Crossrail Tunneling FAQ

At the residents meeting this week Crossrail handed out a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet.  Here is a scanned copy of the FAQ.

Heating: Current EDF deal expires in a year

From the minutes of the BRC meeting of 16th Sept I read that EDF have agreed to let us stay on the same deal until next winter (i.e. this time next year) at which time we'd better have another deal in place or we'll freeze!  From the minutes:

Officers advised that the City of London had negotiated an extension with EDF until next winter. However, the Chairman advised that the working party would need to act quickly as residents would be leading on this work and it would be within their remit to allocate funds for consultants and the cost of the works, as it was a service charge item.

Beech Gardens Meeting: Wed 23rd Oct. 14:30 & 18:30

From the BEO:

Dear Residents
Please be aware the next meetings regarding the Beech Gardens project will be held on:-
Wednesday 23^rd October at 12.30 and 6.30

The meetings will be held in the Residents' Meeting Room at the Barbican Estate Office. Both Karen Tarbox and Christopher Bate from the Property Services department will be in attendance. Additionally there will be representatives from VolkerLaser Ltd, the main contractor.

With regards

Barbican Estate Office

Baggage store charges

From the BEO:

Dear ResidentsIn September 2011 the Barbican Residential Committee agreed a three year baggage store charging policy which would review annually its increases and that they would be calculated by reference to the Retail Price Index as published in April of each respective year.
The rental baggage stores will increase with effect from 27 December 2013 as follows:

• Standard stores will increase from £295 to £303 per annum

• Transportable stores will increase from £352 to £362 per annum

• Large stores will increase from £414 to £426 per annum

 The purchase price will remain the same at £6,500 for standard stores and at £10,000 for the large stores at Thomas More House. Transportable stores and the large stores at Brandon Mews are not available for purchase. The estimated annual service charge for a store is currently £21 per annum. The key deposit will increase from £120 to £150 per lock with effect from 27 December 2013. If you have any queries regarding this increase or if you wish to surrender your store, please call 02070293955 or email barbican.estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk.
 With regards Barbican Estate Office 

BRC September committee papers

From the BEO:

Dear Residents
The September committee papers for the Barbican Residential Committee (which includes the Residents' Consultation Committee papers and minutes) are available to view via this link:

 http://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=153
If you would like the name of your RCC representative or have any queries about the Committee papers, please contact your House Officer.

With regards

Barbican Estate Office

Podium Magazine: PDF Copies online

I asked the arts centre where I could get back issues of the Podium newsletter: 

The latest Podium and previous issues are all available online via the Barbican website – link below.
http://www.barbican.org.uk/about-barbican/residents

More on the Air Quality Monitoring meeting: 9th october

The air quality monitoring project meeting will be on 9th October at 19.00 in the Seddon House meeting room (the lilac room).

Louise Francis of Mapping for Change will be there with Ruth Calderwood, the City's air quality officer. Louise will be discussing what we can do over the next 12 months and demonstrating the use of the monitoring equipment and asking for your views on what we can do to raise awareness of poor air quality and how we can help support and drive action to improve it.

Any hours you spend volunteering as an Air Quality Champion can earn time credits http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/community-and-facilities/local-community-and-volunteering/Pages/Time-credits-with-spice.aspx  You can spend the vouchers on visits to the Barbican cinema, Tower of London , St Paul's, Golden Lane gym and pool etc. I can sign you up at the meeting.

See the flyer for more information about the meeting - please pass it on to anyone you think might be interested - and ask them to join us on the 9th.

Refreshments will be provided.

London Wall Place 20th Sept Newsletter

Western highwalk now closed, hoardings going up ...

Silver Sunday: 6th Oct

From the City of London Sports and Development people:

ON: SUNDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2013

TIME: 12:00noon – 3:00pm

FOR EVERYONE AGED 50 AND OVER.

• Free Entry all day to Golden Lane Sport & Fitness
• Free use of Golden Lane's Gym and Swimming Pool all day with experts on hand for advice and support.
• Free Afternoon Tea between 12:00noon-3:00pm,
• Exhibitors advertising local services,
• Free Giveaways,
• Free Health checks,
• Cards and Board Games
• Free massage taster sessions

PLEASE BOOK IN FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES VIA EMAIL OR CALL 02072501464 IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE.

• THE ½ HOUR AQUA CLASSES (12:30PM OR 2:00PM)
• ONE – TO – ONE SWIMMING LESSONS (ALL DAY)
• MEDITATION & RELAXATION TALK – (2:00PM)
• SELF HELP WORKSHOP HOSTED BY THE FEEL GOOD CENTRE. (2:30PM)

Joanna Foster

Sports Development Officer
City of London

Golden Lane Sport & Fitness

Fann Street, London EC1Y 0SH

T 020 7324 1667

M 07557818069

Discounted tickets for Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine on Tue 1 Oct

From the Barbican Centre:

... an offer for discounted tickets for an exclusive screening of Woody Allen's latest film on Tuesday 1 October.
Please could you forward on to any of your Barbican Resident contacts who you think might be interested – the tickets are available from the Box Office on a first come first served basis.

Tour of Britain near us on Sunday 22 October

From the Traffic Management team of the Department of the Built Environment:

The final stage of the Tour of Britain will take place in central London this Sunday 22 October. The race will require for the Lower route to be closed. You can find more about the race on the attached leaflet. For travel information please visit the Transport for London website.

Motorcycle Ride in Aid of Lord Mayor's Appeal 13th October 2013

A Motorcycle Ride in aid of the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

The route is close to part of the Barbican for a short while as it heads west into Beech Street from Chiswell St, before going into the tunnel.

If you require a paper copy of the notice, please contact your House Officer.

Crossrail meeting 24 September: Update!

From the Barbican Association:

The two main speakers at the Crossrail meeting on 24 September at 6.30 pm in the City of London School for Girls will be:


Bill Tucker, Crossrail Central Area Director, who will talk about the tunnelling in general and communicating with residents about what is going on
Mike Black, Head of Geotechnics for Crossrail, who will talk specifically about settlement, including the assessments, and measures used to control ground movement
Other Crossrail staff will be on hand to help during the question and answer session.
The formal meeting will last about an hour and a half, including questions, and will be followed by time for informal questions over drinks.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE WELCOME
 Any questions - please email Jane Smith, Chair, Barbican Association, on chairBA@btinternet.com

The heating is now on

It's not even autumn yet (equinox is this weekend, Sunday 22nd)  but the heating is on.

This marks the last season on the current EDF electricity deal.  This time next year we'll be on a new contract and the cost is expected to be higher.

More flooding on the podium

The rain was not particularly heavy this morning, but still a part of the Ben Jonson Highwalk flooded:

Bulky Waste

The BEO tells us that we must not leave bulky waste items at the Breton House bin store. Instead they must be taken to the Defoe House loading bay (off the Beech St. tunnel) or to the open yard behind the old YMCA building at Bunyan Court car park.

But, the sign by the bins at the foot of SC67 Breton House reads as follows (my italics):
"No flytipping in this area unless Cleansing Services have been informed on 0207 606 3110 x2241"

Current sign in the bin area

Residents who have lived here for many years recall that the area has always operated as indicated by the sign, and not as indicated by this recent BEO notice.

See the BEO notice here.

Beech Gardens – Paving Tile Specification

From the BEO:

Beech Gardens waterproofing project – specification of replacement paving tiles for podium
Further to discussions at leaseholder and residents' meetings, a trial area of replacement tiling has been laid in Beech Gardens, just south of John Trundle Court. These consist of "blue brindle", "brown brindle" and "antique brown" tiles supplied by Ketley Brick, laid in an irregular pattern as agreed with the City's planning officers dealing with this project.
 The "Design, Heritage & Access Statement" submitted as part of the application for listed building consent for the project stated that "The existing smooth tiles do not have an inherently slip-resistant finish, creating potentially hazardous conditions during cold and/or wet weather. Selected areas of the walkway have in the past been replaced with grid pattern tiles with the intention of providing increased slip resistance, although this has been at the cost of a unified visual appearance for the paving."Independent laboratory tests of the new and existing tiles have established that the new smooth tiles have a superior slip resistance rating to the waffle tiles, and remain at least equivalent to the waffle tiles after accelerated weathering. For uniformity of appearance and to maintain ease of walking in this area, the proposal is for all the tiles to be of the new type rather than a mixture as at present.
 Photographs of the trial area of tiling are included as an attachment. Should you wish to comment on the proposed new tiles, please send your observations in writing either via email to barbican.estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk or to Barbican Estate Office, 3 Lauderdale Place, marked for the attention of Christopher Bate, Building Surveyor, by 5.00pm on Friday 27th September.


With regards Barbican Estate Office

Give and Take Day - Saturday 21 September

A notice from the BEO:

Dear Residents
The City of London Recycling Team are hosting another Give and Take Day!
The popular community event will be held on Saturday 21^st September in St Giles Cripplegate Church, Fore Street between 10am – 3pm.

A Give and Take Day is a chance for you to give away items you no longer need, and take items that you do, all for free!

Last year the event received thousands of donations – everything from a piano to a chaise long were donated, in addition to hundreds of children's toys, cd's, suitcases, rare books, home furnishings,  and even a set of skis! Donations will be accepted if they are in a good, reusable condition – afterall, one person's 'rubbish' is another person's treasure. We are also able to accept electrical items e.g. kettles, computers, lamps etc.

Please come along to the church between (Give) 10am – 12 midday with the items you wish to donate and return between 1pm – 3pm when you can take the items you wish – you never know what you might find!

For further information on the event, please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/giveandtake or call 020 7606 3110
The Recycling Team look forward to seeing you there!

With regards

Barbican Estate Office

A new motorbike parking spot

I don't think this is what this space was intended for:

Update: The BEO tells me that parking issues are handled by the Parking Team who can be contacted on 020 7332 3910 and by email at squaremileparking@vincipark.co.uk

Regarding the wet paint paint signs

Here is an update from the BEO about the wet paint signs which appeared just outside the lift doors on level 02 of staircase 62:

Hello, I have found out what has happened here. I completed a joint block inspection ... on Friday, and we noted that the area had been painted. What has happened is when I completed the previous inspection on 9 August, I requested an order be raised to deal with the damage caused at 02-03 level at staircase 61. The repairs team have unfortunately picked up the incorrect staircase. Apologies for this, and I have pointed out the error this morning.   Notwithstanding the staircase 62 at 02 level was looking a bit tired, and Helen seemed delighted with the change in appearance. I have chased up the work at staircase 61 today, as this appears to be still outstanding.

Re the lifting and cracking tiles near BJH door 62

Regarding the lifting tiles beside staircase 62, the BEO writes:

Hello, just to say that this has been logged, the area now has a cone on it, and Rineys who are on site tiling on Lauderdale Forecourt have been advised. They will attend to this as soon as possible.

Air Quality Champions meeting: 9th October 19.00

The Barbican Association Sustainability committee announce a meeting (PDF here):

Come along to our first meeting and find out more - and sign up 9 October 19.00 Seddon House meeting room 

• Host a NO2 diffusion tube on your balcony
• Take part in Fine Particle monitoring
• Wear an Ozone measuring patch
• Collect traffic survey data
• Meet Mapping for Change air quality experts
• Earn time credits for every hour you volunteer 

The City has GLA and Defra funding for a Citizen Science project on the Barbican Estate and surrounding streets. Residents will help gather data to inform and drive policy to improve air quality. Mapping for Change will be managing the project, analysing the data and helping us prepare a report. Come and meet them on the 9th and join other residents in taking action to improve air quality. 

RSVP Sarah Hudson ba_sustainbility@btinternet.com

More detail about the CCTV Camera - Staircase 64

From the BEO:

Dear Resident
Please find below the recent results from the CCTV Survey.
Would you like to see the camera at staircase 64, street level, be put into operation or removed?
•       Operative - 83.6%
•       Removed - 16.4%  

Further to the above please find brief answers to some of the questions placed within the survey:-
•       The Camera will now become operative from Monday 16 September 2013.
•       Recordings will only be used if there is any incident and retained for approximately 28 days
•       Secure storage - At the Breton House Car Park Office with recorded footage requiring a login in and password
•       Only your Concierge Staff at Breton House and myself have access to view recorded footage
•       The Barbican Estate has an excellent record for extremely low number of incidents.
•       In 2008 the Car Parks had to review its services as they were running at a financial loss (due to low occupancy and staff costs). At this time the car parks were also required to achieve savings of £200k. There was a very strong possibility that one/two car park offices or even a whole car park could have been closed. However, through additional commercial income we have managed to achieve the savings needed and this particular contract that we now have in Breton House, played a significant part in this.
•       This particular commercial tenant has previously used bays within Speed House Car Park for over 4 years with no negative resident feedback.
•       In 2008, Breton House Car Park had the lowest occupancy levels across all of the Barbican's car parks at just 40%.
 With regards Barbican Estate Office 

The Chairs: The survey results go to 14th Oct Committee meeting

Steve Presland sent an update on progress on the matter of the chairs installed on the Ben Jonson Highwalk and on St. Giles Terrace.

We will have to keep a careful eye on the agenda for that meeting to see what Steve and his team are actually presenting.

Here is what Steve has to say:

... the analysis of responses is taking a little longer than expected.  We are therefore proposing to now report to the Streets and Walkways committee on 14 October 2013.
In terms of viewing the committee report it will be posted on the City of London's website a week before the date of committee. If once you have seen and read the report I would be happy to try and clarify any questions you might have prior to committee ...

Cracked & lifting tiles near lift 62

The fairly new tiles outside the podium level door (to the west) of staircase/lift 62 are lifting and are cracking, as can be seen in this photo:

Newly laid tiles lift and crack