City still pushing for new bridges over the lakes

Topic from a thread on Barbican Talk ...

The results of the Barbican Area Strategy Review showed quite clearly that below-podium bridges over the lakes was unpopular, yet the City just won't let the idea go.

The following snippets are from from the September 2015 "Towards A World-Class Centre For Music" document produced by the Arts Centre branch of the City of London.

See page 225

The yellow path to Rattle Hall which some people think will become the primary entrance to the arts centre complex:

The yellow brick road we said we didn't want (pp 236)

The Peeping Alarm Story

The peeping alarm on the substation beneath Breton House has now been fixed.  Here are some notes from the story taken from this thread on Barbican Talk:

The alarm started sounding on Saturday 19th Dec.

The alarm was on the power substation so the first port of call was UK Power on 0800 096 9960 (note: the substation's reference number is 42066). UK Power engineers visited a few times over the weekend and concluded that the problem was with the alarm battery, but in the end concluded that it was not their alarm nor their battery. The alarm is for the halon gas alarm for the substation which is apparently not the responsibility of UK Power Networks.

The estate engineer was contacted next (24/7 help desk on 02073827222). He could not get through the locked gate to reach the alarm, which was unfortunate because there is a simple re-set button that simply needs to be pressed, until such time as the alarm is fixed.

The estate engineer said that the alarm is apparently the responsibility of the barbican centre and they had to wait for the fire alarm company, Global, to come out.

While waiting for Global the CPAs were able to get access to the alarm and used the reset button to silence it from time to time.

No more peeping heard from the evening of 23rd. Presumably Global have fixed it.

Noise Abatement Notices

There is a thread on Barbican Talk about the recent peeping substation alarm issue.  This message explains the Noise Abatement Notice and I thought I'd post it here (edited slightly to add links and make it more generic) for future reference:
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Contact the City environmental health people by phone (020 7606 3030) or email.

Ask the duty inspector to assess the noise.

He/she will thereby be in a position to declare the noise a 'statutory nuisance' under Section 80 of the (1990) Environmental Protection Act, which will thereby allow CoL to issue and serve an S80 Noise Abatement notice.

CoL will no doubt have the details of who to contact, but require 'proof' (most importantly onsite, first-hand evaluation by their representative) so as to be able to justify/defend the escalation, and any action taken to that end, if necessary in court.

KEY POINTS (including in any follow-up conversation)

1. For noise to amount to a statutory nuisance, it must be "prejudicial to health or a nuisance" 
2. An abatement notice can be served by the local authority if they are satisfied that a noise problem amounts to a statutory nuisance. 
3. The notice may require that the noise be stopped altogether or limited to certain times of day. 
4. The notice can be served on the person responsible for the noise, who then has 21 days to appeal.

Often/usually 'the threat' of formal sanction is enough.

NEW BEO Website

I just noticed that in recent BEO email messages it says this:

Barbican Estate Office Please do not reply to this email as it is automatically generated and your reply will not reach us. Click here for the NEW website!

Here's how it looks.  Click image to visit the NEW site.

Beech St closed for water works: 29/31th Dec

From the BEO:

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Dear residents 

We have been informed that Beech Street tunnel will be closed to Westbound traffic between Silk Street and Aldersgate Street for urgent repairs to a water leak. This is planned from 8am on Tuesday 29 December until 12 noon on Thursday 31 December. 

The contractor Thames Water will set up a work site just west of Golden Lane in the Westbound carriageway and remove bollards in the central reservation to accommodate access to the Barbican car parks. Once the required area is excavated, further arrangements will be made to maintain access to premises in the vicinity as far as reasonably practical. 

Thames Water have informed us that there may be a temporary interruption to the water supply on 29 December between the hours of 10am and 12noon. This will affect supplies to the kitchen and the bathroom in some blocks on the estate, so please be mindful of this when you use the water that morning. Please ensure you have your taps in the closed position to prevent any potential for flooding when the water supply is reinstated. 

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you. 

Barbican Estate Office

Blake Tower: Newsletter & Residents Meeting on 24th Feb

The new Blake Tower newsletter is out.  They are planning to have a residents meeting on the 24th of February 2016 in the Lilac rooms.   No time given so I guessed 18:30 for the entry in the calendar.

Bloke working on the roof.  Click image for the newsletter.

LWP: It was a piston!

The latest newsletter from the developers of London Wall Place reveals that the large metal object they have been digging out is a huge piston.  Phew.  

Wood St. should be back to normal by the end of January 2016.

Click on the image to read the newsletter.

Just a piston.  Click image to read the newsletter.

Cancelled - Community Partnership Meeting Thursday 7th January

From the City of London police via the BEO:
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Dear Residents

Please note that the next Community Partnership Meeting Thursday 7th January 2016 at 1800hr at Tudor Rose Court, 35 Fann Street, London EC2 has been cancelled.

In addition, the Barbican Police Office at the base of Shakespeare Tower is currently closed so please call 0207 601 2222 (Wood Street 24 hours).

With regards
Barbican Estate Office

Peeping Substation

A high-pitched peeping alarm has been going off at the electricity substation which is at the head of the entrance ramp to the Ben Jonson / Breton car park. The alarm has been peeping for much of the weekend.  People have been seen trying to fix it, but as the time of writing the alarm is still going.

If the alarm is bothering you the emergency number to call is 0800 096 9960.

Go to jail. Help keep cells in good order.

From the City via the BEO comes a request for volunteers to help to keep jails in good nick:
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Independent Custody Visitors – Local Volunteers

The City of London Corporation, in its capacity as the police authority for the Square Mile, is currently recruiting volunteers from the City to act as Independent Custody Visitors (ICV).

The Police Committee has agreed a Scheme which safeguards the welfare of people detained in City of London Police Stations. As part of this Scheme, independent visitors are appointed to carry out regular checks on the conditions under which detainees are kept. It is an important and valuable role in the local community, particularly through maintaining public confidence in this important area of policing.

The main duties of a visitor are to attend local police stations on a monthly basis and carry out inspections of the cells. Each visit should last no longer than two hours. Although ICVs are unpaid, any incurred expenses would be reimbursed. You will be provided with all relevant training. Volunteers can be either residents or City workers and require no formal qualifications, although they must be over 18 and cannot be justices of the peace, serving police officers or civilian employees; members from the City of London Corporation or special constables

For further details on this, please contact Xanthe Couture on 020 7332 3113.

More Emergency Thames Water works in Beech Street

From the BEO:

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Dear Residents

The emergency works by Thames Water is continuing, and the noisy work is expected to be completed by 6pm tonight.  The water supply to Defoe House should be back on again, and the further emergency works are not expected to bring on any further water supply interruptions.

Again, apologies for the short notification, but this is because of the emergency nature of the works. 

With regards

Barbican Estate Office 

Barbican Station PA testing

From the BEO (The "attached letter" is below):

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Dear Residents

Please find a message from Transport for London for blocks in the immediate vicinity of Barbican station:

"If you live in the immediate vicinity of Barbican station, you have hopefully received the attached letter through your door.

In readiness for a future upgrade of the PA system at Barbican station, we are undertaking some testing to understand how the PA noise travels through and around the station. We've attached noise monitors to some strategic locations around the station, including at some resident's homes. Through the night on Wednesday (and early Thursday morning), we're going to be making PA announcements.  We need to do some of this testing while the station is closed so we eliminate the background noise from the trains.

By doing this, it will help us ensure any future upgrade of the system is designed to specifically fit Barbican station so to not adversely impact our neighbours.

We apologise if this testing disrupts you during the night and thank you for your cooperation."

With regards

Barbican Estate Office

The "attached letter".  Click to read.

Emergency Thames Water works in Beech Street

From the BEO:

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Dear Residents

Thames Water are undertaking emergency works tonight in the Beech Street Tunnel.  Traffic Management will be closing the tunnel Eastbound from 19.00 and Agility on behalf of Thames Water will be undertaking emergency excavation to locate and repair two burst water mains.   This will involve breaking out of the carriageway.   It is inevitable that the noise from this work will cause disturbance to nearby residents.  Noisy hours expected to be 19.00 (14.12.2015) until 02.00 (15.12.2015). Noisy hours thereafter to be constrained to 08.00 – 18.00.  However Thames Water  are aware that it is a residential area and will complete the noisy works as quickly as possible.

Thames Water have insisted that leaving the bursts until the next day will increase the risk of the problem becoming worse and resulting in loss of supply to residents and businesses in the area.  It is on that advice that the out of hours works have been agreed.

Apologies for the short notification, but this is because of the emergency nature of the works. 

With regards

Barbican Estate Office 

London Wall Place - December update

Here is the December newsletter for the London Wall Place project:

Click the image for the whole newsletter

House Group AGM on 9th Dec 2015 - Minutes

The Ben Jonson House Group christmas meeting was a wild success.  We managed to get through two boxes of wine (6 bottles) and two big boxes of mince pies.

Also, the meeting was quorate so we were able to hold the formal AGM.

You can see the minutes of the AGM here.  Please do let me know if you have any corrections.

Xmas Gathering - Wed 9th Dec, Lilac Room 19:00 (doors open 18:30)

Just a reminder that the house group Christmas Gathering, with wine and mince pies (and we hope a very swift AGM).

Please do come along, even if it's just to sign the register and grab a mince pie.  The doors to the Lilac room will open from 18:30 in case you need to pop in a little earlier than the 19:00 start time.

City Road Safety News

The City of London now offer a monthly road safety news letter:

Interested in hearing what the City is doing to improve Road Safety? Then sign up to their NEW monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bHYkjL

Also, here is the Christmas road safety campaign flyer:

Click for larger view