Beech Gardens Q&A 5th Feb 2014

From the BEO:

... the Q&A from the most recent Beech Gardens Resident's meeting.

Beech Gardens – Resident’s meeting, 05 February 2014  at  7pm  

Venue: Lilac Room, Barbican Estate Office

Officers Present:

Karen Tarbox (KT) – Head of Housing Needs, Property and Barbican Estate

Michael Bennett (MB) – Barbican Estate Manager

Christopher Bate (CB) – Project Surveyor

Stewart Catterall (SC) VolkerLaser (VL) Representative 

4 residents attending.

Introduction by Karen Tarbox

KT introduced the City of London officers and the Representative from VolkerLaser (VL)

1 Communication

KT provided an update with regard to the meetings of the Beech Gardens Project Board (PB), which met on 5 February.  KT advised that the PB was made up of Resident Representatives from the 5 surrounding blocks, namely, Bunyan, Bryer and John Trundle Courts, Defoe House and Lauderdale Tower, Property Services Officers and representatives from VolkerLaser.  All complaints about the project received by the BEO are logged and if these are not dealt with at grass roots level, they are escalated up to the PB to deal with. One complaint has been logged since the start of the project in December. It was clarified that officers would be happy to attend the 5 blocks House Group Meetings/AGMs upon request. 

The residents meeting are scheduled after the meetings of the PB in order that the most up to date information would be available. Monthly meetings for residents are held on the first Wednesday of every month.

Resident Reps.

Bunyan – David Murray

Bryer – John Taysum

John Trundle – Janet Wells

Lauderdale – Robert Barker

Defoe – Garth Leder

CB advised that some of the work needed to be co-ordinated in line with the requests of the commercial properties. Phasing plans including coloured sections of the project which identify expected start and finish dates of each section were handed out to the residents present. 

Weekly bulletins have continued and the Current Project section of the website is being continually updated.

2 Hard Landscaping

Q        What are the timescales for the relaying of the tiles?

A         The tiles will be relaid during the end period of each phasing plan.

Q          What are upstands?

A          Upstands include the pyramid shapes at the edges of the podium, skirtings and parapet wall.

Q        What is the difference between triflex work and waterproofing?

A         Triflex is the liquid applied material which forms part of the waterproofing.

Q         When will the Bryer pond bridge be put back?

A         The agreement is to put the bridge back as it was originally. However, there are some cleaning, Health and Safety, Height issues and this is an opportunity to resolve these. An agreed design is being reviewed which may require Listed Building Consent – the timescales for this are expected to be presented to the next PB meeting in March.  

Q How long before the chute is organised to carry debris down to the service yard? 

A         Once the scaffolding at the back of Bunyan Court to carry out water penetration works to some flats is moved/removed - TBC

3 Soft Landscaping

Q After the water proofing will the soil be put back?

A No this will form part of the planting works. 

Q         Once the pond works are complete will the water be replaced.

A         No this will form part of the planting works. 

Q          How will the planting be approved?

A          The intention is to put together some designs for two viable schemes for the Working Party to comment on which will be put forward for wider resident consultation. There is already provisional approval for funding for the planting but the 2 schemes will require realistic prices and committee approval.

4 Timelines

Q          Is there a proposal to start the redevelopment of 2 Fann Street works later this year?

A          No the redevelopment of 2 Fann Street is due to start in January 2015.

Q With the continual bad weather what contingencies are there?

A          There are contingencies in the project but there are no guarantees that there will be no extensions to the project.

5 Health and Safety

Q        Will the hoarding remain throughout the project?

A         The hoarding will remain for those areas that require planting but the other areas will be opened up as soon as those works are completed. 

6 Environmental

Q Are the works being done currently by the “concrete sander” the loudest noise that we will hear during the works?

A         Yes.

Q          Workers appear on site at 8.00am and the sound echoes around.

A         Contractors will be reminded about this by the VL Project Manager 

The meeting ended at 8pm