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 ACTION RF, IG 2 Simon Balle School Shrubs Offer The offer of shrubs was rejected as their readiness to plant them had been retracted and the plants proved unsuitable for establishing a barrier to blown litter. 3 Security Cameras The security camera annual charge of £2000 is allocated to the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)
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