment on reasonable grounds. Please note that only the disputed portion of the charges should be withheld; undisputed amounts remain payable.

7. Cross-Charging and Block-Specific Costs
We have reviewed all cost allocations to ensure that 57–59 HDD are not charged for faults or services attributable to 55 HDD or other blocks. Any inappropriate cross-charging will be corrected. While we cannot be held responsible for the infrastructure in place at handover, we will address this matter with the developer.

8. Overspend Breakdown
We acknowledge the concerns regarding overspends in General Maintenance, Cleaning, Grounds Maintenance, and Fire Systems. Full breakdowns and supporting documentation will be included as part of the Section 22 inspection.

Thank you again for your engagement and for raising these matters constructively. We remain committed to resolving them fairly and promptly.

Response from Taylor Wimpey
 

As you will be aware from our previous correspondence, in April 2024 we funded the full replacement of the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit and boilers to ensure residents continued to have a reliable supply of heating and hot water. These works were commissioned by FirstPort, who engaged their own contractors to complete the installation.
 
With regard to the warranty for the new CHP and boilers, FirstPort has confirmed they are in discussions with the contractor to clarify the warranty terms and whether any recent callouts should have been covered. Taylor wimpey continues to support FirstPort in this process, and we understand that the findings will be shared with residents once confirmed.
 
Regarding the costs associated with the replacement works and temporary plant, I can confirm that these were funded by Taylor wimpey. These contributions have been reflected in the service charge accounts through internal cost reallocations between developments, ensuring residents are not recharged for these works.
 
Following reports of intermittent disruption caused by the fire alarm system at the neighbouring Phase 4A (Garrison Heights), we understand that FirstPort is installing a new moisture-resistant linear heat detection system to replace the faulty detectors. The company is also exploring the installation of a dedicated thermal store to further improve heat delivery and reliability.
 
We remain in contact with FirstPort and will continue to assist where possible to ensure the system operates reliably for residents.

Best wishes and take care

Dan Tomlinson
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
dan.toml...@parliament.uk
If you would like to receive my e-newsletter, please click here.

Reference when replying DT/ST

_______________________
Sent: 29 October 2025 12:39
Subject: Re: Formal challenge – CHP failures, 2024/25 overspend demand (Case Ref: DT15604)

 

 



Dear Dan

We are extremely disappointed that, despite your earlier assurances, we have yet to hear back from you. This is particularly troubling given that you and Simon were copied into several emails clearly showing the underhanded and inconsistent way FirstPort continues to operate.

Residents have now received two “overdue” payment notices, issued before the actual invoice due dates of 30 October, and, as of 27 October, each of us has been charged a £90 “late fee.” The explanations have been contradictory and evasive.

Worse still, our specific questions on key issues have been ignored or deliberately sidestepped:

• We were initially told the CHP system was “new,” yet Taylor Wimpey later confirmed it was installed years before our buildings were constructed, 2017, and simply extended to include our blocks. This means any replacement should have been covered by warranty, yet we’ve been made to fund it in full.
• The costs for the replacement have been split 50/50 between our two blocks (30 flats) and Garrison Heights which has 51 flats, despite the clear imbalance and lack of justification. We’ve been given no explanation, breakdown or evidence for this split.
• We are also being billed for ongoing issues relating to fire panels in the underground car park of Garrison Heights, which has no connection whatsoever to 57 or 59 HDD, other than its activation shutting down the CHP, causing added stress, wear and tear causing even the new system installed in April 2024 to completely fail in September for 5 days. Again, no explanation has been provided.

Our questions remain unanswered, and formal complaints have been minimised or brushed aside. Email responses are lengthy with no substance. 

FirstPort is operating entirely unregulated, acting like a private cartel that bullies leaseholders into paying thousands of pounds without scrutiny, draining savings and causing serious distress.

We elected this government, and you as our representative, to ensure companies like this are held to account. At present, we feel completely abandoned. This is another Horizon scandal. 

We urgently need your intervention to ensure that FirstPort’s conduct, and Taylor Wimpey’s role in enabling it, are properly investigated. Leaseholders should not be left at the mercy of deliberate corporate mismanagement that IS exploitative. 

Yours sincerely

Abbey Beyene

On behalf of RTA57/59HDD

[Dan Tomlinson MP]

...before he does, I wanted to just clarify whether the agenda of the meeting remains the same?

I note Beth Lancaster’s detailed response dated 2 January 2026 but I see the issues with the hot water and heating remain.

Best wishes

 

Dan Tomlinson
Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
dan.toml...@parliament.uk
If you would like to receive my e-newsletter, please click here.

Reference when replying DT/ST

__________________

Sent: 16 January 2026 17:11

On Tuesday 4 November 2025 at 09:04:34 GMT, Abbey Beyene wrote:

 

 

Hi Dan 

 

Apologies for not responding sooner. I am currently out of the country and will respond fully later this week with all the issues we have after discussing it with our RTA, and some suggested dates for a meeting with Beth, and ideally someone from their accounts/finance team. 

 

The situation and the way FirstPort are dealing with us has been unbearable to say the least. 

 

Kind regards 

Abbey

Sent from my iPhone



[Abbey Beyene]

Would you guys agree the agenda remains the same but dwindle correspondence from Beth and even less / nothing actioned by Vicky as directed by Beth? 

And complete silence from TW. 

Thanks

Abbey

Sent from my iPhone

On 16 Jan 2026, at 17:15, Dan Tomlinson MP <dan.toml...@parliament.uk> wrote:



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[Penny Venner]

Yep - agree

 I've chased up gardening & S22 invoices as you will see earlier.  They refuse requested help without a big fight, but they don't seem able to deal with cases reported on their 'My Home' website.......so I've decided to be really petty, throw my toys out of the pram, and keep pestering (whilst trying very hard to be bullish but not outright rude, difficult though that is).

Penny

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rtahdd5759-committee/6C0EA907-2A25-414A-A776-D34830B0C8B2%40yahoo.co.uk.

[Abbey Beyene]

Hi Dan and Simon

The agenda can remain the same. However, I should flag that correspondence from FirstPort has reduced further. Since Beth Lancaster’s response, there has been little to no engagement, and no action has been taken by Vicky as the area property manager, despite Beth’s direction on this and other historical issues on the management of the property.

We still have no information regarding the most recent issue affecting reduced heating and hot water capacity.

We would welcome your added pressure on FirstPort and Taylor Wimpey to secure a meeting and address these matters. The ongoing lack of clarity is having a significant impact on leaseholders'' and residents’ quality of life, as well as increasing anxiety about the escalating costs being passed on to leaseholders.

Kind regards

Abbey 

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