MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF KENNINGTON PARK ESTATE TENANTS’ & RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION HELD ON 2 JULY 2019
Present: 12 tenants and leaseholders. Joan Twelves in the chair.
In attendance: Matt Hopkins, Property Manager, Hyde Southbank Homes
- Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Hopkins, Cllr Normal.
- Minutes of the last Meeting of the Tenants’ & Residents’ Association held on 30 April 2019
The minutes of the previous meeting of the Tenants’ & Residents’ Association held on 30 April 2019 were approved as a correct record of that meeting.
- Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting
At the last meeting Erin McDermott and James Young from Berkeley Homes gave a summary of the position on the development of the gas holder and Tesco sites. It was confirmed that the current situation was that serious demolition and construction work on the gas holder site had started with the installation of the site office fronting Montford Place, the closure of Tesco and the construction of the temporary store. Residents expressed concern at the removal of the recently installed planters on Vauxhall Street in order to allow for use by heavy construction vehicles. With the support of Cllr Holland, it was agreed to establish from Berkeley Homes if the planters were to be reinstated at the end of the construction period and that the changes to Vauxhall Street were all funded by Berkeley Homes.
Other matters arising from the minutes were covered by the agenda for this meeting including communal repairs, cleaning and grounds maintenance, etc.
- Housing Management and Estate Management Issues
Matt Hopkins, the KPE Property Manager, reported on Estate cleaning and grounds maintenance. He gave details of the action taken to deal with the poor performance identified at the end of last year and beginning of this year. Matt also reported on the problem with blocked drains in the Lockwood courtyard and the daily efforts to impress on the drainage contractor the urgency of the issue. He asked residents to ensure that no non-flushable items were allowed to go down the drains or be flushed down the loo. In response to a query, Matt confirmed that refuse bin enclosures were scheduled for jet washing on a monthly basis from April to October and for a clean on a weekly basis. Matt also agreed to ensure the mirror for drivers at the entrance to Sherwin was in the appropriate place.
Matt then reported on plans for the Work, Rest and Play Community Day scheduled for 25 July 2019 from 1500 to 1900. Key partners were to attend to discuss services on offer to residents of Kennington Park Estate and a range of activities for children were to be organised. It was intended to make a start on a community garden in the area between Alverstone and the road.
Report from Executive Committee
Gas Holder and Tesco Sites
It was confirmed that TRA representatives maintained contact with Berkeley Homes and it was confirmed that formal community liaison meetings with Berkeley Homes were to begin in July. Demolition of the Tesco store was to start in August/September. At the beginning of 2020 removal of water and sludge from inside the gas holders was to start. Gas holder number one was scheduled for this work after the other three gas holders had been dewatered and sludge removed. It had previously been scheduled to start before the end of this year. Berkeley Homes could be contacted through the TRA if residents had concerns.
Residents wished to ensure there was a commitment from Berkeley Homes to clean the external windows of residential properties overlooking the gas holder site and affected by dust from construction activities.
Replacement of electrical mains in Blades and Hornby Houses
A meeting for residents of Blades House and Hornby House had been held immediately in advance of this meeting. The information received from the Hyde Electrical Contract Manager had caused great concern, particularly with reference to the apportionment of costs to Blades House. The costs to both Blades and Hornby were not in line with the cost of the same work recently undertaken to Key and Sherwin Houses. It was agreed the TRA would make a formal objection to Hyde in relation to the figures presented so far.
- Report from Community Centre Board of Trustees
The Chair reported that the Community Centre was to offer two weeks of free activities (and food) for children over the school holidays. Some of the funding to pay for Simply Smiley Productions to organise the activities had been secured and bids for more financial support had been made. It was also confirmed that the Community Centre was generating income from hire of the premises and demonstrating financial viability.
- Any other business
None raised.
9 Date of next meeting
1900, Tuesday 24 September (AGM) then 26 November 2019.