Lease Enforcements - flooring & animals

The City have now adopted a new process for enforcing the lease, with specific regard to flooring and animals (as discussed at the 2017 AGM).

Click to read the whole document.

Emergency Service Points - 999

If you ever need emergency services at home, here is how the BEO recommend you direct them to your flat:

Click to read the whole document

New HIP (Home Improvement Pack)

Following the adoption of a new policy regarding flooring and pets the BEO have updated some of the clauses of the home improvement pack (HIP).

The full version of the home improvement pack is available from the City web site (or the 2016 version archived here).

In the meantime, here are the amended clauses:

Click to read all amendments (in bold)

Detective Pikachu and the Ex' Halls

It turns out that the exhibition hall people now feel that it was not such a great idea to rent out Exhibition Hall 2 as a staging facility for the cast of 500 extras helping with the Detective Pikachu movie ...

... not least because the rental overlaps with the Arts Centre "Tunnel Visions:  Array" extravaganza being held in the Beech St tunnel this weekend.

Here is a letter which apologises for the situation and gives the dates for the remaining Detective Pikachu activity, Saturday and Sunday the 7th and 8th of April:

Click to read the letter

Pokémon - Detective Pikachu: the noise from the exhibition halls

A new Pokémon movie, Detective Pikachu, is being filmed.  The Barbican exhibition halls are being used as a staging area for the 500 extras.  Unfortunately for Ben Jonson House and Breton House residents who live overlooking Golden Lane, the staging process starts early in the morning.  Extras arrive and check into the staging area to get ready for the day, then from ~07:00 coaches arrive to shuttle them to the filming location.

The process of decanting 500 people from the exhibition hall to the coaches involves lots of excitement, chatting to mates, calling to friends, shouting, joking and laughing loudly.  All healthy stuff if not done 20 meters away from people's bedrooms at 07:00 on a Sunday morning.  The cast of hundreds make their way to the pick up point in front of the UBS building, some of them use the footpaths, many of them seem to be wandering in the roads. 

Coaches are maneuvered to the pick up locations by reversing into Brackley St and then down the remainder of Golden Lane to be in front of the UBS building.  Coach engines are running and working during the whole process, and engines are left running even when the coaches are standing waiting for the next batch of extras to emerge.  They don't seem to be the newest or quietest of coaches either.

Today, Sunday 11th March, is the last day of filming [but I since heard that there will be more activity on the weekend of the 17th/18th and still more in April].  I'm sure residents would have appreciated a schedule in advance so they knew what to expect and had a chance to plan around it.  As it was, the early morning noise came as a surprise significantly compromising the quiet enjoyment of our homes, not least in the form of lost sleep. 

... just in time to leave the area clear for the next big event.

Remember to call environmental services if you are disturbed.   If residents don't call then there was no problem, and we can expect the City to do the same again for the next big film.

Pokemon victims

Music Show closes Beech St 14th-19th March

The arts centre are running a show with amplified music in the Beech St tunnel over the 17th and 18th of March, with the setup starting from the 14th, and the tear down running up to the 19th, with the roads back to normal on the 20th.

The show will consist of 30 minute performances showing from 15:00 to 21.30 on Saturday 17th March and 12:00 to 21.30 on the Sunday 18th.

Here is a document which describes the event, the impact it will have on the area and how this will be managed.  There are maps too.

Click to read the whole document

 

Barbican TV Contact Details

The following is from the BEO.

I wonder how I would know if an entire block or tower has gone down.  And if the whole of Ben Jonson House has been cut off ... how should I send an email?

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Information - Barbican TV Contact Details

In the case of individual Barbican TV reception issues, staff or residents should call Vision Fibre Media's 24/7 support number on:- 0207 112 8615 and then select Option 2 for TV enquiries/issues

During normal working hours our TV department will be able to assist over the phone and book an engineer visit if required - otherwise our support team will arrange for a call back the next working day to assist.

If a whole block or tower has gone down, then please emailsupport.

Background Underfloor Heating

The following is from the BEO.  The point about contacting the house group chairs for information is interesting; I suspect most would be baffled by the question.

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Background Underfloor Heating

Following a number of queries the BEO has received in recent weeks, we just wanted to clarify a few points.

The new heating control system was commissioned in May 17 due to the old system being made obsolete and no longer supported by UK Power Networks (UKPN).

The replacement controls were never intended as an upgrade or improvement but a like-for-like replacement to current day standards.

This is due to lease implications of what would be considered an improvement, and what we are obliged to provide by way of background heating.
We can confirm that no changes were made to the operation times or temperatures when compared to the old system.

The times which the heating can charge is regulated and monitored by the electricity supplier. The result is a reduced price-per-unit of electricity ie cheap rate off-peak.
The new heating mimics exactly the profiles of the old controls , even down to where the temperature is physically measured from.

We would like to reiterate that the system is background underfloor heating and not a full central heating system and that residents are obliged to provide their own supplementary heating.
Use of supplementary heating is not a sign of failure of the background heating system but was designed into its successful overall operation, providing the residents with their own comfort heating levels.

As per previous years, we have still received a similar number of requests to turn down the heating in residents’ properties as well as requests to turn it up.

As an aside, there seems to be a rumour that the new system came loaded with new features which apparently we have refused to enable. It is true to say that the modern day equivalent does provide additional capabilities. There is an Underfloor Heating Working Party set up via the RCC. The remit of the Working Party is to look at ways we can use the new software to allow more flexibility in how the system operates. Please contact your Housegroup Chair for more information

Court case dropped - Denizen to go ahead

The Save Golden Lane Consortium have dropped the court case to block Taylor Wimpey from building the Denizen.  Construction may now proceed.

The case was not, in the end, judged on it's merits.  It simply came down to money.  The City and developer had deeper pockets.


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Update on Save Golden Lane

Dear Friends and Neighbours and everyone who has so generously supported our campaign,

OPEN (Golden Lane)'s application to the High Court, for a judicial review of the City's grant of planning permission to Taylor Wimpey to build The Denizen, will not be proceeding any further.

We have received further legal advice, including advice from a second independent and highly experienced specialist QC, that the strengths of the legal claim are outweighed by the real risk of losing the claim and being liable for potentially substantial legal costs.

We have very reluctantly accepted that advice and, to avoid further expense, reached an agreement with the City and Taylor Wimpey to discontinue our claim without any payment of costs.

We have got this far by generous public donations. Even if we were to convince a Court at this stage that our claims are at least arguable, the further public donations which would be needed to proceed to a full trial would be put at risk.

The legal advice which we have received is based solely upon analysis of the processes adopted by the City when granting the planning permission. It has nothing to do with the merit or quality of Taylor Wimpey's dreadful scheme because, however bad it is, the Court has no power to intervene on that ground. Planning Committees have a very wide discretion when granting planning permission and they are, in summary, "entitled to foul it up provided they do so properly" as they have done here.

We are deeply unhappy to have had to discontinue our claim. Nevertheless our campaign has successes to celebrate.

• The City was forced to agree that, once sales of the new flats commence, the schemes financial viability will be reviewed with Taylor Wimpey's affordable housing contribution potentially increasing to over £11million;
• the designation of two new Conservation Areas is now progressing;
• the community across the Golden Lane and Barbican estates has been united in a common purpose and has a stronger voice which the City can no longer ignore;
• we have raised awareness and attracted widespread support which has recognised the importance of the issues we have raised and the uniqueness of our locality;
• we have started to expose the conflicts of financial interests which exist within the City, and to learn who we can and cannot trust;
• we have acquired new skills which we will use for greater community benefit;

We will continue to campaign against those who promote and allow schemes like the Denizen which damage homes and families, which damage the natural and historic environment and which fail to provide the benefits which the public need and are entitled to.

Sincere thanks and best wishes to you all

from us all at

OPEN (Golden Lane) Ltd and the Save Golden Lane Consortium
@savebmh
opengoldenlane.blogspot.co.uk


Note: OPEN Golden Lane is a not-for-profit company [Organisation for Promotion of Environmental Needs (Golden Lane) Ltd.] which campaigns for excellence in the quality of the local built environment, public space, public services and public amenities. It takes action to ensure that changes to these have proper regard to the needs of local residents and businesses and the maintenance of a sustainable residential and business community. Its members include representatives of local organisations which share OPEN Golden Lane's objectives