Friends of Balls Park enhance - preserve - protect – enjoy
Minutes of FoBP Committee Meeting 22nd April 2015
Present
Richard Fletcher - Joint Chairman
Ian Groombridge – Joint Chairman
Maribel Anderson - Secretary
Stephen Potter – Henmarsh Court
Peter Jones – Willis Grove
Steve Penn – Henmarsh Court Co - opted
Apologies
Phillip Burrows – Treasurer
John Souter - Henmarsh Court
1 Clean Up Working Party
4 residents conducted a litter pick along the boundary with Simon Balle School collected 11
bags of rubbish; this was preceded by a pupil-led community clear up just 2 weeks before. The
Chairman wrote to the School manager highlighting the inefficiency of the School’s efforts. The
school will be installing 2 Woodland litterbins in the wooded area near Red Lodge. (Post
meeting note - Litter is an agenda item at the next local residents meeting).
ACTION IG
Residents have also effectively removed the majority of logs from the canal. Encore have said
that any work to clear the canal would require specialist contractors.
ACTION RF, IG
2 Simon Balle School Shrubs Offer
The offer of shrubs was rejected as their readiness to plant them had been retracted and the
plants proved unsuitable for establishing a barrier to blown litter.
3 Security Cameras
The security camera annual charge of £2000 is allocated to the Mansion. Could it be used to
monitor parking?
4 Public Rights of Way
We must instruct City and Country to notify us when the bridleways/ footpaths will be signed off
as public rights of way. Also, City and Country must outline the work they will undertake to
upgrade the bridleways/ footpaths and erect appropriate signage.
ACTION RF, IG
5 Conscripting FoBP Members
The committee would like to appoint a new registrations officer, as John Souter does not appear
to have the time to undertake this task.
ACTION TBD
6 Encore Estate Management
A second letter has been sent to Encore following their generalized and unsatisfactory
response. All outgoing FoBP letters will be circulated to members of the committee.
The deteriorating quality of the Parkland upkeep over the past 5 years is at odds with the 13%
increase in the Balls Park Estate Management Budget. FoBP must ensure that residents are
getting value for money, which requires visibility of contracted schedule of works and the
budget. The accounting year-end is March; accounts should be made available to residents
before the next Encore organized Residents Meeting.
FoBP to enquire the completion date for the accounts, resolution of outstanding organizational
queries before a Residents Meeting is called.
Encore have been asked to pursue the refurbishment of the front lake and upgrading the fence
between Balls Park and the cricket field as items that should have been completed before the
parkland was handed to the management company,
ACTION RF, IG, PB
7 City & Country have confirmed that the section 106 obligation to operate a bus route through
Balls Park will not be implemented.
8 Willis Grove phase 2
Building work progresses and CALA have asked that all contact be conducted through Encore.
FoBP must persuade CALA that landscaping from the entrance gates up to Willis Grove is
beneficial, thereby ensuring the driveway is pristine to impact positively on potential buyers.
ACTION PJ
9 UK parking control
To be re-introduced on Monday 4th May now that all residents have received their permit
tokens. Steve Penn explained his key issues with parking violations
- Fly parking on estate roads and verges
- Residents using visitor bays as regular parking
- Residents using parking spaces they do not own
The problems stem from a number of residents having more vehicles than their own parking
spaces.
It was noted that the freeholders ie Willis Grove and Harrisons Lane have not been notified of
the introduction of a new parking enforcement system
The committee rejected a suggestion that residents could opt out of the scheme or not display
the windscreen sticker as this would be an infringement of Para 12 of the Eighth Schedule of
the Leasehold Agreement, which state that resident must abide by the parking rules.
Suggestions to improve the parking situation:- Windscreen flyers to be printed of to warn drivers of badly parked vehicles that they will be
subject to a fine.
- Erect an “Emergency Exit” no parking sign on the gates to the cricket pavilion
- Consider a “Visitor to Flat x” notice to be displayed in inappropriately parked to counteract the
lack of visitor parking spaces
- Request that Encore secures locations to park official visitors in addition to the caretakers
parking.
ACTION RF IG
AOB
There has been an electrical fault that impaired the operation of the car park gates. All residents
should be notified of the procedure for opening the main and car park gates in the event of
power failure.
ACTION RF IG
Enquire what the caretaker does on behalf of the Estate as £2,000 is charged to the Balls Park
Estate fund and there is no evidence that he provides services to the Estate in general.
Enquire as to how the costs of running & maintaining the underground carpark area are
apportioned.
Invite FoBP committee members to meet Ann Miller when she next visits Balls Park. (Post
meeting note - email sent requesting Anne Miller to discuss during next visit)
Next meetings provisional calendar for 2015
Starting 7:30 at 51 Henmarsh Court
- Wednesday 20th May
- Wednesday 24th Jun
- Wednesday 22nd Jul
- Wednesday 19th Aug
- Wednesday 23rd Sep
- Wednesday 21st Oct
- Wednesday 18th November (AGM)