WATERWAYS
MANAGEMENT
COMPANY
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
MEETING
NO
75
7.30
pm,
Tuesday 17
July
2018
Present:
Adrian
Olsen
(Chair), Tao
Tao
Chou,
Ann
Hall,
Paula
Reynolds, Louise
Robertson, Brian
Shine,
Hilary
Sorensen,
Mary
Tovey,
Liz
Wheater,
Cath
Whitehead
In
attendance:
Rebecca
Burt and Rachel
Dolacinski,
FirstPort
Property
Services
Minute
taker:
Imogen
Olsen
1 Apologies for
absence
1.1 Adrian
Mourby,
Nicholas
Orme,
Raquel
Stremme
2 Minutes
Approval
of
the
minutes
from
meeting 74, 15
May 2018
2.1 [10.2]
Further
to
WMC’s
grant
to
WRACIC,
a
check
had
revealed
that
the
maximum
amount per
annum
had
been
set
at
£1,200.
Nevertheless
it
was
agreed
to
go
ahead
with
the new grant
of
£1,500
as
it
covered
two
years,
as
and
when
the
WRACIC
submitted
its
list
of
expenditure,
as
we
have
requested.
Otherwise,
the
minutes
were approved
as
an
accurate
record.
3 Matters
arising
from
the
minutes
3.1 [3.1.3]
There
had
been
a
further
email
from
the
resident
who
had
asked
for
the
installation
of
a
gate at
the
entrance
to
a
Lark
Hill
alleyway,
stating
that
such
a
gate
would also help
to
ensure
the
safety
of
small
children.
On
this
point,
it
was
noted that
Lark
Hill
had
been
specifically
designed
to
be
a
safe
and
low
risk
area,
with
a
shared
roadway
and
vehicles
deliberately
slowed
down
by
the
design,
and
children
regularly
play
there.
FirstPort
reported
that
no
feedback
had
so
far
been
received
from
any
of
the
owners
and
residents
who
had
been
requested
to
provide
evidence
of
antisocial
or
criminal
behaviour.
After
some
discussion
the
previous
committee
decision was
re-‐
confirmed that, as
a
gate
would
be
an
inconvenience
to
the
residents
there
into
the
future, a
real
need
for
a
gate
would
have
to
be
established and
we
would
therefore
await
feedback
over
the
summer
to
see
if
the
previously
reported
anti-‐social
behaviour
has
stopped
or
is
on-‐going, before
reviewing
the
situation
in
the
autumn.
This
has
already
been
communicated
to
all
owners
and
residents
and
FirstPort
would
write
again
to
the
resident.
The
resident
had
raised
the
issue
of
recent
bike
thefts.
It
was
noted
that
there
had
recently been
some
bicycle
thefts
across
the
estate,
but
this
was
nothing
new
and
unfortunately
such
thefts
are
endemic
in
Oxford – one
director
reported
that
at
one
stage a
bike
had
been
stolen
from
a
first
floor
balcony.
It
was
emphasised
that
the
best
deterrent
was
to
lock
back
gates
and
secure
bikes
with
very
strong
locks
fixed
to
something
secure
like
a
fence
or
shed.
Logically
gates
as
a
deterrence
to
bike
thefts
would
have
to
be
installed
in
every
passage
way
across
the
estate,
a
large
number.
2
3.2 [9.1]
The
Chair
had
responded
to
the
Feedback
complaint
from
another
Lark
Hill
resident
regarding
this
gate as
in
3.1.
3.3 [3.2]
The two
outdoor Living
Waterways
Award
plaques
were
in
production
and
FirstPort
would
arrange
for
their
installation upon
completion.
A
Director
was
organising
the
plaque
for
the
Community
Room and
possibly
an
estate
map
as
well.
3.4 [7.1]
The
roadworks
in
the
Woodstock
Road
had
been
completed.
These
had
necessitated
the
closure
of
Elizabeth
Jennings
Way
for
one
week,
and
the
removal
of
the
Frenchay
Road
bollards.
No
problems
had
been
reported
for
the
duration
of
the
works,
although
traffic
along
Frenchay
Road
had
been
heavier.
The
bollards
had
been
replaced
punctually.
4 Railway
line
developments
4.1 Giles
Parker
had
conducted
the
first
stage
of
the
noise
monitoring
scheme
in
two
of
the
three
Wolvercote
sites.
The
third
had
failed
for
technical
reasons
and
would
have
to
be
repeated.
The
two
Waterways
sites
would
be
monitored
probably
in
August
after
the
railway
works
were
completed and
trains
were
running
normally
again.
4.2 There
was
nothing
to
report
on
the
air
pollution
issues.
5 Traffic
issues
5.1 The
Chair
reported
that
the
County
Council
has
approved
the
first
stage
design
work
and
informal
consultation
for
a
Waterways
Controlled
Parking
Zone
as
a
level
2
priority.
6 Sub-‐Committee
news
round-‐up
6.1 Finance
6.1.1 The
Budget
for
2018-‐19
had
all
gone
through
with
no
problems.
6.1.2 The
Asset
Management
Plans
had
now
all
been
incorporated
into
the
budget
plans.
It
was
agreed
to
take
this
item
off
the
agenda.
6.2 Apartment
Blocks
Sub-‐Committee
6.2.1 Flat
roof
works
were
about
to
begin.
FirstPort
and
the
ABSC
had
drafted
a
letter
about
security
during
the
works
which
would
be sent
to
all
occupiers
of
apartments.
6.2.2 FirstPort
were
still
investigating
alternatives
for
render
redecoration/cleaning,
including
a
new
process
of
steam-‐cleaning,
for
three
blocks
in
Elizabeth
Jennings
Way.
6.2.3 Regular
checks
on
the
airbnb
and other
short-‐term
letting
websites
suggest
that
there
is
only
one
such
property
remaining
on
The
Waterways,
at
[14] Clearwater
Place.
The
owner
has
informed
FirstPort
that
a
new
long-‐term
tenant
is
arriving
in
October, and
it
would
be
impractical to
take
any
short-‐term
action
at
this
point. FirstPort
agreed
to
send
an
explanatory
email
to
the
resident
who
had
complained
about
the
short-‐term
tenants.
3
There
is still possibly
another
short-‐term
let
at
[92] EJW,
although
there
is
no
evidence
to
confirm
this
and
the
owner
has
stated
that
the
tenancy
has
been
terminated. All
will
keep
an
eye
on
this
situation.
6.2.4 The
Chair
raised
the
question
of
dirty
red
food
bins
in
refuse
stores
and
how
they
are
cleaned.
A
director
reported
that
a
resident
in
one
apartment
block
had
complained
about
a
dirty
red
bin
to
the
City
Council,
who
had
promptly
taken
it
away
and
installed
a
new
one.
FirstPort
noted
that
it
would
be
worth
reporting
dirty
bins
again.
6.3 Gardening
Sub-‐Committee
6.3.1 A
Director
and
FirstPort
reported
that
Denise
Kinsella
of
Thames
Water
had
still
not
responded
to
their
emails
about
the
damaged
siphon
inspection
chamber
on
the
canal
towpath.
The
Canal
and
River
Trust
have
been
made
aware
of
the
problem and
the
damage
to
the
canal
tow
path
bank.
6.3.2 A
Director
reported
that
there
had
been
progress,
if
slow,
on
the
transfer
of
the
estate
freehold
from
Berkeley
Homes to
WMC.
BH
have
contacted
Stuart
Divall
about
designing
the
stone
weirs
he
had
suggested.
It
would
be
logical
for
Stuart
Divall
to
model
the
water
flow
in
the
system
and
so
assess
the
flood
risk,
as
the
city
council
requires,
but
BH
has
said
it
will
look
into
the
cost
of
this.
BH
have
also
commissioned
the
production
of
a
data
point
system
to
help
with
monitoring
the
silt
levels
The
Chair
and
a
Director had
annotated
a
map
of
the
estate
for
BH to
clarify
the
ownership
of or
responsibility
for
particular
areas.
6.3.3 The
swale
was
currently
dry,
following
a
prolonged
spell
without
rain.
However,
it
had
been
flowing
well
since
the
new
channel
had
been
dug
by
a
resident
.
The
role
of
Evergreen
in
maintaining
the
swale
was
discussed.
FirstPort
agreed
to
ask
them
to
clear
the
weeds
from
its
length
and
to
remove
the
debris
behind
Ryder
Close.
6.3.4 It
seems
there
has
been a
noticeable
reduction
in
antisocial
behaviour
by
the
lake,
with
no
more
after-‐school
or
evening
gatherings
of
young
people.
However,
the
Chair
had
found
several
nitrous
oxide
capsules and
balloons in
the
area,
so
clearly
there
is
still
some
activity.
Evergreen
have
treated
the
stumps
of
the
felled
trees
opposite
the
lake in
order
to
kill
the
new
shoots,
although
some
are
still
growing.
Before
re-‐planting
they
might
have
to
grind
out
some
of
these stumps.
FirstPort
agreed
to
ask
Evergreen
to
remove
the
dead
silver
birch
tree by
the
lake.
6.3.5 A
director
reported that
a
new
resident
had
asked
why
the
hedges
in
Stone
Meadow
were
being
pruned
at
this
time
of
year.
FirstPort
reported
that
they
had
had
a
meeting
with
Evergreen
at
the
end
of
May
and
asked
for
the
pruning
to
be
done
less
often
and
less
harshly.
However, it
would
appear
that
these
instructions
had
not
been
followed.
However,
many
residents
have
said
that
they
are
very
pleased
with
the
appearance
of
the
estate
4
FirstPort
pointed
out
that
it
was
probably
time
to
re-‐tender
the
grounds
maintenance
contract
which
is
done
every
two-‐three
years
and
it
was
agreed
that
this
should
be
done
over
the
coming
winter
months ready
for
the
new
financial
year.
FirstPort
knew
of
four
other
suitable
contractors.
6.3.6 There
had
been
concern
over
two
cracks
in
the
retaining
wall
at
the
end
of
the
lakeside
area under
the
new
Fielders
Row
houses,
and FirstPort
has employed
a
surveyor
to
produce
a
report.
The
cracks
were
of
long
standing
but
it
was
thought
that
the
one
in
the
corner
had
shown
signs
of
worsening
since
the
building
of
the
new
houses
above.
The
surveyor
thought
that
the
wrong
sort
of
pile-‐driving
might
have
caused
movement
and
was
now
conducting
a
thorough
investigation.
6.3.7 Some
Complins
Close
residents
had
provided
a
lot
of
feedback
regarding
the
proposed
low
railings
in
their
garden
area.
They
have
requested
a
plan,
with
diagrams
and
pictures,
and
Evergreen
and
FirstPort
are
currently
working
on
this.
6.3.8 Although
the
specification
for
laying
new
paving
slabs
is
now
complete,
the
work
will
have
to
wait
until
the
roofs
are
all
finished.
Meanwhile
the
most
urgent
areas
will
have
to
be
selected.
6.3.9 The
question
of
estate/lettings agents’
boards
was
discussed.
It
had
previously
been
assumed
that
the lease
for
apartments
did
not
allow
these
to
be
erected
on
WMC
land,
but
the
Chair
had
discovered
that
this
was
not
the
case. It
was
therefore
agreed
unanimously
that
these
boards
would
in
future
be
forbidden
on WMC
land and
property
by
a
new
estate
regulation. The
Chair
would
add
this
to
the
Compendium
of
Decisions.
Freehold
houses
are
entitled
by
the
transfer
document
to
erect
such
signs
within
their
curtilage
6.3.10 The
Canal
and
River
Trust
had
received
a
grant
from
the
Oxfordshire
Growth
Board
to
resurface
the
canal
towpath
between
Elizabeth
Jennings
and
Aristotle
Road
bridges.
This
initiative
was
warmly
welcomed.
Sarah
Brown
at
the
C&RT
hoped
to
carry
out
the
work
in
the
current
financial
year.
6.4 Scrutiny
Sub-‐Committee
6.4.1 The
last
meeting
of
this
committee
had
produced
a
list
of
queries
for
FirstPort,
which
had
been
answered
in
very
helpful
fashion.
One
question
had
been
about
the
number
of
queries/complaints
there
had
been from
residents to
the
new
dedicated
Waterways
email
address
(The.Waterways@FirstPort.co.uk)
.
FirstPort
reported
that
since
January
2018
there
had
been
161
calls
to
the
telephone
helpline
but
only
12
messages
at the
new
email
address.
It
was
agreed
that
this
address
should
be
more
widely
publicised,
although
account
queries
will
always
have
to
via
Customer
Services.
7 Feedback
7.1 There
had
been
one
query
from
someone
who
had
been
trying
to
contact
FirstPort
without
success.
FirstPort
agreed
to
look
into
the
records
in
an attempt
to
trace
the
voice
messages
said
to
have
been
left.
8 WRACIC
8.1 Nothing
to
report.
5
9 Managing
agent
9.1 Three
new
Section
20
consultations
were
under
way,
covering
the
rendering
work
in
EJW.
10 Any
other
business
10.1 The
Chair
reported
the
FirstPort
had
re-‐circulated
its
guidance
booklet
on
Health
and
Safety
for
Resident
Management
Company
directors
and
he
had
circulated
this
to
directors.
He
pointed
out
that
the
committee
had
previously
reviewed
this
booklet
(meeting
56,
12
May 2015)
and
had
agreed
to
use
the
risk
assessment
form
at
the
end
of
the
booklet
when
using
small
contractors
not
formally
registered
with
and
vetted
by
FirstPort.
10.2 A
date
was
fixed
for
the
Big
Rake,
which
would
take
place
on
Sunday
16
September
from
10
am
to
1
pm.
A
director
had
earlier
agreed
to
advertise
this
exercise,
and
the
organising
director would
liaise
with
her.
FirstPort
offered
to
send
out
a
text
alert
nearer
the
date.
11 Date,
time
and
location
of
future
meetings
11.1 25
September,
20
November
(2018),
15
January,
19
March
(2019)
– all
Tuesdays
at
7.30
pm
in
the
Community
Room.