Rural Housing News
Presentations, led by Roger Bright, took place with service partners
Chesil Beach, a SSSI on the rural estate
Our Customers
To us, being good people to do business with means understanding the needs of our customers and tenants and responding to them in a positive way. Communicating with our customers is very important. As a good landlord, we want to provide a quality service, choice and flexibility. Similarly, the service given by our business partners should be seamless, reflecting our own principles and working practices. We also recognise our responsibility to engage with our customers, raising their own awareness of environmental and sustainability issues, and learning from their own experiences where possible.
In addition to the achievement of our 2006/07 CR targets we also have the following examples of our approach in action:
- 2006 saw the introduction of our business awards scheme comprising awards to one of each of our rural, marine and urban business customers
- In June 2006 together with the Joint National Archaeology Policy Committee (JNAPC) we produced a new code to provide guidance to developers working in the marine environment on how to protect the UK’s marine cultural heritage
- The housing business group carried out a customer satisfaction survey this year of 1,300 of our residential tenants on our four affordable housing estates in London and 81% of respondents claimed to be satisfied with the overall service provided by The Crown Estate
- Rent clauses have been simplified in the leases of our aquaculture tenants. These were put into effect on 1 January 2007
- In September 2006, our short form of lease, a six page document for occupiers of small office space that helps businesses by its simplicity and ease-of-use, was granted a Plain English Standard Crystal Mark.
2006/07 Targets & Achievements
1. To deliver new business partnering strategies to support brand and customer vision.
(50% achieved) Much work was carried out on this target over the course of the year. Presentations, led by Roger Bright, took place with urban, marine and rural service partners. The outcomes of follow-up meetings with managing agents and external solicitors, together with those of the recently concluded service partner survey, are to be considered with a view to the development of our service brand and how we deliver this.
2. Enhance management practices within the residential portfolio of the rural estate by producing a tenants’ handbook and a regular bulletin.
(100% achieved) The tenants’ handbook was produced and issued to all residential rural tenants and included some information to assist tenants in employing environmental good practice within their homes. The first issue of the rural Housing News was sent to all residential tenants in November 2006 and contained articles on CR related issues.
3. Engage with tenants as appropriate to encourage and assist them to bring SSSI's into favourable condition by 2010.
(75% achieved) This is an ongoing target to be achieved by 2010. The rural estate has made significant progress in engaging with managing agents and tenants to reach this target. Marine has been involved with Natural England in the development of a tool which superimposes the boundaries of the SSSIs over those of our leased land. This helps to clearly identify the responsibilities each tenant has with regard to each SSSI. A pilot area of the mapping tool is being tested with Natural England.
