Thursday 30 June 2016

Resident Survey 2016


The estate office have launched their 2016 survey, asking residents for their opinion of their service.

I'd like to suggest that residents ask for improved communications.  Really, the BEO are awful when it comes to communications.  We have found that even within the BEO messages are lost or muddled leading to all kinds of silly situations.  

I recommend that the BEO use a blog like this one.  Messages and supporting documents would be readily available for residents (and people working at the BEO), and would be archived too.  Paper notices would still be needed for the many people on the estate who prefer not to deal with computers, but these notices could simply be page-prints from the blog.

Here is the BEO message about the survey:
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Dear Resident

It's this time of year when we're asking for feedback on the services we provide to you.

Please find the link the survey below.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7D3W6GQ

The closing date for the survey will 31st July.

Thank you.

Barbican Estate Office




















A view of the BMH plans from the school

Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre is part of the Golden Lane Campus and is located adjacent to Breton House, to the North.  The school directly faces Bernard Morgan house.  Here are their thoughts on the development:
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We believe that the Bernard Morgan development will have a detrimental impact on the upper level, outdoor playground and learning areas at Prior Weston School, directly across from the proposed development.

The playground and outdoor learning space on upper level of the building is a key resource for improving the learning, progress and achievement of children at the school. It is also a key resource for the physical, social and emotional well being of children at the school. We have current plans to make even further use of this area, with an upgraded playground and more frequent and better use of outdoor play, exercise and learning areas.These plans are outlined in the current Prior Weston School Improvement Plan (SIP).

It should also be noted that the effective use of the physical environment, in terms of integrated indoor/outdoor play and integration into the wider community (such as the mixed use of Fortune Street Park), is clearly identified as an indicator of 'Best Practice' by Ofsted (2015).

The school is seeking re-assurance that the Bernard Morgan proposals will not result in any significant loss of light to this area during the main hours of use (8am-330pm). The school would object to any plans resulting in loss of light which have the potential to diminish this key resource for our children.

Prior Weston Governing Body also seeks re-assurance that the Bernard Morgan development does not create a situation where the children are inappropriately overlooked and that the safety and security of the children would not in any way be compromised.

Noise and disruption during the development of the site could be very intrusive and detrimental to children's learning and we wonder what measures are to be put in place to minimise that and compensate the school and children's centre.

Wednesday 29 June 2016

The GAG (Gardening Advisory Group)

Here is a brief report from the house group gardening lead.  If you are interested in getting involved with the estate gardens please do drop us a line using the email form at the bottom of the page.
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Helen Davinson of the Barbican Estate Office says that the Gardening Advisory Group (GAG) is an RCC (Residents Consultative Committee) working party.  The GAG does not require representatives from each block, but for those who are interested, membership is decided at their AGM, the next one being in January 2017.

The house group representative on the RCC can ask her to put forward anyone that we would like to have on the Gardening Advisory Group.  The Group meets quarterly,  and their minutes are presented annually to the RCC.

I haven't found anyone, so far, who would be willing to attend these meetings for our House, but I shall keep asking around.

Sunday 26 June 2016

City Resident - Summer 2016

Produced three times a year by the City of London, the City Resident contains news about the community, environment, events, and the latest updates from City Police.

The latest edition is available from the City publications web page.
Click to read the Summer 2016 edition





Saturday 25 June 2016

Roof leaks during recent heavy rain

Flats on the 5th floor of Ben Jonson House have suffered serious water penetration problems during the storms over the last week.

The house group is aware of a number of flats with this problem but the estate office will not tell us how many flats are having this problem.  The reason given by the BEO for withholding the information from us is the data protection act.

If you live on the 5th floor and are having problems with your roof please let the house group committee know by using the email form at the bottom of the blog page (just scroll down).

Here is a write up by the resident of one of the affected flats.  This particular flat has had water penetration issues since the roof repair works in 2002/3.  The flat had no water penetration problems before the roof works.

NB: Leaking roofs, and the associated costs are currently under review.
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The latest is that both I and my neighbours experienced leaks overnight following the heavy rain on Thursday 23rd. This was the first occurrence since April. A two man team from Structural Renovations had been pre-booked to look into possible sources on 24th (yesterday) and they spent the day carrying out tests which resulted in the replication of leaks at both flats. Steve Murray, who has been overseeing the works over the past 4 years, admitted defeat in terms of finding a permanent solution. He was in agreement with the suggestion of my neighbours that a fresh perspective was now needed in the person of a structural engineer and any other relevant professionals, to analyse and plan whatever was necessary to address the fundamental faults underlying the repeated leaks.  [My neighbours] would be able to put forward a structural engineer who is well acquainted with the structure of the Barbican and listing issues.

It is significant that in the course of their investigation yesterday, the team from Structural Renovations referred to the nature of the paving at level 6, installed as part of the roof works. On other blocks paving stones are loose laid on small sand bags, which means that the entire surface of the balcony under them can take the extra water of heavy downfalls. This was the situation at BJH too before the roof works. The new paving stones are stuck down directly onto the asphalt meaning that heavy rainfall is then confined to the shallow gutter running under the sliding doors to the drain between our two flats and overwhelms the drain. It then finds its way into any minor fault in the seal and draws water into the ceilings by capillary action.

I think we should know whether this system of paving that is both stuck down and raised well above the recommended level was used on the level 6 balconies of any other blocks as part of the roof works. I wonder particularly about Bunyan Court which has the same basic configuration as we have. If our problems are the result of a fundamental design fault, the City should bear all the associated costs over the years and pay a suitable level of compensation for the huge inconvenience suffered by the owners of those properties directly affected for all of 12 years.

Highwalk Drains - looking better

Even after the heavy rain over the last week the drains on the highwalk protecting Ben Jonson House seem to have coped well. There are lakes nearby, but the house itself has not suffered a repeat of the great flood of 2013.  Good news indeed, so thanks to the maintenance team.  Here is a note sent to me late last week from the head of the maintenance team:
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I am pleased to say that this morning's carnage of lakes, ponds and puddles was not within the footprint of Ben Jonson. We did have had a Lake on the back end of Cromwell which didn't clear from our efforts above. So we have had to go into the bows of the Barbican to find the drain runs and remove rodding eyelets etc. Breton also had a Pond of which we are tracing drain runs. Several other drains had puddles easily cleared from above of the debris from the flower beds.

Kindest regards
Head of Repairs and Maintenance
Barbicanrepairs@cityoflondon.gov.uk
0800 035 0003

Wednesday 22 June 2016

Cote Licence - deadline tomorrow

From the BA licensing chair:
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MOST URGENT

Thursday 23 June TOMORROW is the final day for objections.

Attached is my draft which will be tidied up and sent off tomorrow morning.

IMPORTANT THAT MANY FOLK OBJECT TO THE SALE AND SUPPLY OF ALCOHOL FOR CONSUMPTION OFF THE PREMISES UP TO 22.30 seven days a week.

If a  person does not object, they cannot appear at the hearing. (They do not have to appear.) A mass of objections is useful.

The matter is:



Email address:


Tuesday 21 June 2016

Bernard Morgan House - Planning application invalid

The BA planning chair sent out an update including the news that the Taylor Wimpey planning application was submitted to the City recently but was found to be invalid, which I think just means they filled in the forms incorrectly.  They'll be back.  Here is the note from the BA planning chair:
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The Bernard Morgan House planning proposal has not gone live yet. We have been told from the City Planning Department that their application 'is currently invalid'. [The chair of the Breton House group] is leading a team of local residents on this development and we had a useful meeting with Rob Chipperfield [a City planning officer] and his planning team at the beginning of the month. Following that meeting visits were arranged to view the proposed building site from Breton House, Bowater House and the Cobalt Building.

There is no doubt that replacing BMH by a much taller building will affect the levels of light in the flats of some of our near neighbours and we will be asking for your [house group] support when the time comes. There's a lovely low level apartment block nearing completion near Ironmongers on Central Street, such a pity the proposal for Golden Lane is so much higher than this Islington development.

Monday 20 June 2016

21 Moorfields residents' meeting

There will be a residents meeting for those interested in the 21 Moorfields building which is going up above the Moorgate tube station, where the City Boot wine bar was.

18:00 on 13th July in the Lilac Room.

Click to read the flyer

Visit London Wall Place on 22 June

From the BA:
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Dear Barbican residents
Open invitation to a meeting about London Wall Place on 22 June - please RSVP if you wish to come

The Barbican Association has arranged a meeting next week for the London Wall Place Partnership in order to update residents on the progress of the works. The meeting will include:

Information on current and remaining forecast construction works on the site during the final year prior to handover. (Expected completion of both buildings and the public areas is April next year.)
An update on measures that Brookfield Multiplex will be taking to minimise the impact of their construction work on immediate neighbours in response to recent feedback from residents and the BA.

An update on the public realm provision, including the gardens, open spaces, street scene improvements, and the new St Alphage Highwalk network which will create podium-level connections with the Barbican.
An opportunity for questions from residents to the developers and the construction team

A large and highly detailed architectural model of the scheme will also be on display at the meeting. This clearly shows all the gardens and pedestrian routes across the site at ground and highwalk level, and how the scheme integrates with neighbouring streets and properties.

The meeting is at The City Centre, Basinghall Street (the former City of London Marketing Suite) at the South-esst corner of the Guildhall complex. The centre will be open from 6.00pm for anyone wishing to view the model and the meeting will start at 6.30pm.

If you wish to attend please contact Joanna Balson at Brookfield, email joanna.balson@brookfield.com or telephone 020 7408 8365.

Tim Macer
Chair of the Barbican Association's St Alphage Group




Summer Edition of Barbican Life


Click to read

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Beech St Works Cancelled for Sat 18th

From the BEO:
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Beech Tunnel Update - the programmed works for this weekend have been CANCELLED.

The Beech Street Tunnel will remain open as usual.

Cote licence application link

Further to the application from Cote for a licence to include alcohol along with food for delivery, the the BEO sent out the following:
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Dear residents

The Barbican Estate Office has been asked to send out the link below in order to make residents aware of a current application from Cotes Restaurant. If you wish to comment on this application please direct your comments to the City of London Licensing Authority by 23 June.

Please see link below-

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/licensing/alcohol-and-entertainment/alcohol-entertainment-applications/Pages/Cote.aspx

See Waste Recycling in action 29 July at 10.00


If you're interested in attending, please use the email form on the blog and I'll pass your message on to the organiser.

(Sorry about the formatting of the rule document.  Thank Microsoft Word for not supporting document standards.)
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Following Carolyn Dwyer's presentation on recycling levels in the Barbican at the AGM, the recycling team have arranged a visit for residents to the Veolia Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Southwark where the City's dry recyclables are sorted and it is also the collection centre for food waste which is then bulked up with other Borough's waste for processing at a site in Kent.

Having visited one of these facilities before it is a really interesting opportunity to see exactly what happens to our recycling. The itinerary is as follows:

10.00  - Presentation on the site/ H & S briefing
10.20  - Don Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
10.30  - Tour the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
11.00  - Tour the Mechanical and Biological Treatment (MBT)
11.20  - Tour the Recycling Discovery Centre (RDC)
11.35  - Remove PPE
11.40  - Q&A
12.00  - Depart

Veolia can accommodate up to 20 visitors - so if you or anyone from your house group would be interested in joining the trip please let me know. The site is easily reached by public transport - either via the Northern Line to Elephant and then a 172, 453 or 53 bus - or a 172 bus from Little Britain. The site visit is not suitable for anyone fitted with a pacemaker nor, unfortunately, for wheelchair users or those with walking aids.

How to find the site (click)

Safety Rules (click)


Give and Take Day 23rd July

From the BEO
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Give and Take Day

Saturday 23rd July 2016, St Giles Cripplegate Church, Fore Street, EC2Y 8DA

These events are an opportunity for City residents having a clear-out, to make sure unwanted items are reused, recycled or disposed of responsibly whilst also supporting the local community.

Drop off items between 10am-12noon

Pick up items City residents 1pm-3pm, non-City residents 2pm-3pm
City residents please bring proof of address.
Please do not drop donations off at the church before the event
Free bulky waste collections on the day for Barbican residents only

​​You can donate
kitchenware and bric-a-brac
soft furnishings like cushions and curtains
clothing, shoes and accessories
toys and unwanted gifts
books, DVDs, CDs and videos
kettles and toasters
cameras, phones, printers, screens and computer monitors
hair dryers, hoovers, radios and CD players

You can recycle batteries and low energy light bulbs. Unfortunately we are unable to collect cooking oil.

Arts Centre Meeting 21st July 18:30

From the BEO:
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Barbican Centre Bi-Annual Residents’ Meeting
Thu 21 Jul, 6.30-8pm
Fountain Room, Level G
Barbican Centre

All Residents are invited to attend the Barbican Centre’s Bi-Annual Meeting on Thursday 21st July. This informal meeting is a chance to hear more about the Centre’s arts programme and projects coming up that are geared towards Residents, as well as the opportunity to put your questions to the panel.

John Tomlinson, Chairman of the Barbican Centre Board, will lead the meeting alongside Sean Gregory, Director of Learning & Engagement. The meeting will start at 6.30pm in the Fountain Room on Level G, with tea and coffee available from 6.15pm.

We hope to see you there.

RSVP online or call 020 7382 7228

Monday 13 June 2016

Moat be gone


On the 7th of June we had a huge moat following the rainfall that day. The next day the moat was gone. I asked the BEO if they had taken action to drain the moat but I had no reply until today when a key member of staff returned from vacation:
Action was taken to clear the blocked drain. Also while doing this we have found a concealed pipe which we are going to re-run, renew. Hopefully we will have all of the ordered materials this week and will then progress.
So, thanks to the BEO for quickly tackling the moat last week.

... and now you don't

Trooping Flypast

The RAF seem to use the Barbican as a waypoint to line up on the Mall for the Trooping of the Colour flypast each year.  If you stand on the highwalk at about 12:55 on the day this is what you might see.  Click on the photos to make them bigger ...

A400m & Friend
Typhoon or two
Arrows over Ben Jonson
Arrows heading to the Mall

Sunday 12 June 2016

RCC: Roofs, Leaks & Overcharges

In the ongoing saga of the roofs and the 80% maintenance overcharge the latest news comes from the minutes if the RCC meeting on the 6th June:

Click to read the whole document
So, the report which the City (in the form of the BEO) took 9 months to produce is deemed to be deficient, and officers have decided to withdraw it and spend another few months working on a new one.  This time they will work with resident representatives and will have the new report ready for the November RCC meeting.

Prior to the June 6th RCC meeting the Ben Jonson House Group committee discussed this.  Our feeling is there there should be an external audit.  It seems that the BEO has trouble fixing the leaks (there are still leaks), managing the accounts (the BEO took ages to work out how much had been spent on what) and reasonably using warranties which cover works done in that past (not one claim seems to have been made on the warranties, and even getting a copy of the warranty took months, and the now withdrawn report said that actions by the BEO had invalidated any warranties we thought we had (... but perhaps that last bit is not quite true which is why the report has been withdrawn?)).

We have a representative on this newly formed committee and they will be making the case for the house group.

Côte licensing application vs. planning consent

I have received the following well thought-out response to the post about the licensing application being made by Côte with respect to a food delivery service.  As requested I'll forward this on the the planning people in the City asking for their comment.
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Their application clearly states: "the applicant is introducing a delivery service at the premises whereby a full meal can be ordered from their menu for home delivery".

They are not asking for the permission from the licensing committee to operate a delivery service - they merely state they are introducing it. They are only asking for permission to offer alcohol as part of the delivery service.

This alcohol element may concern some BJH residents and it would therefore make sense for them to write to the licensing committee about that.

But it seems to me that the key point is the one you go on to make in the blog - It's the introduction of a delivery service that potentially increases nuisance from motorbike/moped traffic in the service yard behind Ben Jonson House which would be a real concern for all BJH residents  - and we could still face that from Cote's new delivery service even if the Licensing Committee denies the licence variation for it to include alcohol.

Now the BJH committee is are aware of it, shouldn't we explore the issue of the new delivery service with the planners?

The original planning consent for the restaurant contains a specific restriction "to safeguard the amenity of the occupiers of adjacent premises".

Condition 5 states:
"No servicing of the premises shall be carried out between the hours of 20.00hrs on one day and 08:00hrs on the following day from Monday to Saturday and between 18.00hrs and 12.00hrs on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Servicing includes the loading and unloading of goods from vehicles and putting rubbish outside the building."
Couldn't the house committee contact/write to the planners to seek clarification and make the point to the planners that the proposed delivery drivers will be "servicing" the restaurant - so these same hours must be respected by the restaurant in relation to any delivery service that they operate. 

Saturday 11 June 2016

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Moat Again

After the heavy rain storms today the moat has returned.  I'll let the BEO know again ...

Even bigger than before?

Monday 6 June 2016

Côte: Application for licence to deliver food & alcohol

Côte, the restaurant beside the cinemas beneath Ben Jonson House, is applying for a licence to sell and deliver alcohol along with meals.  It is not clear how this would be implemented; for example will Côte delivery drivers use the normal customer doors to pick up meals & alcohol or will delivery vehicles be using the yard behind Côte (which is overlooked by residents in Ben Jonson and Breton Houses)?

The application went in on 26th of May.  If you have any objections then make them to the licensing committee on or before 23th June.

Click to read the whole application

Friday 3 June 2016

Cracks in the wall - repair work going out for tender

We have received another update on corridor cracks from the BEO Senior Project Manager.  The good news is that we have zoomed past the hurdle of Planning and Conservation and bids will now be sought to do the repair work ...
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The need to involve City Planning and the Conservation dep't is that it is a listed building, and that some of the Engineers recommendations on the crack repairs were involving changing the finished look of the walls hence the need for Conservation and Planning officers to be involved. We were also hoping that as the walls are internal they will just give us a nod without having to be involved in great detail but this was not the case as they actually wanted to assess this in more detail just to be sure whether listed building consent is required or not. The only issue was that their responding was slow and slower than we had wanted or anticipated and I can only apologise on our their behalf and our behalf.

However the good news is that I have finally managed to get hold of the Planners and the Conservation Officers, we visited the site Ben Jonson the day before yesterday and I have finally got their clearance and recommendation as to how to deal with the cracks from a Planning and Conservation point of view.

The Structural Engineers, and I are now putting together the spec taking into account the Planning comments. Prices to repair the cracks are anticipated to be available end of next week or early week beginning 13 June 2016. At that point I will be able to tell you the actual start date as I understand there may be some consultations and other internal processes to be taken into account. Once that process is clearer to me I will immediately email you with a start and finish date and that point letters would also be send out to you and residents.

Wednesday 1 June 2016

3 questions about the roofs warranty report

The news about the BEO report about roofs and the 85% overspend is attention grabbing.  A number of people have expressed frustration.  One BJH resident has taken the time to write to the committee, raising three questions for the committee to take up with officialdom:
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1. Why wasn’t the 85% overspend communicated in advance so that service charge payers could be forewarned to ensure they had funds in place? Should our representatives now agree a level of variance that would require significant variances to the published estimate to be flagged up, just as any business would do?

2. The report suggests that the warranty may have been rendered invalid. If that proves to be the case couldn’t the bill be met by the buildings insurance?  The BJH blog points out the buildings insurer is changing.  Presumably as this issue is ongoing, steps will have been taken to ensure that a claim can still be made if necessary?

3. As drafted, doesn’t the report raise an issue of governance?  The communicated policy was to put in place warranties that would protect service charge payers from potential expenditure during the warranty.  This policy was then not complied with, resulting in residents no longer being protected, but presumably still paying for the warranties through their service charges?

The report implies that the policy wasn’t changed after a discussion at a relevant committee, nor in consultation with residents’ representatives, nor was it ever communicated. It appears that a unilateral act removed the financial protection of the warranties that service charge payers were funding on the clear understanding this was to provide them with additional protection. I’m not a lawyer, but isn’t this akin to mis-selling?

If things stand as they are, aren’t service charge payers in BJH being asked to pay three times over? For the warranty, for the buildings insurance and for the actual repairs themselves? That can’t be right.

Please can the committee get to the bottom of this issue and also do whatever you can to ensure that the relevant lessons are learned around communicating budget variances and governance re policy changes. And also to ensure service charge payers aren’t being asked to pay three times over.