WATERWAYS MANAGEMENT COMPANY
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING NO.31
7.30 PM ON WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH 2011
MINUTES
Present: Louise Robertson (Chairman), Mirielle Levy, Miles Thompson, Paula
Reynolds, Nick Robinson, Nicholas Orme, Sally and Richard Doyle.
In attendance: Rebecca Hill (Managing Agent), Richard Dorey, WRA
Minute taker: Emma Thompson
- Apologies
Raquel Stremme, Martin French, Derek Summers. - Private Business
None. - Approval of minutes from meeting 30 (12/1/11)
The minutes of the meeting were approved as a correct record. - Matters arising
4.1 Progress on the landscaping of Lark Hill
Directors were reminded that at a previous meeting it had been agreed that the
budget for the project should be £1,200. After consulting with residents on the
proposed re-landscaping of the area, the necessary changes to replanting had meant
that the budget had increased to £1,345 +VAT. The Gardening Sub Committee was
now asking the WMC to approve the additional over-spend to accommodate the use
of mountain ash trees in Lark Hill.
RESOLVED
To confirm the revised budget spend of £1,345+VAT.
4.2 Grit Bins
It was reported that three grit bins had now been purchased and would be placed in
Lark Hill and at each bridge within the development. These would be filled by the
Council.
RESOVLED
To note progress.
4.3 Progress on the Community Room
WRA was informed that at the recent Annual General Meeting of the WMC it had
been agreed that no further attempts should be made by the WMC to negotiate on
the lease with the pension fund holder. This gave the WRA the opportunity to bring
the community room into use. It was acknowledged that even the WRA might not be
able to find a suitable method of managing the room and that this facility might never
become available to the local community.
4.4 Waterways booklet.
Sponsorship was still being sought to print the content as an A5 colour brochure. It
was agreed that Fusion should be approached and that NFU Mutual might be willing
to undertake the production.
RESOLVED
Director to contact both parties to ensure the timely production of the booklet. - Appointment of Chair to WMC Management Committee
5.1 The current incumbent reminded the Committee that due to other commitments they
had originally agreed to undertake the role for a period of six months. One person
had put themselves forward for nomination on the basis that a Vice Chairman was
also elected and the current support (Secretary and Minute Taker) was retained in
order to reduce the potential workload.
RESOLVED
To appoint Miles Thompson as Chairman of WMC Management Committee.
To appoint Louise Robertson as Vice Chairman of the WMC Management
Committee. - Setting of objectives for the WMC Management Committee
6.1 Three objectives were presented for consideration, these being:
To ensure procedures, actions and decisions are transparent and
communicated effectively;
To monitor the impact of the new traffic and parking conditions and identify
suitable responses;
To undertake the Managing Agent review.
RESOLVED
To adopt the objectives. - Directors’ Responsibilties
7.1 The current responsibilities were reviewed and a number of amendments proposed:
Raquel Stremme to be asked if she would be interested in becoming a second WRA
link due to the demise of the role for External Affairs.
Martin French and Louise Robertson to be included on the Apartment Block Sub
Committee to ensure probity in light of the expenditure incurred by this particular
Committee.
Mirielle Levy and Nick Robinson to be included on the Scrutiny Committee.
Nick Robinson to support Derek Summers on feedback.
Derek Summers to be reinstated on the Traffic and Parking Sub Committee which
would also include representatives from the WRA.
It was agreed that the Managing Agent should liaise with Paula Reynolds for the
Apartment Block Sub Committee and Sally Doyle for the Gardening Sub Committee.
RESOLVED
To agree the appointments, subject to discussions with individuals outside the
meeting to confirm their willingness to participate on the committees as identified. - Update from Managing Agent
8.1 The Health and Safety Report had now been issued to the WMC for review.
RESOLVED
Report to be presented to the next meeting.
8.2 A number of residents had raised concern at the removal of the fire extinguishers
from an apartment block on Frenchay Road. The Managing Agent reported that
following consultation with the fire authorities it had been recommended that it would
be safer for residents to evacuate their property in the event of a fire starting in their
home or staying within their property if a fire commenced in the communal areas due
to the construction of the building, rather than attempt to fight the fire themselves.
Only three apartment blocks had been fitted with fire extinguishers which were now
reaching the end of their 10 year life. If the extinguishers were replaced, residents
would have to be trained in their use which was both expensive and impractical given
the level of tenanted properties
RESOLVED
Managing Agent to respond to resident outlining the reasons above to close the
matter.
8.2 It was noted that the Peverel Ltd administration was on-going and that there was
nothing further to report since the WMC AGM the previous week.
9 Items from WRA
9.1 A request had been received from a resident for a memorial bench to be placed by
the lake.
RESOLVED
To agree in principle to the bench, subject to the location being agreed with the
landscape contractors to minimise impact on future maintenance.
9.2 Members of the WMC Management Committee were asked if they had noticed any
difference to the level of road noise coming from the resurfaced A34. Nobody had
noticed any increase in levels.
9.3 The WRA requested the annual funding of £1,200 to pay for the production of the
newsletter, maintenance of the website and the annual event for the development.
The WRA would not be seeking an increase.
RESOLVED
To provide £1,200 to the WRA in order to support the communication activity across
the development and resident involvement.
10 Finance
10.1 As a result of a request from a resident to receive an in-year forecast, the Managing
Agent invited members of the WMC Management Committee to review their ‘my
property’ section of the OM website to establish whether they were able to view the
expenditure reports which had been posted for resident information. This was readily
available to in-house staff and OM wanted to make sure that the same information
was available to owners.
It was also reported that additional functionality would be rolled out on ‘my property’
which would include the ability to track repairs.
RESOLVED
WMC Management Committee members to review the ‘my property’ section of the
OM website and report back to Managing Agent.
Article on the ‘my property’ section of the website to appear in a future edition of
Waterways World.
11 Apartment SubCommittee
11.1 It was noted that the roof repair for 90 Elizabeth Jennings Way would be complete
within a week.
11.2 As a result of a number of instances of fraud relating to the cloning of credit cards,
residents had been advised they could purchase an upgrade to their existing post
boxes, subject to the Managing Agent agreeing the design and installation.
RESOLVED
To note the progress report.
12 Complaints - Nothing to report.
13 Garden SubCommittee
13.1 The culvert which ran through the development was now flooding sections of an
adjacent car park and adjacent private gardens, and remedial work should be
undertaken. The work would prove problematic and potentially expensive to
undertake as there was nowhere for the waste material to be placed and it would
have to be removed off-site. It was proposed that the work should be undertaken in
bite-sized chunks, starting with the pit, then the remainder of the culvert and
subsequently it should be dredged annually.
RESOLVED
To secure quotations from approved Environment Agency contractors for the removal
of silt from the pit to alleviate the potential for flooding before agreeing to any work
being undertaken.
To establish the Company’s legal responsibilities in respect of the culvert.
To invite Berkeley Homes, the current land owner, to ask Oxfordshire County Council
to adopt the culvert as had originally been identified on the land management plan.
14 Parking and Traffic Sub Committee
14.1 A resident had written to a member of the WMC Management Committee stating that
the Council had not complied with the original highways plan for the development.
When the correspondence was reviewed it was identified that the resident was
referring to the original documentation which had subsequently been revised
following a consultation exercise with the residents on the development.
RESOLVED
To invite the resident to refer the matter to the County Council.
WMC to monitor and note any impact of the introduction of the yellow lines on the
development.
15 AGM Sub Committee
15.1 The Managing Agent was asked to put systems in place to make sure that the correct
paperwork was distributed to residents for the AGM next year. Attendance had
improved with the new date for the AGM but it was suggested that in 2012 the
meeting should be held after the clocks had gone forward.
In order to secure sufficient block votes, it was proposed that Colleges which owned
several properties on the development should be encouraged to attend the AGM.
RESOLVED
To replace the current draft minutes on the website which had been approved at the
AGM.
To receive the draft minutes from the AGM at the next meeting for approval prior to
inclusion on the website.
16 AOB
16.1 It was reported that drivers of the Street Car which resided in Complins Close were
not parking the car in the allocated space which was causing inconvenience to those
residents who were unable to park in their own parking space as a result.
RESOLVED
Street Car to pay and erect a sign in the relevant parking space.
OM Property to write to Street Car to encourage them to penalise frequent offenders
and to include a notification of where to park inside the vehicle itself.
17 Date of next meeting
17.1 Monday, 23 May, Anchor, 7.30 pm