Venue: Committee Rooms, 2nd Floor, West Wing, Guildhall
Contact: Julie Mayer
tel.no.: 020 7332 1410
Email: Julie.Mayer@cityoflondon.gov.uk
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Apologies Minutes: Apologies were received from Fiona Lean (Ben Jonson House); Jane Smith (Barbican Association); Randall Anderson (Shakespeare Tower); David Graves (Seddon House), John Tomlinson (Cromwell Tower) and Ann Holmes (Deputy Chairman of the Barbican Residential Committee (BRC). |
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Declarations by Members in respect of items on the Agenda Minutes: There were no items. |
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To agree the minutes of the Barbican Residents’ Consultation Committee (RCC) held on 7th September 2015. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on 7th September 2015 were approved, subject to an amendment to paragraph 5, as follows:
‘…..astonished at the length of time’ and not ‘disappointed’. The Frobisher Crescent representative suggested, and the Committee agreed, that this was a more fitting description, given that the drainage works at Frobisher Crescent had taken 2 years to resolve.
The Assistant Director advised that the works would start on site next week. |
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'You Said: We Did' : Actions List PDF 172 KB Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Minutes: The Committee received the ‘You Said; We Did’ Actions List, covering actions from the September 2015 Meeting and other outstanding matters. During the discussion, the following matters were raised/noted:
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Recognised Tenants' Associations - Annual Review 2015 PDF 200 KB Report of the Town Clerk. Minutes: The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk setting out the Annual Review of Recognised Tenant Associations. Members noted that all of the house groups, which had applied, had retained their RTA Status. At the time of publication of the report, Ben Jonson House’s result was pending the outcome of their AGM, which had been scheduled for 9 December 2015. The Town Clerk advised that the result would be confirmed at the Barbican Residential Committee on 14th December 2015.
RESOLVED, That – the outcome of the 2015 RTA Audit be noted.
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Service Level Agreements Quarterly Review July - September 2015 PDF 88 KB Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which set out the Service Level Agreements (SLA) quarterly review from July–September 2015. Officers advised that, since the questions received in advance of this meeting related to the SLA report, they and any in the future would be worked into the action plan, in order to ensure they receive an appropriate level of scrutiny and visibility at SLA Working Party and RCC Barbican Residential Committees.
The following items were raised:
RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.
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Progress of Sales and Lettings PDF 91 KB Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Minutes: The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, advising Members of the sales and lettings which had been approved by officers since the last meeting.
RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.
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Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries. Minutes: The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which set out the latest approved budget for 2015/16 and the original 2016/17 budget (for revenue expenditure proposed to be included within the service charge in respect of dwellings). Members noted that the report did not include expenditure or income pertaining to car parking or stores and the amount charges to individual lessees would depend on the percentages set out in their leases.
RESOLVED, that - the report be recommended for approval by the Barbican Residential Committee.
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Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Minutes: The Committee received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which set out the annual submission of the revenue and capital budgets overseen by the Barbican Residential Committee.
RESOLVED, that – the report be recommended for approval by the Barbican Residential Committee.
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Asset Maintenance Plan PDF 91 KB Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which updated Members on the work of the Asset Maintenance Working Party. Members of the working party had expressed a wish to retain their group, with its specific skills set, to ensure progress beyond the gap analysis (as set out in the appendix to the report).
Given that the RCC’s AGM (early 2016) would review the Terms of Reference for each Working Party, the Chairman suggested and Members agreed that the Terms of Reference of the Asset Maintenance Working Party be reviewed, in order to allow the Asset Maintenance Plan to be developed and in place, before the work is subsumed into the SLA Working Party. Members also noted that officer time on working parties was chargeable to the resident service charge account and was scrutinised by the Barbican Residential Committee.
In response to a query about a possible sinking fund, the Assistant Director explained that the Barbican Leases did not make provision for this.
RESOLVED, that - the report be noted.
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Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services. Minutes: The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of the charging policy for car parking on the Barbican Estate for another year. Members were reminded that car parking was not a service charge account, however, comments and feedback were invited from residents, ahead of the Barbican Residential Committee taking a decision on 14 December 2015.
In response to a question about card payments, officers confirmed that this facility would be retained and staff had been fully trained to assist residents and their guests with the various payment methods.
Officers explained that the 5% increase was very competitive, when compared with other parking charges within the City and they had been tasked with generating income from the car parks. Members noted that the car parking subsidy was expressed in the Revenue and Capital Budgets Report (at item 9 on this agenda).
In response to a query about electrical charging points, officers reminded Members that this had been the subject of an early residents’ survey and would soon be progressed as a City of London Corporation project. Members noted that the Barbican Association has been chasing progress and a further update would be provided in the next Winter Bulletin to residents. A Member raised a concern about the possibility of toxic fumes from charging batteries in enclosed car parks, but officers reassured Members that all health and safety responsibilities, such as this, would be fully discharged as part of the tendering process.
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Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, comprising of :
· Agenda Plan 2015 · Property Services Update · City Surveyors’ Update Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee received the regular update report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.
Members noted that there had been a 25% uptake on the TV network installation and that the free installation period had closed that day, but that Frobisher Crescent residents’ free period had been extended due to a health and safety issue which had delayed the contractors.
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Questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee Minutes: Questions submitted in advance of the meeting are set out below.
There were no further questions.
RCC Pre Committee Questions – 30 November 2015
Agenda item 4, “You Said; We Did” Actions List - Page 9 Redecoration costs at Frobisher Crescent
Q. Here, there is a comment on the redecoration of the metal work on the north elevation which is not correct. We are still awaiting information on when this metal work was last painted together with sight of the condition survey made at the time of the development. This information has remained outstanding now for months! A. City Surveyors do not have a copy of the condition survey of the metalwork at the time of development. We are awaiting confirmation of the date when the works were last carried out from the Barbican Arts Centre.
Agenda Item 6, SLA Quarterly Review - Page 20 Noisy works generated by flat refurbishments
Q. A flat in Defoe is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment including the installation of a suspended ceiling to accommodate new wiring and down-lighters. A number of residents have experienced extremely noisy episodes and have requested the committee to look into the issue of permissions and management of refurbishments on this scale. It is apparent that the current Alterations Booklet is now out-dated and in need of rewriting so that refurbishment of this scale are managed considerately by the Contractors and the City. The Defoe Committee understands that the SLA Working Party is looking into this with Michael Bennett, we would like representation the next time this issue is discussed at the SLA Working Party but would also suggest that this issue warrants the establishment of a separate body. Is the SLA Working Party the right place for this issue to be looked at? A. The BEO are reviewing a |
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Any other Business that the Chairman considers Urgent Minutes: There were no items. |