Leaseholders service charges tribunal

Your decent homes contract was probably done via a Project Partnering Contract  PPC 2000 or later version, PPC's are flexible there are instances of contracts being a combination of traditional and partnering elements. The  PPC 2000 web site many local councils have used it for projects including decent homes work.

The original idea was proposed by a specialist firm of solicitors, who represent many local Authorities. It has received many accolades, also criticism from outsiders who claim it hands over control to the contractors. The key performance indicator KPI that's most relevant is a PPC contract is supposed to give guaranteed costs and reduction of surveying and administration fees, by removing the need for the client, to undertake these tasks. For decent homes work the client is the Local Council wether direct or indirect via an A.L.M.O (Arms length Management Organisation) or some other mechanism.

There is an apparent conflict regarding admin and surveying fees if  a local council uses an agent like an A.L.M.O and this A.L.M.O then uses a PPC contract, because the fee reduction that partnering and/or framework contracts are supposed to bring are wiped out by the cost of the Councils agent, also charging for the same admin and surveying fees. No matter in what form the councils agents are acting, Arms length or otherwise.

Leaseholder gets a refund on Administration charges applied to professional fees by an arms length management organisation.

The LHC the London Housing Consortium are in essence the government for all intents and purposes, this is clearly shown in the web address that has a .gov domain.

Like anything dreamed up by a government or local Authority it's workings are never straightforward but basically it's a members club of Local Authorities who if they belong and meet certain criteria, can jointly procure contracts via the Government, or to put it another way they have access to the Governments massive larger scale bulk buying and procurement arrangements 

From these member Authorities a board of Full member Councillors is drawn and these Councillors are therefore able to find out if they don't already know, the true and accurate bulk discounted prices procured to meet the governments "decent homes standard". For which very many leaseholders are being asked to pay in excess of the Market rate, when it's obvious the work has been procured at prices much lower than the open market .

My local councillor is on the members list and had many heated meetings with local leaseholders, but were at least in my case unable to assist me in obtaining any prices they apparently had access to.