WATERWAYS MANAGEMENT COMPANY
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING NO 91
6.00 pm, Wednesday 7 July 2021
Online meeting via Zoom
Present: Adrian Olsen (Chair), Tao Tao Chou, Ann Hall, Adrian Mourby, Nicholas Orme, Paula
Reynolds, Louise Robertson, Hilary Sorensen, Raquel Stremme, Mary Tovey, Liz Wheater
In attendance: Rachel Dolacinski and Natalie Griffiths, FirstPort Property Services
Minute taker: Imogen Olsen
1 Apologies for absence
1.1 Brian Shine, Kate Lack
2 Approval of the minutes of meeting 90 held on 13 May 2021
2.1 The minutes were approved.
3 Matters arising from the minutes
3.1 (3.1) GreenSquare had reported that carpet had been ordered for the Clearwater Place
flat with the wooden floor and was due to be fitted. It was agreed to remove this item
from the agenda.
3.2 (3.2) There had been no progress on negotiations with Berkeley Homes over the freehold
transfer.
3.3 (3.3) The car-park T-lines in Complins Close had still not been renewed. Evergreen had
been hindered by the fact that cars were now frequently parked in the affected spaces
with people working from home.
3.4 (3.4) The bin store light in Complins Close was still not working. The contractor had
reported that it was on a circuit that only worked in the evening. It was agreed that
FirstPort would investigate the possibility of installing a battery-powered light.
3.5 (3.4) FirstPort had written to Complins Close residents about the dumping of electrical
items in the bin store.
3.6 (7.2.3) The surveyor was still checking the stacked window openings at 30-47 Cox’s
Ground.
3.7 (7.2.4) The dog was still being kept in a Complins Close apartment and extra time had
been granted to the owner to make alternative arrangements.
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3.8 (7.3.1) Nothing had been heard yet from Berkeley Homes regarding unclear ownership of
parking spaces in Cox’s Ground.
3.9 (7.3.7) Evergreen would soon be erecting the new sign regarding dog fouling in
Clearwater Place. There was some discussion about requesting a dog bin from the City
Council, and FirstPort agreed to look into the matter.
3.10 (7.3.7) Councillor Howson had recently promised to follow up the matter of repainting
the bridge railings with the County Council.
4 Electric vehicle charging
4.1 More and more house owners were now buying electric cars and charging them from
internal power points. In some cases, this involved laying cables across WMC-owned
paths, an issue that needed investigating. Two house owners in Frenchay Road wished to
set up a small group to research EVC in their own area, and it was suggested that this
group could also look into the cable problem.
With apartment blocks, charging points would have to be installed in the car-parking
areas. FirstPort would investigate the possibility of reallocating visitors’ spaces in order
to free up the most convenient spots.
5 Sub-Committees news round-up
5.1 Finance
5.1.1 FirstPort expected that the annual accounts for 2020-21 would be complete by the end
of July.
5.1.2 FirstPort were currently installing a new system but hoped soon to be able to supply an
update on the current financial position of Estate S1.
5.2 Apartment Blocks Sub-Committee
5.2.1 All specifications and costs were now in for planned redecorations.
5.2.2 Specifications for the lift modernisation programme would be ready by 9 July, after
which another ABSC meeting would be needed with FirstPort at which final decisions
could be made.
5.2.3 There had been a further complaint about the Clearwater Place bin store. Residents were
putting rubbish in the wrong containers, which meant the bins were not being emptied
by the dustmen. FirstPort had contacted GreenSquare, and would ask the City Council to
supply more leaflets giving instructions for correct rubbish disposal.
5.2.4 A director complained that a hopper on her block at Complins Close needed repairs.
FirstPort had investigated and the contractor reported that it was badly designed: it
became blocked easily and would require annual cleaning.
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5.3 Gardening Sub-Committee
5.3.1 The path repaving had been a great success, and the contractor, New Driveway,
excellent. The next priorities would now have to be decided upon, once we had
ascertained the financial position of the S1 Estate budget. A director [HS] pointed out
that some residents were expecting a rolling programme of repaving work where
temporary repairs had been done.
5.3.2 A great deal of tree work had been done recently. An ash branch had snapped in Stone
Meadow next to the wildlife corridor, but the tree surgeons who attended maintained
that this was not due to ash dieback. The principal task remaining was to cut back
overhanging trees on the southern path from Frenchay Road to the canal towpath.
5.3.3 A director expressed concern about the amount of vegetation in the swale behind
Clearwater Place. FirstPort would check with Evergreen whether the swale had been
cleared out yet and the Chair agreed to look at the water flow in the swale. A director
pointed out that the residents of Bainton Road would need to be warned next time tree
work was carried out near their gardens, as they had complained.
5.3.4 A new bench for the Green had been offered by the family of a former long-term
resident. After much discussion it was agreed that a director would ask whether the
donor wanted a commemorative plaque fixed to the bench. If so, the committee would
have to hold a vote as opinion was divided on this question. The location for a new bench
would also have to be decided, bearing in mind the need for a large space for the bouncy
castle and other event facilities.
Meanwhile the old bench would be repaired by one resident and cleaned by a director. A
third bench, for the grassy area near the top of Elizabeth Jennings Way, could possibly be
provided with funds from WMC or raised by WRACIC.
5.3.5 The Chair reported on work he had carried out with Catherine Robinson of the Friends of
the Trap Grounds to eliminate the re-emergent Himalayan Balsam in Hook Meadow.
Discussions had been held with St Edward’s School, resulting in the school’s now taking
full responsibility for this task, with only one volunteer session agreed organised by
Catherine Robinson, as the school is insisting on the presence of a trained first aider for
any further sessions.
A director reported seeing men from the school cutting down trees in WMC-owned land
behind Cox’s Ground, who claimed that the school owned that land. The Chair would
write to the school to explain that we regard the thin strip of land, a few yards deep,
immediately beyond the northern fence of the estate in Cox’s Ground and Complins
Close as estate land, as indicated on the plan produced by Berkeley Homes, and that the
boundary must be accurately established. It had been decided earlier to employ a
surveyor to check this boundary, along with that along the western edge of the estate,
after Berkeley Homes had transferred the freehold. Now it seemed more sensible to
employ the surveyor immediately. FirstPort would investigate a suitable surveyor.
5.3.6 There had been another theft of a catalytic converter, resulting in a request for better
lighting in some out-of-the-way car-parking areas. FirstPort would investigate the
possibility of installing motion-sensitive lighting, perhaps solar powered.
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5.3.7 There had been a complaint about droppings on to a parked car from an overhanging
tree in the north-east Complins Close car park. FirstPort would take a look at their next
site visit on 15 July.
5.4 Scrutiny Sub-Committee
5.4.1 Nothing to report.
6 Preparation for AGM on 2 November
6.1 FirstPort agreed to produce a timetable for the AGM preparations. A director had already
provisionally booked the Woodstock Road Baptist Church Hall.
7 Feedback
7.1 Nothing to report.
8 Managing Agent
8.1 The roofing contractor working on 1-25 Stone Meadow had come across an area which
would require scaffolding rather than a cherry picker. FirstPort would obtain quotes.
9 WRACIC
9.1 Plans were in hand for some sort of event on the Green in early September, possibly a
barbecue, depending on what current the Covid restrictions might be.
9.2 The WRA Chair had requested the regular grant paid by WMC to WRACIC. The Chair had
asked him to supply the usual financial information for the committee to consider.
10 Any other business
10.1 A director reported that he had checked the new plans for further rail expansion and that
work seemed to be confined to the area south of Walton Well Road car park.
10.2 A director wished to record her thanks to Evergreen for keeping the estate in such
excellent shape. It was currently looking beautiful.
10.3 A director had noticed some key boxes fixed to the outside of GreenSquare apartments.
These are not permitted on WMC premises. It was suggested that such boxes could be
for use by carers rather than Airbnb guests.
11 Dates of next meetings
11.1 2021: 14 September, 16 November; 2022: 11 January, 15 March (all 7.30 pm).
AGM: 2 November 2021