COMMUNITY BOARD MEETING AGENDA

Meeting: Monday 14th June 2021 Venue: Zoom Meeting Start Time: 7.30pm

Agenda

1. Approval of last minutes – 12th April 2021

2. Actions from last minutes – 12th April 2021

3. Developers Report

4. Commercial Lease Update

5. Communication Update

6. AOB

OFFICIAL

SOUTH COMMUNITY BOARD

MINUTES

Monday 12th April 2021, 7.30 pm

Zoom Meeting

Present Board members

Cllr Joan King CC – Division JK (Chair) Cllr Stephen King Three Rivers DC – Labour nominee SK Felicity Bell Resident Member FB Mary Connolly Resident Member MC Dan King Countryside Properties PLC DK Peter Leaver Co-Optee PL Richard Glaister Home Group RG (minutes) Cllr Alison Scarth Three Rivers DC - Liberal AS Cllr Pam King Rural Parish PK Cllr Donna Duncan Three Rivers DC – District Council DD

Other participants

Ian Jarvis Countryside Properties PLC IJ Karina Drinkwater Home Group KD

Apologies

Chris McManus Resident Member CM Rev Pam Wise Resident Member PW Rob Holland Commercial Leasee RH (Vice Chair) Zoe Mulholland Countryside Properties PLC ZM Tracy Chandler Countryside Properties PLC TC

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Item Description Action 1.0 Welcome 1.1 Introductions and apologies noted 2.0 Minutes of last meeting – 8th February 2021 - approved 3.0 Actions from last meeting – 8th February 2021 3.1 Gareth confirmed that currently purchasing two defibrillators and looking at possible locations.

3.2 DK confirmed that ZM has contacted an agency and given them key dates and minutes to upload to the Love South Oxhey website. Board members details also need to be updated on the website.

3.3 IJ said that at the end of Oxhey Drive, a lot of equipment has been moved. Construction has moved on and the area is enclosed. IJ will continue to monitor.

3.4 Outstanding pavement issue by Fairfield Avenue. It is Herts CC’s responsibility and JK confirmed they have been notified.

4.0 Developers Report Community Development Update

4.1 Currently recruiting a new Community Liaison Officer to replace Kymberly who has left Countryside.

4.2 Local Labour – currently at 13%, which is due to the current works being undertaken on the construction site.

Planning & Development Update

4.3 Planning consent was granted for Phase 3 in September and the Judicial review period expired at the start of November without challenge.

4.4 Construction of the Lidl store has commenced with anticipated completion late 2022. A further four retail units will be available as part of Phase 3 in t the North block to be completed 2024.

Construction Update

4.5 Phase 2: 2 blocks to complete.

Block H – Blackwell Place – to complete end of April, move in during May.

Block I – (library end of Bridlington Rd) – Complete mid-May, move in during June.

4.6 Opening up St Andrews Way. Currently open ¾ of the way along. Pedestrian route will be via St Andrews Way.

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4.7 Station Approach – HCC have requested changes to the design of the railings to the station. Countryside are currently revising the railings and also the paving for the visually impaired – changing contrasts and shading.

4.8 Phase 3:

2 tower cranes erected. Progressing from East to West. 1st floor half borred columns taking shape.

4.9 Foundations started for 3A block – parallel to Oxhey Drive.

4.10 300 cubic metres of concrete laid.

4.11 Currently on programme with Home Group and Lidl.

4.12 Countryside will erect a notice re closing of pedestrian route.

4.13 Gareth asked if HCC’s requirements were regarding the height of the railings. IJ said it will be a slope arrangement. Gareth also asked if anything needs to be done retrospectively. IJ said all recommendations have been implemented as the design, but will review when HCC complete their assessment.

4.14 AS asked about Phase 3 and additional parking facilities. IJ said there are currently no plans to create additional spaces. However, this may change with future phases.

4.15 MC asked about Lidl re the toilet and ATM. DK asked for this to be kept on the minutes for future reference.

4.16 JK asked about the marketplace and possibility of seats with backs. IJ said he has had a request for benches with backs. Countryside can build them, but Highways have to approve them. IJ said there is a process and this is being followed.

4.17 IJ said that the existing benches are not compatible for backs. JK said IJ all don’t need to be changed just a few.

5.0 Commercial Lease Update 5.1 DK said he doesn’t expect any updates for the next six months, because of the current phase of construction.

5.2 DK said that Lidl won’t have a long lead in period regarding fitting out. Expected completion Christmas 2022.

5.3 Gareth asked about storage space behind Phase 2 retail. Gareth asked DK whether a 2nd draft could be created to start formalising an agreement. DK said that is possible.

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6.0 Housing Management 6.1 KD introduced Vijay Raghunandan as the new Community Housing Assistant. Vijay and KD work with about 370 customers.

6.2 KD confirmed that Pinnacle are the cleaning contractor. They are on site every Monday or Tuesday. Tivoli are the gardening contractor and they currently visit fortnightly on a Tuesday. The specs for both contracts are on the communal notice boards in the blocks of flats.

6.3 KD confirmed the procedure for reporting any concerns or complaints is by contacting Home Group’s Customer Service Centre (0345 141 4663). A work allocation is then created and Karina or Vijay will investigate further. If Karina or Vijay do identify poor contractor performance, then a rectification notice can be served.

6.4 KD will be sending a letter to Home Group customers inviting them to attend virtual meetings on a block by block basis. The meetings will last about 45 minutes. Currently face to face meetings have stopped because of the covid pandemic.

6.5 Estate inspections take place every week.

6.6 Gareth asked about the ownership of the demise that separates the link road from the car park. Andrew Scarth confirmed that the strip of land is TRDC’s responsibility.

6.7 Confirmed that for ground floor properties where there is an outdoor space leading to a gate. This is the responsibility of the customer to maintain.

6.8 SK asked about posters and not being allowed on balconies. KD KD said nothing flammable should be kept on a balcony. KD said she will check tenancy agreements regarding flags in windows, especially with the Euro football tournament taking place this summer.

6.9 Andrew Scarth recommended some sand buckets at Hayling Rd to try KD and capture the cigarette butts being left by customers. KD will investigate further. She has contacted customers in the top floor flats who have been throwing butts over their balconies.

6.10 MC asked if KD could check annual fire risk assessments are being KD conducted for all the blocks.

6.11 Hallowes Crescent. KD said she has conducted a survey of customers KD and she hasn’t received any complaints from customers regarding children walking on the wall. JK said the difficulty is that the people living in the houses won’t have seen it and it’s possible that flats won’t have either. KD will investigate further. Andrew Scarth suggested ridge tiles on one side to prevent children climbing up the wall. SK said he thinks it’s a design fault, because of the height difference of the wall.

6.12 Parking – KD circulated a letter before the meeting to Committee members, which has been sent to customers. KD is meeting with a private car parking enforcement team. The focus is on the blocks in the central area of the development.

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6.13 A request was made by a Committee Member to include chemist and loading bays as part of the wider enforcement.

6.14 KD said the proposals is the Enforcement Team will patrol the private car parks and issue fines to any car not showing a valid car parking permit. Visitors are not allowed to park in a resident’s car parking space.

6.15 Once an enforcement agreement has been agreed, appropriate customers will be notified in writing.

6.16 SK asked about a disabled bay for each block. KD said she is unsure if KD this is possible, but she will look into it further. KD said the parking signs will be screwed to the ground to prevent vandalism. KD said where there are existing disabled bays, the enforcement agency will be briefed on how to manage them.

6.17 MC asked how much the parking fine is. MC also asked about contractor KD vans and where they will park. KD said it hasn’t been an issue re the vans, but she will investigate further.

6.18 Agreed that elderly residents may have a problem with electronic permits. Suggested that the chemist takes a record of the registration number when elderly residents are visiting.

6.19 The enforcement agency is called UK Car Park Management Ltd. KD KD will circulate contact details and resident introductory letter to Committee Members.

6.20 DK asked if we can look into the possibility of a household assigning their KD space to another person without any monies being exchanged. Some residents may want to have that option.

6.21 KD has asked for the Enforcement Company to be used across all KD phases. DK asked if a regular update on fines issued can be provided to the Community Board.

6.22 An observer asked about additional car parking. DK said that planning limited the number of car parking spaces and residents were informed when they bought their properties.

6.23 The bays outside of the chemist will revert back to loading bays. DK said in the next phase there will be new car parking spaces, so current arrangement is temporary.

6.24 There is a problem with fly-tipping at Hallowes Crescent, because residents keep leaving the bin store unlocked. KD has written to customers. SK suggested fitting a lock where the key can only be removed when the door is locked.

6.25 KD said that Home Group attend an ASB partnership meeting every 6 weeks. ASB needs to be reported to the Customer Service Centre (0345 141 4663). KD said if any new CCTV is fitted, there may be a service charge cost, so important to take into consideration.

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7.0 Communications 7.1 The spring newsletter is currently being written. Will be sent to South Oxhey residents at the end of May/beginning of June.

8.0 AOB 8.1 Gareth asked about parking enforcement in Lidl car park. Lidl will have automatic registration recognition.

AS said that KD didn’t mention pigeons in her update. KD said pigeons have been displaced by the redevelopment. KD has completed a site review with Rentokil. They have recommended a twice weekly flight of a hawk which will deter the pigeons from nesting and congregating on the roofs.

Date of next meeting: Monday 14th June 2021.

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South Oxhey Community Board Report

14th June 2021

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1. Community Development Update

• Hollie Eade is the new Community Liaison Officer for South Oxhey and has made contact with Woodhall School to see how we can support them. They have requested tarmac repairs for pavements, which would prove too costly. However, have asked them to review their request and provide us with an update.

2. Apprentice & Local Labour Update

• Local Labour for South Oxhey Phase 2 for the last quarter is 21%

Community website Our community website provides residents with information on the development and its phasing, how to get involved and how to join our apprenticeship scheme.

Browsers will find the latest construction updates and news, answers to frequently asked questions, overview of the project partners and the team, how to get in touch, and downloadable documents including copies of the newsletters.

Community website address: http://www.lovesouthoxheycentral.co.uk/

3. Planning and Development Update

Due to the current phase of the redevelopment there are no further planning or development updates since the last meeting in April 2020.

Phase 3 Consent Planning Consent was granted for Phase 3 in September 2020 and the Judicial Review period expired at the start of November without challenge. Phase 3 Retail Construction of the Lidl store has commenced with anticipated completion late 2022. A further four retail units will be available as part of Phase 3 in the North Block due to be completed 2024.

4. Construction Update 3

Phase 2. All units apart from block I, Hampden Place on Bridlington Road, are now complete and handed over. Block H, Blackwell Place, at the Fairfield Road end of Bridlington Road, had residents moving in from mid-May. Hampden Place will be handed over to sales at the end of June, the block has not been released for sale. St Andrews Way, that runs adjacent to the St Andrews Road walkway, was opened week commencing 29th April. The pedestrian walkway that was St Andrews Road is now closed. Additional litter bins have been provided in Market Place and an additional one has been installed in Station Approach. Herts County Council has requested some revisions to the paving and railings in Station Approach, we are planning to action these works in the next few weeks. Home Group are putting parking enforcement in place and HCC have started to control the highway parking on Bridlington Road, St Andrews Way and Fairfield Avenue.

Phase 3. We are progressing with the main structure of the southern building, that will house the Lidl store at the Prestwick Road end. The work is in line with the programme and we are already up to the fifth floor in parts. We are also in the process of connecting the drainage and services into the surrounding roads. The various service providers are also upgrading their infrastructure. These works have meant that there has been and will continue to be road works on Oxhey Drive and Prestwick Road. This work is not under our direct control; however, we will do all we can to keep them to a minimum. Development team are investigating options to try and provide further parking facilities.

5. Housing Management Update

Staff Update

• Karina Drinkwater is now on maternity leave • Vijay will be leaving Home Group at the end of June • Recruitment is underway for both roles

Parking Update

• Enforcement has started for the 4 bays outside the pharmacy • The rest of the enforcement will commence by the end of the month (June) • Questions & answers from previous meeting circulated by KD

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Pigeon Update

• Hawk flights have commenced in May • They are twice weekly for 3 months • Next steps will be to review the effectiveness of the flights with contractor

Residents Meeting Update • Held for residents at Tippen, Elliot, Fayer (no attendees) and Bowerman Courts in April • Well received and brought forward some new issues such as sound-proofing • Next meetings will be held in July

Hallowes Crescent – wall issues • Questions & answers from previous meeting circulated by KD • No complaints received to date

Housing Manager’s Updates/Actions from April 2021 meeting

Can flags be placed in windows? It would be for the Customer to gain permission from Home Group.

Buckets to be provided for smokers? This is not something that Home Group will fund. It is the Customer’s responsibility to maintain their balcony as per lease and tenancy agreement. However customers have been contacted via letter and phone if their balcony or surrounding floors are covered in butts.

When is the AOV checked? Monthly.

Wall outside Hallowes Crescent: Letter drop to all Home Group residents in Hallowes Crescent has been completed regarding how to log incidents. Needs to be reported as ASB to police too. Clear continuous log to support the cost of adapting the wall.

Parking: How much is the parking fine? £100

Loading waiting time? 15 minutes

Where do tradespeople park? Loading bays at the front, free parking on Henbury way and if they need to park on site they are there for a limited time.

Pharmacy parking They will have 30 minute e permits

How will permits work? Agreed that these can be for bays not for the car.

Letter from parking enforcement company This has not been sent to residents yet. When it has been, this will be circulated with the community board.

Parking enforcement for Covid clinic- following this what will happen? These bays will return to loading bays. The parking will be enforced for those who are not loading. If Countryside would like these to be temporarily adapted to alternative parking spaces, this would be a decision made by them.

Disabled bay for each block? As the bays are purchased with the property this is not feasible, as there are no spaces left over. As it is private land, there is also no legal requirement to provide this.

Assignment of permits? It has been agreed that the permits will be assigned to the bays, not the car. This will allow for the permits to be shared within the household freely if there is more than one car.