Consort Update

Wednesday 3rd March 2014

Road Related

Roads Project Update

Consort recently requested a meeting with Price & Myers to review the progress on the roads project. At the

meeting the Drainage CCTV survey was discussed, which also forms part of the roads project, as did the spoil

testing.

As there are areas on Repton Park where the drains require attention, it raised the question of where the

problems are, and do they correlate to an area of road which needs to be repaired. It makes no sense repairing a

section of road to only have to dig it up again 6 months later to repair a problem with the drains below ground

level, which is something that must be taken into serious consideration.

Further to the above the Development Manager held a meeting with Simon Birnie from the RPRA Road

Subcommittee. At this meeting it was agreed that Consort should approach Price & Myers to obtain a fee

proposal for them to look at the drainage report in greater detail.

Consort has given Price & Myers permission to contact UKDN Waterflow – the company who carried out the

drainage survey on Repton Park in the meantime. This is so Price & Myers can obtain copies of the maps

produced further to the survey being conducted.

Consort has also approached Thames Water about the potential problems on Repton Park specific to the drainage

system. The Development Manager has been in communication with them on various occasions and awaiting a

phone call from back from one of their ‘Network Engineers’. The objective is to arrange an onsite meeting to see

if Thames Water will take ownership of the drainage issues on Repton Park.

A lot is dependent on the outcome of the meeting Consort has with Thames Water as to how we move this

project forward. If the site is responsible for the drains, then the entire Section 20 consultation may need to be

started from scratch to incorporate drainage works, and the possibility of making Price & Myers responsible to

manage both aspects, the roads and drainage and to treat it as one, must be considered.

Consort will update the Repton Park Residents Association once we know where we are with all of the above. A

meeting will then be arranged with the Roads Sub Committee.

Grounds Review

Tree Works

As part of an annual program of tree maintenance, all the

smaller trees around Repton Park are to be cut back and lolly

popped in March.

The aim is make sure the trees do not encroach directly onto

the buildings or have a negative effect to the street lighting

around Repton Park.

It is to be noted that trees with Tree Preservation Orders are not

to be touched unless the correct level of consent is obtained

from the council due to the development conservation status.

Should any residents require guidance on trees or tree work,

then please contact the Development Manager.

Flower Bed Preparation

Where necessary the gardeners have been working hard to

prepare the flower beds, especially those where shrubs or

plants have died.

Fresh compost has been added to certain beds and keeping

with the mentality of making use of the resources we have

on site, plants have been relocated and reused where

possible.

The flowers beds in the pictures to the left have now been

replanted at no additional cost to the site. This is by utilising

and being clever with the planting. As the second round

about on The Boulevard is in the process of being

redesigned, we were able to save certain shrubs, transfer

them, and fill other gaps in flower beds elsewhere on site.

The Boulevard Roundabouts – Phase 2

The second round about on The Boulevard has now been cleared of plants and shrubs relocated as advised earlier

on in the report. The roundabout is due to be redesigned in March. The first round about was redesigned last

year as per the bottom right photo.

In the photo of the second roundabout which has recently been worked on, you can see some roses – these have

been relocated into one of the ornamental gardens. They are now in one of the beds which are surrounded by

box hedging as there were areas which needed filling with plants and the roses were the perfect fit.

If anyone wishes to know more about what happens on the ground specific to the communal gardens then please

contact the Development Manager. It is not a problem arranging a ‘walk and talk’ with the Development Manager

and gardeners should any residents be interested in what happens.

Large Planters – Revised Approach

The Development Manager is currently speaking to MBS about revising how we plant up the large planters

around Repton Park. We have decided to approach things differently this year.

It was noted at the Redbridge in Bloom presentation last year; the first placed development had really focussed

on adding a variety of flowers and colour to their planters. This is something we are keen to replicate on Repton

Park. We believe doing this, on top of what is already done around the development, will put us in a stronger

position in this year’s competition.

The Development Manager also plans on writing out to all residents with private gardens to let them know how

they can enter into this year’s Redbridge In Bloom competition.

Spring is almost here!

Walking around the development you can see all the bulbs have started to grow. This is an amazing time of the

year on Repton Park. Repton Park will soon be covered in a varity of colours and photos will be added in next

months report.

Bike Store Update

A meeting was held with a member of the ‘bike storage’ subcommittee. Consort has provided plans of East &

West Car Park to this committee member who is going to draft a bike structure of some kind and proposal.

Once this is done it will then be jointly reviewed with Consort and the RPRA. The bikes wrongfully stored in the

car parks were tagged and letters sent out by Consort requesting their removal.

Redecoration Review

Major Works – Repton Park apartments only

Consort has written to the contractor to establish a date when the contractor will be returning to Repton Park to

complete the remainder of the major works.

Pest Control

As Repton Park forms part of ancient woodland it is only natural that we experience occasional pest control

relates issues. Below is a summary of the issues throughout February.

Rodent Activity

In February, Pro-Kill our pest control contractor recorded 114 activities on Repton Park. Each activity relates to

some kind of vermin but generally a mouse or rat visiting a bait box.

Each bait box throughout Repton Park has a unique number and checked on a monthly basis with fresh poison

added whenever necessary. This allows us to keep a clear record of any patterns and rodent activity.

You can see from the map below that the development is well managed and vast areas are under regular

supervision in our efforts to maintain a realistic balance of keeping vermin away from the buildings and people’s

homes.

Consort Update

Path Repairs

The onsite Maintenance Operative is currently targeting areas of

paths around Repton Park which require basic repair works. This

level of work can be completed by the onsite team.

The picture to the right is an example of the path leading to Aundle

House which experiences a lot of moss due to its location and the

reduced level of natural light in this area. Damaged areas of the path

have been removed and currently being fixed. Once the works are

complete it will then be treated with a specialist product to assist in

making sure the path remains safe and moss free.

Neglect of the communal area – Action Taken by Consort

In February it was necessary to recharge property owners to have the communal carpets professionally steam

cleaned due to neglect. The reasons were…

1. A private contractor was working on behalf of a property owner inside their apartment, neglecting the

communal area. This was after guidance was given to the contractor about the standards expected on site

by the onsite team.

2. Tenants continuously dragging rubbish bags and causing spillages on the communal carpet. The landlord

was advised and the cost passed onto them as Consort has no contract with tenants.

Night Patrols & Development Manager

To have a better understanding of the concierge position and

what happens on nights, the Development Manager joined

Charles Kamara on his last patrol of the evening.

A lot was learnt from the patrol by the Development

Manager. It takes over an hour in the buggy to get around all

of the development, check the doors, clear up excess rubbish

and have a general presence on site making sure everything is

in order.

The Development Manager is keen to offer additional support

to the night staff and will be doing a full night shift in the

coming weeks and will be flexible with his working week.

Welcome Back John

John Bedding, one of the day concierges returns to work after being away due to

having an operation.

It’s great to have John back on site. Not only is John one of the most experienced

concierges on Repton Park, John is a popular figure amongst the onsite team and

with all the residents. Team morale is always important, so John was given a warm

welcome back from all the team. It’s good to have him back – he’s been missed.

Drain Blockages

The onsite Maintenance Team were instructed to investigate

a couple of blockages on Repton Park in February – this being

further to residents contacting the gatehouse.

Thankfully both issues were dealt with at a site level so there

was no need to instruct an outside contractor.

The blockages were cleared by using extendable rods which

are flexible allowing them to bend around the pipes.

After having successfully cleared the blockages, the cause

was found to baby wipes on both occasions. Baby wipes had

bonded together forming a rag contributing to the system

becoming blocked.

Light Bollard Refurbishment

The onsite Maintenance Team continue to refurbish and service the cast iron light bollards throughout Repton

Park. As the painting of the bollards is weather reliant, the bollards are initially having a maintenance service on

the internal parts. All the parts are being greased, cleaned and the old glass casing around the light, removed. This

is then being replaced with clear perspex which will contribute to improving the light output. The bollards will be

painted a throughout spring and summer where we hope to complete the refurbishment of all the cast iron light

bollards, this year.

Night Light Survey

As last month’s meeting Consort were asked to carry out a survey at night to identify possible ‘dark’ spots on the

site. This has been completed and the feedback is to be shared with the Repton Park Residents Association.

Security / Health & Safety

Revised Entrance into Repton Park

Consort in conjunction with the Repton Park Residents

Association have been reviewing the entrance into Repton

Park over the last few months. Our objective is to make it

more secure and harder for people to gain access onto the

development. This project is to be approached in 3 phases.

Phase 1 of the project consisted of the following objectives.

Reduce vehicle speed when approaching the barrier

Clearly define a ‘no go’ zone before the barrier

Have the word STOP added to the road

All of the above objectives have now been successfully

completed, with the only exception being the introduction

of a new sign. This will be installed in March and will give

clear guidance to visitors and gym members on what is

required upon entry into Repton Park

Phase 2 of the project consists of the following objectives.

To increase the surface area of the parking space opposite the gatehouse to approximately 10 x 10

meters. This will allow sufficient room for a car to move and turn around should Consort decide to refuse

access onto Repton Park.

To install a post/wire fence adjacent to the gatehouse but away from the drip line of the trees; down

towards North Lodge, securing the area.

To plant a large hedge, something which when maturing will become dense. This is to go hand in hand

with the wire fence and improve security at the entrance into Repton Park.

Consort is now in receipt of the quote from MBS for the above works. As agreed at last month’s meeting, the

Development Manager will review the quote with Simon Birnie who is part of the RPRAs Security Sub Committee.

This is to ensure we are getting value for money.

Should MBS be given the go ahead then the above works can be carried out and completed in March.

Phase 3 of the project consists of introducing a pedestrian gate to the footpath opposite the gatehouse. This

would operate via a coded digital keypad and can be controlled by the concierge. This will be reviewed in greater

detail once phases 1 & 2 are complete.

Parking & vehicle related issues

Bad Parking Notices & Consorts role in issuing them

It has been another productive month when it comes to issuing bad parking notices to vehicles which are parked

in the wrong bay or dangerously around Repton Park. There is an increase from last month with a total number of

25 bad parking notices being issued in February. A detailed spreadsheet of the parking tickets issued is kept at the

gatehouse.

It is to be noted that Consort are happy to offer this service but none of the onsite staff are qualified parking

attendants, nor do we have any parking control enforcement powers. It is done to be helpful and offer support.

Vehicles refused access onto Repton Park

Further to discussions with the Repton Park Residents Association and in an attempt to tighten up security, please

note the below table which highlights vehicles refused access onto Repton Park. This is the result of taking a more

vigilant approach at the barriers. Management will continue to work and monitor staffs performance in this area.

Date Time Purpose Of Entry Drivers Vehicle Reason for vehicle being refused access Staff

Of Visit Of Visit To Repton Park Registration onto Repton Park Name

06/02/2015

23.30 Two girls visiting the Boulevard OY11OXM Too late to visit residents and something did not seen right.

Tariq

07/02/2015

0.15 To visit 1 Manor Road BL14EPJ Provided wrong address. Junaid

08/02/2015

20.55 4 Boys wanted to visit the Boulevard

KM58UPG Provided wrong name & address Tariq

08/02/2015

0.51 3 Boys wanted to visit resident WG63SEf Provided wrong name & address Tilak

11/02/2015

21.45 3 guys wanted to go to the gym xxxxxx Refused to show gym cards Tariq

11/02/2015

10.35 2 guys wanted to go to the gym xxxxxxx The Gym was closed. Junaid

18/02/2015

20.10 4 boys + 1 girl wanted to visit Claybury Villas

KP12HVD Refused access - They looked suspicious Tilak

Police Visits to Repton Park

The police visited Repton Park on 2 occasions throughout February.

The first visit was on the 10th February. Consort called the police to site to log verbal abuse from a resident.

The second visit was on the 20th February. This was to investigate the smell of cannabis in the communal area of

an apartment block.

Service Charge Review

The service charge continues to be in good health. Consort’s Customer Collections Team remains on top of this

and monthly updates are provided to the Development Manager.

At the moment there are approximately service charge arrears of 3%

Annual Budget = £1,000,404.00 Arrears = £32,558.15

The below pie chart illustrates how the current service charge arrears is made up across Repton Park.

Tavistock House - £3175.67

Goldsmith House - £3957.09

Osbourne House - £3882.34

Northumberland House - £2456.32

Alexandra House - £2334.72

Clarence Gate - £1274.92

Bartholomew House - £3134.32

Rosebury Square - £4416.35

Kensington House - £8026.87

Tavistock10%

Osbourne12%

Goldsmith12%

Northumberland7%

Alexandra7%

Clarence Gate4%

Bartholomew10%

Rosebury Sqaure13%

Kensington25%

Tavistock

Osbourne

Goldsmith

Northumberland

Alexandra

Clarence Gate

Bartholomew

Rosebury Sqaure

Kensington