Barbican Association AGM - 24th Apr 19:30 @ Girls School

Barbican Association AGM
Wednesday 24 April 2019

This will take place at 7.30pm, Main Hall, City of London School for Girls, St Giles’s Terrace.
Please click here for the agenda

For information about membership, contact the Membership Secretary, Jim Davies, 101 Mountjoy House, roger@rogerh.com

For information about the meeting, contact Jane Smith, chairBA@btinternet.com

Moving? Don't prop the doors open

You just know that if the BEO keeps reminding us about something that it's an ongoing problem.

From the BEO:
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Propping Doors Open and Moving In and Out
Please be aware that propping doors open is a security risk and an inconvenience to other residents.
When planning your move to or out of the Barbican Estate it is advisable to contact the Car Park Attendant or Lobby Porter who can give advice on the following essential details:

Parking for your removal van

If the van cannot be accommodated in the car park you can apply for special dispensation to park in the street. See contact list (Parking Dispensation).
Height restrictions in car parks

The times of day during which you can arrange for removals. Usually this is between 8am and sunset.

For further information please check the website here in the Communal Living Tab in the Resident Information Pack

Rubbish - Tying for Easter

There will be no waste collection in Ben Jonson House over the Easter weekend.  The refuse collection schedule looks like this:

• Thursday 18th April ~09:00 - last collection before the Easter weekend
• Friday 19th (Good Friday) - no collection
• Saturday 20th - no collection
• Sunday 21st - no collection
• Monday 22nd (Easter Monday) - no collection
• Tuesday 23rd ~09:00 - first collection following the weekend

Please don't leave waste bags in the corridors over the long weekend, the bags are unsightly, potentially smelly and a temptation for pests.

And the BEO asks that all rubbish bags be tied shut.   From the BEO:
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Tying Rubbish Bags Securely

This is just to inform you to ensure that all rubbish bags are to be tied securely to avoid spillages when the cleaners remove them.

Please wrap broken glass in newspaper before throwing away as this prevents injury to the cleaners.

March Arts Centre Meeting Minutes

Here are the minutes of the March meeting between resident groups and the arts centre.  The Ben Jonson House Group rep attended and let me have the minutes.

Items covered in the meeting are:

• The movement of the 4Bs signs
• Coach Parking
• Barbican @50 - celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the estate
• Future arts projects - mini golf and sound unbound
• ... and more!

click to read the minutes

Building Security - Tailgaters

From the BEO:

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Tailgating & Security Reminder

We are taking this opportunity to remind residents to be vigilant about tailgating.
This is one of the biggest security threats to the Estate and possibly the easiest to solve.

It seems prudent to remind residents not to hold the door open for anyone without a residents estate key but also to be mindful that the doors close properly behind you.

If you are not comfortable closing the door on someone and there is someone behaving in a suspicious manner, then please wait until you are in a safe place and call either the Police or your nearest Concierge or Lobby Porter.

Please do try to report it as soon as you can.

In the same way if you feel that someone is acting suspiciously then please contact your Car Park Concierge, Lobby Porter or the Police.

Please also remember not to 'buzz in' strangers to the block

Barrel Roof Maintenance

From the BEO:
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Works to Barrel Roofs

Please be aware that our contractors MH Goldsmith are presently working on Ben Jonson House and are due to start Bryer Court on 15 April.

The works are to re-coat the barrel roofs and will consist of thoroughly cleaning the barrel, before making good any damage to the water proofing; and then applying 2 coats of the waterproof liquid plastic “triflex”.

Working hours are 9.00am to 5.00pm with noisy work taking place between 10.00am and 4.00 pm. No contractors will be on the balconies or roof before 9.00am. Please note that the contractors will cover over the bathroom windows in the areas they are working in.

The full revised schedule of the works across the estate can be found here.

If you have any questions, please do contact Helen Davinson.

Asbestos Survey 18th April

As part of the preparation to continue the highwalk waterproofing and re-tiling seen at the western end of the northern highwalks (towards the Barbican tube station) to the eastern end (towards Waitrose) the City will identify asbestos locations.

Hopefully the City will remember to fix the drains before they start the re-tiling work, and demolish the Yellow Shed at an early stage of the work too.

Here is a map the City will be using to manage the re-tiling, and so shows the scope the asbestos survey too:

Click to see the whole map

Here is a summary from the BEO:

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Barbican Podium - Asbestos Survey
We will be conducting Asbestos surveys on the 18 April in the shaded areas on the Plan and in Exhibition Hall number 2. This is to facilitate the Barbican Podium Phase 2 Project in the Ben Jonson and Cromwell Highwalk areas. There will not be any trial hole drilling as part of the works.

Breath easy(er) - ULEZ now live

Details of the ULEZ launch here.  Summary from the BEO:

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The Ultra-Low Emission Zone in central London is now live.
As part of the Mayor of London’s action to help clean up the air breathed by millions of Londoners, on Monday 8 April 2019, the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) went live in central London.

The central London ULEZ now operates in the same area as the current Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ). Vehicles that drive in zone will need to meet tough new emissions standards or pay a daily charge. The daily charge runs from midnight to midnight, every day of the year, and has replaced the T-Charge (emissions surcharge).

Resident discounts and some exemptions apply, which can be checked here.

Autopay is now available for drivers who still operate a non-compliant vehicle here.

Drivers can continue to check if their vehicles meet the ULEZ emissions standards, or will need to pay a charge, see here. Please see here for the Press Release published by City Hall.

Silk St / Moor Ln stairs closed till 24th May

From the BEO:

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Speed House Moor Lane/Silk Street Stair Closure for Highway Repairs

Further to the notice regarding the City Surveyor's Department undertaking works of the stair podium, connecting the street to the public highwalk on the comer of Silk Street and Moor Lane. It has been discovered that the water damage is more extensive than previously envisaged, so the stairs will need to remain closed until 24 May. This is part of the critical repair works.

Details of alternative access routes has been provided on the outside of the hoarding and is also available here for the lower floor and here for the upper floor.
We appreciate your cooperation in this regard

Disenfranchisement of elected representatives

The question of whether our elected representatives (City common councillors) are allowed to speak in decision making committee meetings is still a live issue. The rules about who can speak and vote are set by the City standards committee chaired by Catherine McGuinness.  (for context see articles from the City AM on 27th November and 13th December last year).

The view of the standards committee has been changing, with our representatives allowed limited participation on meetings with prior approval, but representatives think the standards committee should go further.  A petition has been raised and circulated to residents:

click to read the whole petition

The petition is being led by common councilor Mark Bostock.  Contact mark if you'd like more information or to sign the petition.  I suggest using write to them (https://www.writetothem.com) to contact Mark.

Antennae atop the Barbican - application withdrawn

The City has sent out a notice of the withdrawal of the application to install transmitter masts on top of the highest point of the conservatory, the theatre fly tower.

Click to read the whole letter

The Good Neighbour Guide

The BEO sent out a reminder about the Good Neighbour Guide:

Compliance with a few basic rules and conditions will help to make life in the Barbican more enjoyable given the very high density living. Your attention is also drawn to the terms of your long lease or tenancy (as appropriate). 

Please click here for details. The Good Neighbour Guide is in the Resident Information Pack in Communal Living.

Here is the full text of the current version of guide:

Breach of Lease Protocol

Please find here updates for the Breach of Lease Protocol, specifically, non-carpeted floors and animals. 

Barbican Breach of Lease Protocol updates (116KB)

Good Neighbour Guide

Compliance with a few basic rules and conditions will help to make life in the Barbican more enjoyable given the very high density living. Your attention is also drawn to the terms of your long lease or tenancy (as appropriate).

Common Parts & Balconies

Common parts include lift lobbies, corridors and staircases. These areas should be kept clear at all times and they should not be used for storage.

• Bicycles should be stored in the bike cages or designated areas located in the car parks.
• Please do not abandon unwanted items on balconies, lift lobbies or car parks.
• Please do not leave shopping trolleys in communal areas.
• If you do smoke on the balcony, please be mindful of your neighbour's open windows. And don't forget, the ventilation system in the bathrooms and kitchen is a communal system, therefore smells and smoke can travel into other flats.
• It is prohibited under the terms of the lease to hang washing on your balcony.
• Do not make noise inside your flat and on balconies that could cause nuisance to your neighbours. This includes making/taking telephone calls on your balcony at unsociable hours.
• Although balcony drains are on a programme of scheduled maintenance, please can all residents ensure that as far as possible, they keep balcony drains free of soil/leaves etc. Drains can become clogged with debris during periods of heavy rain, and this can cause water penetration into flats below. Having decking, and Astroturf on the balcony paving slabs can contribute to stopping the drain from working to its full capacity and is not allowed.

Although any balcony adjacent to your flat may form part of your demise, you should be considerate to your neighbours. Balconies must not be obstructed as they serve as fire escape routes and are subject to formal rights of escape in case of emergency as set out in each long lease.

Noise

The Barbican style of communal living means that you are surrounded by other flats - so please be extra considerate - as noise travels.

• Do not install wooden flooring, as it is prohibited in the lease and is a frequent cause of noise disturbance to neighbours.
• Try not to slam your doors or windows. If your doors are closing noisily, please contact Repairs 020 7029 3909, to arrange an ease and adjust.
• Try not to make noise that can be heard outside your property. Remember - if you can hear your neighbours, your neighbours may be able to hear you.
• Any person using the common parts shall do so as quietly as possible and cause no disturbance or annoyane to other residents.
• Pleaserefrain from using the Garchey between 23.00 and 7.00.

If a noise problem is caused by your neighbour, a courteous approach to them to explain the problem may provide a satisfactory solution. If this does not help, please contact the BEO. 

If the problem is from another source (eg road works) contact the BEO. Outside normal office hours (Monday to Friday, 9.15am to 5pm) contact your Concierge, who may be able to investigate and if possible witness and/or resolve such problems.

Alternatively, if residents are being disturbed by noise happening now or if you would like help or advice:

Call 020 7606 3030 for noise happening now, or for advice, email the Public Protection Team: publicprotection@cityoflondon.gov.uk (please note response to emails is not immediate).

Wooden Flooring

The City of London (CoL) does not give consent for the installation of wooden flooring. The lease states that residents should "carpet all the floors in the premises from wall to wall". The purpose of this restriction is to minimise any footfall noise being heard in neighbouring flats. The laying of wooden floors may also have detrimental effects on the operation of the under-floor heating.

The CoL may be prepared to take proceedings for breach of this obligation, if neighbours subsequently report a noise nuisance which relates to the flooring residents have chosen. The residents in question may then have to carpet their floors.

Home Improvements

• Ensure that all works are carried out during the normal week (9.00 ans 17.00 Monday to Friday).
• Please don't let your contractor leave a mass in the communal areas.
• Ensure that noisy works such as drilling are further restricted between 10.00 and 16.00.
• If you are doing any DIY or having contractors in, please inform your neighbours of any possible disruption. It does not go unnoticed.!
• Don't forget the Home Improvement Pack! This pack gives lots of tips to being, a Good Neighbour when having property alterations.
• Permissions required before commencing any work, please checkwith the Home Improvement Pack.

General Advice

• Please make sure you arrange for ventilation in the kitchen and bathrooms to be cleaned at least once a year to help assist the vents to work effectively. Please contact the repairs to arrange this 020 7029 3909. This is paid for under your service charge.
• Place your rubbish bags out for collection every Monday to Friday in the morning before 08.15 as there is only one rubbish collection per day. Do not leave rubbish bags out in the corridors, if you do need to dispose of rubbish at the weekends or on Bank Holidays, please take it to your bin compound.

Animals

• Animals should not be kept on the premises. Additionally, please ensure no animals are brought into the communal gardens.
• Please do not feed the wild life. This includes the squirrels and ducks!

The Gardens

• The Barbican Estate Office in no way wishes to stop the residents enjoying the private gardens facilities with their friends, but these gardens are not suitable for parties. The communal gardens are for all residents, some of whom may wish to bring visitor, but please keep these to small gatherings. Please also remember that Speed Lawn is a small open space and that there are flats very close by and that children should be supervised at all times.
• Please respect that the play areas are in a residential area.

Short lets

There are a number of reasons why it is not a good idea to carry out short-term holiday lettings:

• Possible invalidation of the City's buildings insurance , which is a direct contravention of the lease
• possible invalidation of residents own contents insurance, which could affect any claim, not just those related to damage caused by a 'paying guest'
• Risks of possible flooding flats below which would not be covered by insurance, and thereby could expose an individual leaseholder to considerable costs which the City may seek to recover from them
• Fire safety (increasing risks associated with people using appliances in an unfamiliar environment) which, if damage occurs, may also be rejected by the insurers in the event of a claim
• If done repeatedly, it may be considered the leaseholder is using the property to carry out a business rather than using it as a private dwelling, which the lease does not permit
• The security of the building being compromised in a number of ways (eg increased risk of tailgating being permitted by visitors who would be less vigilant than normal residents)
• Noise and nuisance affecting other occupiers, particularly immediate neighbours
• People not having the owner's/long term resident's incentive to be careful and cautious in flats and common parts of the building, resulting in damage or increased wear-and-tear, the cost of which will fall to all leaseholders in the block

Moving in/out

When planning your move to the Barbican Estate it is advisable to contact the Car Park Attendant or Lobby Porter who can give advice on the following essential details:

• Parking for your removal van 
• If the van cannot be accommodated in the car park you can apply for special dispensation to park in the street. See contact list (Parking Dispensation).
• Height restrictions in car parks
• The times of day during which you can arrange for removals. Usually this is between 8am and sunset.

Fuse boards are generally located in a service cupboard in the hall area and in a high level cupboard in the kitchen.

For meters see Meter Readings section.

For advice on the following please contact the TSD enquiry line during office hours only:

• Positioning of stop valves and header tanks
• Operation of the garchey waste disposal system

There are also several authorities who should be informed:

• Your electricity provider
• Thames Water
• The Council Tax Department
• Your telephone company

If you are moving from the Barbican Estate and you have a licence for any of the following, the BEO will need to be contacted and given three months notice of your surrender for any of the following:

• Car bay licence
• Bicycle locker licence
• Baggage store licence

If you have a long term agreement in respect of a car parking bay or baggage store, you may be able to sell it on to the purchaser of your flat, or (with the consent of the BEO and in accordance with the terms of the agreement) to another long lessee.

If you have recently purchased a flat on the Barbican Estate, the transfer of the long lease of your flat (together with any mortgage of the flat which you have taken out) must be registered with the Comptroller and City Solicitor (with the relevant registration fee) within one month in accordance with the terms of the lease. This should normally be dealt with by your solicitor. The transfer of any long term car parking or baggage store agreement should also be registered with the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

If you own the long lease of a flat and decide to move out and sublet the flat, any tenancy which you grant must also be registered with the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

Fluff in your vents? Avoid fire, call the BEO

From the BEO:

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Vent Cleaning
The vents in the kitchen and bathrooms can become blocked overtime by lint, dust, moisture and cooking fats. This reduces the flow of air through the ventilation system causing damp or moisture in the property and gives fuel to a flame if the worst was to happen.

At your request the vents in your flat can be vacuumed clean and checked for good operation. Please contact the Repairs Reporting Line on barbicanrepairs@cityoflondon.gov.uk or call 020 7029 3909, Monday to Friday 8am-5pm to make an appointment.

Storage Units - non resident access to car parks

The City views the Barbican car parks as a profit centre for the City rather than as an amenity for residents.  This view leads to various attempts to squeeze money from the car parks which are now expected to generate a profit rather than just cover essential costs (e.g. our valued car park attendants (CPAs)).

One manifestation of this City policy is the recent installation of storage units, touted as being a facility for residents.  But the City installed far more units than residents could have been expected to use, and so we enter the next phase of this project where the City "reluctantly" will start marketing the storage units more widely, to customers who do no reside in the estate.

And so non-residents will be granted access to the car parks, and presumably the long suffering CPAs will expected to manage the secure flow of non-residents into the buildings.

Here is how the City, in the form of the BEO, announce their latest move:

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Storage Units Available in Breton & Bunyan Car Parks
Get Your Stores Before they Will be Opened Out to Non-Residents!

We have managed to lease 50% of the total stores available and more than 130 residents have possession of their stores.

For the size and price list please click here. To arrange a viewing and to register your interest, please contact Lorna from the Car Park & Stores Team.

Comments from Residents Contact: lorna.williams@cityoflondon.gov.uk0207 0293921

Heating off - back soon

If you're feeling chilly, this is why ...

From the BEO:

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Background Underfloor Heating

This is to inform residents that the Background Underfloor Heating has been repaired, is switched on and is functioning as normal. You should get warmth coming through by tomorrow morning.

Sometime last night it developed a software issue, an engineer was called in and he managed to rectify the issue.

The Background Underfloor Heating will be assessed at the end of April for the annual switch off.