‘Smooth You’ Residents Parties
After their soft launch over the last couple of weeks, Smooth You (the amazing new spa that has opened beneath Dekker and Burke) are now ready to host the parties (yes, plural!) they promised, exclusively for Dalston Square residents. Get a tour of the facilities, watch hair and beauty demos, take advantage of special one-off deals on treatments, enjoy canapes supplied by Cafe Route, washed down with a glass of bubbly or a soft drink, and collect your free goody bag! Just be sure to RSVP beforehand to let them know which day you wish to attend. Invites have been posted out to everyone but here below are the details again, just in case (click the thumbnails to see the full-size images). And one other thing: Do you live in one of the apartments on the 2nd or 3rd floor of Gaumont Tower that looks out over the Square? If yes, would you allow Smooth You’s photographer access to your balcony to take a few snaps of the spa’s exterior? If yes again, pop in and speak to Katie and you will receive a free treatment as a little thank-you.
And speaking of Cafe Route, Did you know they have launched their new lunch menu (new dinner menu coming very soon)? I have just one thing to say: Baked sweet potato with pulled lamb. Yum! 😉
Meeting Location Correction: Now Gaumont Tower
My apologies all, the meeting is NOT in the Library after all. It is instead to be held in Gaumont Tower. Simply visit the concierge team and they will direct you to the appropriate apartment. Sorry for any confusion.
DSRA Meeting Reminder
Just a quick reminder of the meeting taking place on Wednesday at 6pm in the library. You all know the routine by now: The meeting is open to all residents of the Square, owners and renters alike. See you there? Click the image below to see it full size.
Two Dates For Your Diary
Posters should be going up very soon but in the meantime here are the details of an upcoming meeting of the DSRA which, as usual, is open to any, and every, resident of Dalston Square (owners and renters alike). The location is to be confirmed (though definitely somewhere in the Square), but it will be on Wednesday November 6th at 6.30pm (until around 8pm), chaired by Ben Collins. The agenda is as follows:
1. Service charges and Consort’s budget costings
2. Building glitches & planning issues
3. The Christmas social
4. Any other business.
If you are a resident of the Square and have any interest in the above/wish to raise an issue yourself/want to see how the DSRA works, please do attend: You are not just welcome, we would dearly love for more residents to get involved.
And speaking of meetings, I have received a summary of the Hackney Unites meeting I advertised a few weeks ago. You can read it for yourselves HERE. It seems a shame that in all of Dalston only 10 people showed an interest in the first meeting, let’s hope they receive a bigger turn-out for the follow-up meeting on 14th November (and perhaps the Square can get a few representatives present?).
That’s it for now, I will let you know as soon as a location for the DSRA meeting has been set.
Hallowe’en & Christmas Events
So finally here are the details of the Christmas market I promised you, and also details of a local All Hallows’ Eve event too.
Hallowe’en first then as it is nearly upon us. Those of you familiar with the Dalston High Street shopping area will surely know of ‘Fee Fee La Fou HQ‘ (also HERE) on Bradbury Street. What you may not know is that this delightful little shop is the brain-child of the Square’s very own Fiona ‘Fee’ Eastwood. Anyway, the shop turns 2 years old next week so to celebrate Fee has organised a story-telling event, which she has called ‘Baba Yaga Goes GAGA!’, to take place at Mezcal Cantina on Kingsland High Street, that will serve as both a birthday party (complete with a very special cake!), and a Hallowe’en celebration. Full details of the event can be found HERE (tickets can be purchased at that same link). If this sounds like your type of event and you are a resident of the Square, contact Fee beforehand to take advantage of her ‘neighbours discount’ (just £5 instead of £7.50!).
Now to the Christmas market. City Showcase is a not-for-profit organisation that highlights and showcases unique up and coming creative talent, who, after the success of their Soho Flea Market, and working with Hackney Council, will host the inaugural Dalston Christmas Market in Dalston Square on Sunday 1st December. But this will be no traditional Christmas market: Instead it will reflect the ethos of City Showcase and the creative vibrant scene that is Dalston. The 2013 Soho Flea Market (the second year it has run) attracted over 15,000 visitors and was featured in publications such as Time Out, Cosmopolitan, Company, The Lady, Evening Standard, and Harper’s Bazaar, so this is a chance to really put Dalston Square on the London events map. As well as the website above, they also have a site dedicated to their markets HERE. Also click the thumbnail images below to see their full-size flyer, plus the letter that was posted out to all residents a few weeks ago (just in case your flat-mate read it and binned it rather than sharing it with you). As well as the market in the Square, there will be a free ‘Make Your Own Christmas Presents’ workshop in the C.L.R. James Library, and live music from local choirs and musicians.
Hackney Council Wants Your Opinion
If you follow our Twitter feed you may have seen, back in July, a tweet about Hackney Council considering nominating Dalston as a special policy area (SPA). In short, this can help limit the growth in the number of licensed premises in areas that already have a high concentration of them, and helps the council determine how best to work with licensees and the police to manage the impact of these areas on local residents, visitors, and other businesses.
As I say, this is currently just a proposal, and to help them make a decision whether to go ahead or not the council are looking for input from local residents. Follow this link HERE to read more about what exactly a SPA is, then follow the link near the bottom of that page to complete a short survey as a means to having your say on the proposal.
This is where I must apologise because you only have one more week to take the survey: It closes on October 18th. This is my fault entirely (well, partly an email issue, partly a communication issue between Christine, who runs our Twitter feed, and myself, but basically me). New routines are now in place so hopefully this will not happen again. Sorry all.
While I have your attention, keep your eyes peeled for a post in a day or two with details of the Christmas market that will be held in the Square on December 1st. It is going to be something really special and will definitely put Dalston Square on the map.
Still here? Go do the survey already! 😉
Completion Of The Square Plus Other Development Plans
A couple of weeks have passed since I promised an update on the completion of the Square and apologise for not getting back to you sooner. Basically, things should be wrapped up(ish) by the end of the year. Sledge Tower is, as you will know, now complete, and Joplin House, the last block that will complete the development, should be finished by the middle of November. Once that is complete, the Barratt site huts will be moved out of the Square (with the remaining tradesmen moving into the offices behind the Barratt sales office) and the remaining public area will be finished off. The sales office will continue to be manned until January, at which point, with the completion of building works, the tradesmen will depart, as will the sales staff who will be moving on to a new Barratt development over Islington way. For those of you who know Richard in the sales office (who has been manning the office from day one of it’s opening), you will be glad to hear he is to become a resident of the Square and so will not be leaving us completely.
With regard the commercial units around the Square, the biggest news is probably the imminent opening of the Smooth You Town Spa in the double unit beneath Burke and Dekker. As you will no doubt have seen, work is well underway and should be finished by the end of November(ish). They have advised us, via our Twitter feed (@DalstonSquareRA), that as well as a general public launch party, an invitation-only party for residents is also being planned (more details as soon as I have them). The only other definite news is the recent signing (2 weeks ago) of contracts for the unit to the left of the Barratt sales office (the one with the Cafe Rica graphic in the window). No confirmation yet on who has taken it, but no doubt we will hear soon.
There is also news regarding the Holy Trinity School saga. A date has now been set for the GLA (Mayor Boris Johnson’s office) public meeting: 19th November. All those that made representations to the Hackney Council hearing on this development will be contacted 14 days before the new hearing with details of how they can be involved if they wish to. You will be pleased to know that the group of concerned Square residents who campaigned so brilliantly the first time around will again be active on our behalf. While the idea of expanding the school and creating much-needed places is to everyone’s benefit, the plans as they stand were rejected for very good reasons and we can but hope that Mayor Johnson and his representatives will support Hackney Council in their original rejection of the plans as they stand.
One last thing to mention, yet another new development has become public. Some residents have received a letter from Hackney Council regarding development of 514 – 600 Kingsland Road. This is the strip of retail units from, and including, the noodle bar on the corner with Dalston Lane, right down to, and including, Oxfam on the corner of Forest Road. Details are very sketchy but Square resident Kevin (forum post HERE if you have further info to share) found an online reference to it that mentioned buildings of 7, 10, 18, and 19 stories. Apparently plans are available for viewing at the Hackney Service Centre. A quick look at the DAAP (Hackney Council’s own Dalston Area Action Plan) shows that ‘opportunity sites’ on Kingsland only exist north of the Balls Pond Road/Dalston Lane junction. I will pass on more info on this and all other proposed developments in our neighbourhood as I receive them.
I think that is it for now: All up to date. Have a good week all!
‘Future Of Dalston’ Meeting
We have been contacted by Hackney Unites, the organisation that put on the Dalston People’s Festival earlier in the year. Following on from that success, they are to hold an open meeting, at 6.30pm on 17th October at the Trinity Centre on Beechwood Road, to discuss the future of our neighbourhood. More specifically, they are looking to create a permanent, inclusive, community organisation in Dalston that is capable of identifying its collective needs and organising to ensure that decision-makers cannot ignore the community. This can only be a good thing, and is surely something residents of the Square need to support and be involved in. For full details of the meeting and how to attend/participate/get involved, follow THIS LINK. Following the link will also give you access to a survey they are conducting that they are asking all Dalston residents to complete. It will only take a few minutes so please do give it a go.
Think you may attend the meeting? Feel able to represent the Dalston Square Residents’ Association? If you can attend the meeting, takes notes, and report back to Ben Collins, chair of the DSRA, please drop him a line at bmcengland@aol.com.
No Need To Dress Up
Really, it is just an informal gathering: Neighbours getting together for a chin-wag over a drink and a nibble from the barbecue. No need to put on the glad-rags. Just a little over 2 hours until (5.30pm) we get things started on the 9th floor roof terrace of Gaumont Tower. Bring a bottle of your favourite tipple and something to throw on the bbq (and/or perhaps something to share). Then at 7.00pm we will all head down into the Square and fire up the fountain (figuratively speaking of course). Bring your friends, bring your family, Let’s Splash!
Summer Round-Up & DSRA Autumn Get-Together
Hello again. Here, as promised, is a general update of what the DSRA have been up to over the summer months. This report has been compiled by DSRA Chair, Ben Collins:
What’s happening with the Dalston Square Residents Association?
The DSRA committees have been active on your behalf. We know that the first years of a new development are the time to get things right. There have been many strange accounting procedures and building glitches which we have pursued.
The following are brief reports from the two committees that have been active over the summer.
The Finance Committee
Ever since the first blocks were occupied, residents have been unhappy about the way in which Consort calculates and presents its budget. There have been a string of errors followed by increasing costs. Whether you pay for these via your rent, or directly via your service charges to Consort, these costs are passed on and there have been some inexplicable and rapid rises for some buildings.
The DSRA has this year called for Consort to publish its budget and explain it to our finance committee. We have been dismayed that, despite several meetings, the management company has still not sorted out its common electricity costs. Some buildings appear to have electricity costs running up to ten times more than others with no explanation given. As this report goes to press the DSRA has just met again with the Consort regional manager to insist the issue be sorted out.
The Buildings Sub-Committee
Progress on getting the many construction glitches around the Square sorted out is more positive in as much as Barratt appear to be taking our request seriously, and in the last few months have been pushing hard for the Square’s high standards to be maintained.
Trees have been replanted and watered, broken bricks, gutters, and paving slabs replaced, and planters looked after. Some improvement to bike storage has been agreed, although there appears to be a limit to what is possible. The sheeting on the canopy over Blue Street (the passageway between the library and Gaumont Tower) will be replaced soon. We have also worked to ensure street and gutter cleaning is maintained by Barratt, while awaiting full hand-over to Hackney Council. The Council is currently only cleaning the area at the top end of the Square, by the library.
As far as we know, two new eating establishments are expected to occupy ground floor retail spaces in the Phase 1 buildings on the east of the Square. Kitchen air extraction will need attention: Those living in Gaumont Tower are currently getting a fair dose of smell coming into their lobby and lift shafts and the current fan system is not adequate. We have pressed Barratt for a review of the system. Another issue brought to Barratt’s attention is the lack of both windows and ventilation in the office of Consort Site Manager Sean Stone: They have promised a window and ventilator. We will continue to chase them on both of these issues.
Door security remains a worry, with occasional tampering causing the lock systems to be damaged. We have insisted on daily checks to ensure security is maintained and ask that residents report any questionable locking or damage to any front door, to the concierge in Gaumont Tower, as soon as possible.
Threat To The Eastern Curve Garden
Things are a-stirring with plans to make the land currently occupied by the Eastern Curve Garden into a thoroughfare as set out in the Dalston Area Action Plan. The DSRA met with the developer and architect some weeks back and impressed upon them that the loss of this much-loved community space and garden would be resisted by local residents. Since then, expressions of concern to Councillors have been flowing in, but it is important, if you feel the garden should be kept into the future, for you too to contact the council to express your support of the garden: There is currently no guarantee it will be there in a year’s time.
Cultural Events In The Square
Hackney Council have set up a local Forum for residents to contribute ideas and express views about what events should happen in the Square (minutes of past meetings of this group are available for download from the ‘What’s On’ section of our FORUM HERE). We note that on the week-end of the 28th and 29th of September there is the following event:
House of Amau summer weekend – Saturday 28 September, 11am – 8pm, including steel drum workshop 3pm – 4.30pm. Sunday 29 September, 11am – 7pm, including African drumming workshop 3pm – 4.30pm.
Look out for stalls selling a wide variety of books, including works by the African Caribbean Writers Group.
If you want to get involved (and we need resident volunteers) in helping to plan next summer’s Dalston Square events, contact Lucy McMenemy via the Dalston Square dedicated page of the Hackney Council website HERE. This link is also in our link-list in the right-hand column of our website’s homepage, and will keep you abreast of all council-planned events that are coming to the Square.
That’s all for now. I do have some info on the commercial units in the Square as well as an update from Barratt regarding their schedule for finishing up in the Square, but will save that for a post in a few days. Until then, have a good week. 😉
Oops, nearly forgot: Did I mention that the DSRA have their autumn get-together planned for next Sunday, 29th September? 5.30pm until 7.00pm followed by a fountain switch-on in the Square at 7.15. This flier says it all:
New Parking Permits & DSRA Autumn Get-Together
Hello residents and neighbours of Dalston Square, time to bring you up to date with all that is happening in and around the Square. There is though quite a bit to say so I am going to break it down into a few posts over the next few days to avoid boring you all with an info-overload.
For today then, 3 very important things to tell you about. Firstly, one for all of you who own or rent a parking space below phase 1. I have just posted the latest Residents’ Alert from Consort to our Forum which gives notice that new parking permits are currently being issued to replace the existing ones. If you have such a permit, read the alert HERE.
Secondly, the latest news regarding Telford Homes planned redevelopment of Holy Trinity School at the south-east corner of the Square. Most of you will already know that Hackney Council rejected the plans on many grounds including problems with the design, it’s contravening the council’s own DAAP, and it’s impact on local residents (both in the Square and outside). What you may not all know is that the developers then went over the council’s head and directly approached the offices of London Mayor Boris Johnson, the GLA, who have the power to overrule Hackney Council. The GLA are currently looking to do just that, on the grounds of needing the extra school places, but before giving the final go-ahead will be holding a public Representation Hearing (date to be announced but expected to be before the end of the year). In the meantime however, the next Hackney Council Dalston Ward Forum meeting will be held in the CLR James Library on Monday 7th October between 7pm and 9pm, where this topic will be further discussed. When I have more info on the GLA Representation Hearing I will of course let you all know.
Lastly, and probably most importantly 😉 it is time for the DSRA Autumn get-together. Posters are being produced for each blocks’ notice-board, and flyers are on the way to residents’ mail-boxes, but here are the details so you can plan ahead. Click into the thumbnail image below to see it full size.
That’s it for now folks, but I will be posting again very soon with news of what the DSRA have been up to, on your behalf, over the summer months.
Important Consort Alerts
Hi all. I have just posted 2 new Consort alerts to the FORUM but felt they warranted a quick post here as they are rather important. Firstly (HERE), to strengthen security and with immediate effect, identification will now need to be presented to the concierge when collecting parcels or keys. Further security tightening measures are planned and will be announced soon. Secondly (HERE), to Phase 2 bike store users, the code has been changed: Please see the concierge for the new one.
Planned Events And Consort Notices
Hello neighbours. Just a quick post to point out some recent FORUM postings. Firstly a couple of things from Lucy McMenemy, Cultural Programme Officer at Hackney Council and the lady who organises the free events the council lays on in the Square. The first of these is the minutes of the latest meeting of the cultural forum HERE (scroll to the bottom of the thread), the second is the electronic version of their newsletter, NUMBER 2, that has been mailed out to all Dalston Square residents recently. One thing to add: The printed version has a note in red about the junior cricket sessions being postponed until the barriers are removed from around the fountains. Well, as you will have noticed, these are now gone and so the cricket is back on, every other Monday, until August 19th (it was back today but I was unable to get this post out until it was too late. My sincere apologies). And talking of the fountains, you may have already heard that an event may be planned to celebrate the official switching on. This was proposed by a Dalston Square resident and Lucy agrees this is a great idea. Once dates are confirmed, we will announce the details.
The other FORUM posts I want to bring to your attention are the latest notices from Consort. The first of these is partly relevant to all residents (and partly just to Phase 2) and can be found HERE, the other is only relevant to Phase 2 residents (Thomas through to Ocean), covering several topics, and can be found HERE.
And that’s your lot for now. I will be creating a forum post very soon to bring everyone up to date on the many developments we are aware of that are in planning for Dalston, and will advertise said post here when it is complete. Until then, take care, and enjoy the summer (while it lasts).
Sub-Committee Reports
Hello again. Firstly, thanks to those who left us feedback after the last post. You will notice that the first comment was from Lucy McMenemy, Cultural Programme Officer for Hackney Coucil, so you know your voices will been heard. Surely there must be others with an opinion?
This post, as referenced by the title, will give reports from 3 of our sub-committees: ASB, Buildings & Maintenance, and Finance.
ASB – Chris Rivinus has produced a comprehensive document, available for download from the DSRA-specific section of the forum HERE, which contains a review of the last 4 to 5 months of this groups activities, including a summary of progress against the ASB action plan established early this year, and a note from Sean Stone in response to the ASB/Security survey conducted some weeks ago now (results from this survey are also available for download in the same forum post).
Buildings & Maintenance – Jane Collins has produced a report for us on the latest meeting and issues facing this group. Again, this is available for download from the forum, HERE
Finance – Dave Eastwood and team are still working with Consort to finalise the budget for 2013/14. This from Dave:
‘The finance committee is continuing to work with Consort on the 13/14 budget, we had pre-meet with Consort on 6th June to discuss progress against outstanding actions, they were able to provide some clarification on a few items but unfortunately the 2013/14 budget is still not finalised. Consort have promised to update us on Friday 14th June with a date when this will be available for the committee to review, we will then arrange a finance committee meeting to clarify and challenge this. This will then be followed by a full residents meeting where Consort can present this budget to all residents. As soon as we have a draft budget we will arrange for this to be put up on the website.
Various members of the committee are also in the process of reviewing the actual spend since 2010 to check for any inconsistencies in invoicing and charges, this is a very detailed process so it is likely that this will take a while but will keep the RA updated with any major findings as these come to light.’
The only thing to add to Dave’s message is that contact was made on Friday as promised, and Consort have now promised to supply us with all budget info for 2013/14 before June 28th. Progress is slow, but we are getting there.
One last thing before I finish off, a new alert from Consort regarding cleaning of communal area carpeting throughout the Square in the Consort ‘Memos & Updates’ section of the forum HERE.
I believe that is it for now, but will of course keep you all up to date with progress on these and all other Dalston Square related issues as I become aware of them. Have a good week all.
Dalston Square Residents' Association 