Why we are engaging with Queens Cross Housing Association Ltd (Queens Cross)
We are engaging with Queens Cross about tenant and resident safety and its development plans.
Queens Cross does not fully comply with the electrical safety and fire detection requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Queens Cross is currently progressing inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) and to install integrated smoke and heat alarms in all of its tenants’ homes.
Queens Cross has plans to grow through a considerable programme of new homes for social rent and will receive significant public subsidy to help achieve this.
What Queens Cross must do
Queens Cross must:
- comply with electrical safety and fire detection requirements as soon as possible;
- provide us with monthly updates on progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements;
- send us by 30 April 2023:
- its approved business plan, the report to Board on the business plan and its risk register; and
- evidence of how it demonstrates affordability for its tenants.
- send us an update on its development programme by 31 October 2023. This will include its latest report to the governing body/appropriate committee about development and details of the scale and tenure mix, timescales for delivery and any material delays or changes to the programme; and
- tell us if there are any material adverse changes to its development plans which might affect its financial position or reputation, in line with our notifiable events guidance.
What we will do
We will:
- engage with Queens Cross to monitor its progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements;
- review the development update and engage as necessary;
- meet with Queens Cross’s senior staff to discuss the business plan and risks to the organisation; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Queens Cross.
Regulatory returns
Queens Cross must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns and alert us to notifiable events as appropriate:
- Annual Assurance Statement;
- audited financial statements and external auditor’s management letter;
- loan portfolio return;
- five year financial projections; and
- Annual Return on the Charter.
It should also notify us of any material changes to its Annual Assurance Statement, and any tenant and resident safety matter which has been reported to or is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive or reports from regulatory or statutory authorities or insurance providers, relating to safety concerns.