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 OXHEY COMMUNITY BOARD MINUTES Monday 12th April 2021, 7.30 pm Zoom Meeting Present Board members Cllr Joan King Hertfordshire CC – South Oxhey 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 Watford 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 1 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. 2 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. 3 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 flags 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. 4 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.