Make the Barbican a better place

From the chair of the RCC:

___

Make the Barbican a better place

During 2021, residents will be invited to join the five working parties of the Barbican Residents' Consultation Committee (RCC), which represents us in our relationship with the City as our managing agent and landlord. By creating an open and transparent volunteering process, we aim to engage more residents in the work of the RCC and to access the skills and talents of the greatest number of contributors.

Watch out for your invitation, via this bulletin, to volunteer to join an RCC working party - underfloor heating; service charges; major works; gardens and service levels - as they are offered.

If we have more volunteers than places, the RCC will review the volunteers' information and select Full Members of the working party and Associate Members. Associate Members will be sent the working parties' papers and minutes, be encouraged to contribute by email and form a reserve group if a Full Member resigns.

In order to ensure past experience is not lost, at least two current members of each working party will be retained. This underlines the importance of existing members’ knowledge and their valued efforts to date, which will be complemented by new volunteers' ideas and skills.

The paper approved by the RCC can be seen here: Working Party Participation 

If you have any questions, please email me at chairspeedhouse@outlook.com.

Chair RCC 

RCC committee details

2021-01-12 AGM Minutes

From the house group:

___ 

Minutes of Ben Jonson House Group AGM

13th January 2021 7pm via Zoom

Attending from Committee:

Helen Hulson (Chair)
Fiona Lean
Stephen Chapman (Treasurer)
Wendy Spurry
Jane Bickerton
Kevin Bond (Secretary)

 

Minutes of previous AGM 15.01.2020

These were agreed and passed.

 

Treasurer’s report

The Treasurer reported that there was £1213.90 in the House account after the Christmas expenses. He also mentioned that there was a small discrepancy in the amount stated in last year’s AGM Report, but he is chasing this through the statements that he has now received.

The Estate Management will reimburse costs of administration – such as Zoom licences etc if we submit them with receipts.

 

Chair’s report

The Chair circulated her Report on the previous year (click here to see the report).

House Officer’s report

The house officer gave a report on the ongoing issues:

1. Due to Covid the next round of cleaning inspections will be postponed, and the cleaners have been asked to be extra vigilant.
2. Alterations to flats during Lockdown – these will continue in England as Government is allowing this providing the proper PPE actions are taken during the work.
3. Lift ventilation – this was raised by a meeting attendee – all of the lifts are currently very noisy with air conditioning noise.  The house officer said that the air conditioning had been increased to ensure that air was being circulated (as a precaution during Lockdown). If this is causing noise problems for any of the flats then we should email the house officer who will investigate.

Election of the Committee and recruitment of new committee members

Helen Hulson will stand down from the post of Chair.

Kevin Bond will stand down from post of Treasurer.

Both will continue on the Ben Jonson Committee, and the other Committee members will continue their membership.

Two new members are to join the Committee.

Membership report

We have 114 registered members of the Ben Jonson House residents group. Which is sufficient to qualify as a residents group within the Barbican Estate. The meeting was attended by 28 residents which is enough to be quorate.

Podium ASB issues

Free-runner/parkour and skateboarder groups are increasingly causing estate-wide disturbance. Some residents of Ben Jonson House are frequently subject to noise issues, and some feel intimidated by the aggression of the people who are creating the issues.  The gardens and furniture are frequently damaged. The various types of nuisance were discussed, highlights and action points listed below.

1. Bylaws notices need to be installed as soon as possible – the current ones are not obvious or clear what the penalties for breaking the bylaws are. The BEO Security manager has said that notices will be put out.  The house officer confirms that they has seen these and they are up to date and quite visible.  Action Point 1: House Officer to find out when these will be put in place
2. Notices with numbers to call when the residents see any nuisance activity were installed on key noticeboards, but have been taken down in many places around the block. All residents need to call the relevant numbers to ensure that the frequency of the incidents is reported and actions can be taken by the Estate Office or Police. Action Point 2: Notices to be reprinted and put up in lifts and notice boards.
3. This problem could be addressed with private security staff, as the police are unable to address the problem quickly and their presence on the estate is irregular. A vote was taken on whether or not to investigate the use of private security on the estate. This was passed with a majority vote of 20 people.  Action Point 3: The Committee to investigate the options for the hiring and funding of security staff
4. The areas used by the free runners/parkour groups could be planted more thickly and with spiky plants. The re planting of the flower beds on Ben Jonson Highway – to continue in the style already used at the Barbican Tube end – which could be adapted in order to be harder to damage, with the use of thick planting.  Action point 4: Wendy to discuss the planting of key areas on the Highwalk with the Gardening committee
5. Pedestrian buttons could be installed to break up the surface, and deter the skateboard groups.  Action Point 5: Committee to investigate with the Estate Office on the possibility of installing these.

Redecorations and carpet renewal update

The internal redecoration and the carpet renewal is an estate wide programme which has been expected for some time. The programme has been delayed because the existing doors of each flat do not meet the present fire regulations and have to be replaced. The cost of this will be borne by the CoL and the process for agreeing the costs is complex and has to be rubber stamped by several committees.  Currently there is no time frame for the door replacement programme.  Action Point 6: The House Officer will update the Committee with any progress on this..

External redecorations are due (last done in 2015) and the colours are to be chosen by residential vote.

Wildlife Garden access from BJH

A resident house group member asked for a vote on the possibility of installing a new gate in the Barbican Wildlife Garden to allow easy access from Ben Jonson House. A vote was taken and the action agreed (majority of 14).  

Action Point 7: Wendy to liaise with the estate office on costs of the new gate and discuss with the Barbican Wildlife Garden team to see if this is feasible.

Action Point 8: House Officer to look into health and safety in the Bridgewater square area of garden as there is no ready access other than from the far side of the garden at present.

AOB

Podium Lighting: the strip lights under the balconies at the back of Ben Jonson were installed and working for several weeks in the Autumn, but have been switched off, or broken for some time. Can these be re-instated as the area is now very dark after hours.  Action Point 9: House Officer will speak to Highways team as it is not estate responsibility, and also ask the estate engineers if they can look at the problem.

Prior Western School lighting; Islington Council have sent out a notice to all Ben Jonson Residents to inform them of the change to the planning application for lighting on the school playground area. This will bring the paperwork into line with the lighting that was actually installed (more lamps but less light spillage) and give it official approval. No action needed by committee or residents.

Close

The elections for Committee posts will take place at the next Committee Meeting in March 2021.  Action Point 10: Helen to send details of committee meetings dates etc to the new Committee members

AGM 2021-01-13 - House Group Chair's Report

Chair’s Report BJHG AGM 13.01.2021

The Pandemic

We were faced with stockpiling, shortage of essentials, shortage of delivery slots and the dangers to vulnerable groups posed by shopping other than online. In BJH a volunteer group, to whom we owe much thanks, was set up to help those in need.

The effect of the pandemic on BEO staff was that illness and isolation meant shortages and the cleaning routines were changed to focus on more frequent cleaning of surfaces likely to transmit the virus. Rubbish collections were reduced and the Car Park Attendants were faced with a deluge of deliveries as residents switched to online services. BEO office hours were also greatly reduced.

Zero Emission Zone

At the same time Beech Street was set up as an experimental Zero Emission Zone. The reduction in traffic caused by lockdown has made it difficult to measure accurately the effect of the trial.

The closing of the Golden Lane and Bridgewater St. junctions means longer journeys for vehicles to reach our car park and on the South side of Beech St there have been access problems. The BA is trying to negotiate acceptable solutions.

Podium activities/ASB

There has been ongoing concern and outrage about the disturbance, alarm, damage and flouting of rules caused by groups cycling, skateboarding and free running outside BJH.

In attempting to gain some control, we have been in contact with the BEO security officer, the chair of the BA security committee and Barbican Centre security. The situation is, that together with the CoL Police, they are working on setting up a uniform method for residents to report incidents.

In the meantime the contact numbers displayed on the notice boards should be used and we must press for urgent installation of clear well placed notices about prohibited activities.

Redecorations

We had expected both external and internal redecoration to be underway by 2021, and the City has appointed a contractor to carry these out. The delay on the internal redecs is connected to the need for all our front doors to be replaced after they failed the post Grenfell Tower tests. It has been agreed that the replacements will be paid for by the City of London, but until they are installed internal redecs will not take place. I do not know the current plan for the external redecs.

Service Charge information shows a substantial increase this year and concerns about this should be addressed to Michael Bennett, Director at BEO.

Prior Weston School

Improvements to the MUGA (multi use games area) have been installed, including the floodlights, which we had opposed. Fortunately, a change of plan resulted in 6 instead of 4 lights of lower intensity and at a lower level.

We are told that residents in BJH have not found them intrusive and the new Headteacher, with whom we have established a positive relationship, has assured us that they will not be in use after 6pm.

The school is applying for retrospective Planning Permission for the new lights. It is pleasing to see that resident requests that were denied at the original planning meeting i.e. the green wall and sound absorbing surface, have in fact been installed to good effect in reducing noise.

Thanks are due to Fiona Lean for her part in keeping us abreast of RCC and BRC business, to Wendy Spurry for her part in liaising with the Barbican Centre, the Gardens Group and with Prior Weston School, to Kevin for his secretarial role and to Stephen as Treasurer.

I also want to thank other committee members for their active participation and help, as well as volunteers, who have generously continued to manage the BJH blog as well as our membership arrangements.

I am stepping down as Chair, but will be happy to assist the new Chair when elected at our next Committee meeting. It has been an eventful time and an honour to hold this post.

Helen Hulson
Chair, Ben Jonson House Group

2021-01-15 BEO Newsletter

The BEO have started making their newsletter available in a new format using the Sway service.

Here is the newsletter for this week:

on sway.office.com ... and as a PDF:

Click to read PDF