Last Of 2012
Hello all, one last post before year’s end. Firstly, we have a date, venue, and agenda for the next general meeting of the Residents’ Association. Thursday, 10th January, 7.00pm, in the meeting room of the C.L.R. James Library here on the Square. As always, the meeting is open to all residents of the Square, renters and owners alike, and will likely last for 90 mins or so. The agenda is as follows:
1) The Residents’ Association – Who is it? What has it achieved? Where next?
2) Consort service charges, present and future – Value for money?
3) Planning applications for the Square – Issues of common concern.
4) Right to manage initiative (changing the management company) – Progress report.
5) Progress on our ‘good neighbourliness’ campaign – Improving the quality of life in and around the Square.
6) Any other business.
Next up, an update on the public space of the Square itself. I am sure I am not alone in welcoming the opening of the next section of the Square this last Thursday. The hoarded section in the middle of the newly opened area is an electricity sub station that will be moved in the new year and so that will soon disappear. The area of grass is also temporary: This is what will become the children’s play area, but it extends slightly beyond the new hoarding line into Barrat’s site hut area and so has been turfed as a temporary measure. When Barrat open up the last section of the Square next spring, the grass will be removed and the play area constructed. Also coming in the spring is the water feature. Comprised of 9 synchronised water jets the feature is already in place (you can see the 9 metal discs, the jets, embedded in the paving) but will not be turned on until after the winter weather is behind us. Barrat’s latest estimate for completion of the public space is June 2013.
Just one last thing to say….
Meeting Reminder & Parking Permits Update
Hello neighbours. Just wanted to, firstly, remind you all that the DSRA have a committee meeting this evening to which all residents of the Square are invited: Owners, renters, long-time DSRA members, and those who have never attended a meeting before. Whether you have something to say or just want to listen in, every resident is invited and welcome to join us: 7.00pm, 69 Gaumont Tower. See HERE for the agenda
Secondly, an update regarding the new parking permit system for the underground parking at Dalston Square. Due to many owners/renters having not yet collected their permits from the concierge guys, the implementation of the checking routines will be delayed by a couple of weeks. Consort will conduct a second round of posting notices on all parked vehicles to advice everyone of the new system (to catch anyone who may have been overlooked in the first round), and then full implementation of the new system will start in a couple of weeks time. Once that new system starts, any vehicle found parked that is not displaying the correct permit and/or is parked in the wrong parking bay, will receive a parking ticket (just as you would if parked illegally on any public road). Checks will be conducted several times each day by an independent contractor who will accept no excuses for illegal/incorrect parking. And Consort will not be able to help you if you feel you have been incorrectly ticketed: You will have to appeal against the ticket in exactly the same manner as if incorrectly ticketed by a traffic warden. Friends and neighbours, if you own or rent a space in the underground parking and have not yet got your permit, get it soon: Being caught without one will soon become very expensive. You have been warned.
Meeting Agenda & Parking Permits
Hi folks. Firstly, clarification for car-park space owners/renters regarding the new permit system which comes into effect next week (19th Sept.). If you own or rent a parking space in the underground Dalston Square parking facilities, and have not already spoken to the concierge service regarding your permit, you need to do so very soon. Starting next Wednesday, an independent company will be making regular inspections of the underground parking at Dalston Square to ensure that all vehicles parked there are actually supposed to be there, and not simply trespassing in somebody’s, paid-for, allotted space. Unfortunately, as Gerard Hayes is currently on holiday, I cannot tell you exactly what will happen to vehicles without permits (parking tickets certainly, clamping/towing possibly), but will find out and share that info with you all on Gerard’s return. As an owner, simply present proof of ownership (a copy of your lease) to the concierge along with the details of your vehicle and they will issue you with your permit (which must then be displayed in said vehicle whilst parked). As a renter, you will need a copy of the owner’s lease as proof of their ownership, a letter from that owner confirming you are renting their car-park space, and your vehicle details.
Next up, we now have an agenda for the upcoming Resident’s Association meeting. As always, the meeting is open to any and every resident of the Square, owners and renters alike. If you are interested in participating in the decision-making process, or simply curious as to what goes on in these meetings, we would love to see you there.
Dalston Square Resident’s Association Meeting.
Thursday, 20th September, 7.00pm, 69 Gaumont Tower.
Agenda:
1) Chasing the glitches – Report back on our recent meeting with Barratt Homes and Consort on those nagging building deficiencies (bike storage, bin store ventilation, fire safety, snags in the Square).
2) Noise and good neighbourliness – Noise in tall buildings travels up, down, and all around. Balancing one person’s fun against a neighbour’s right to peace and quiet. Respecting guidelines or imposing rules? Noisy builders? Have your say.
3) Service Charges for 2013-2014 – Planning ahead: Consort have agreed to share with Dalston Square residents their draft budget for next year: To ensure there is greater clarity for all residents and to ask for feedback (we will need help with this – new members with finance skills welcome!)
4) Arts and social events – ‘MAKING THE SQUARE OUR HOME’. What is planned for the months ahead? New ideas for fun social events to build the spirit of community in our vertical world!
5) A.O.B.
Meetings
Hello neighbours. Two meetings to talk about, one past and one up-coming. Firstly the meeting past. July 18th saw the latest meeting of the Culture and Community Engagement Forum, and I have posted the minutes from this meeting to our discussions Forum HERE. Secondly, the next DSRA general meeting is to be held Tuesday of next week, 14th August, 7.00pm at 32 Raddon Tower. As per usual it is expected to last an hour and a half to two hours, and all Dalston Square residents (owners and renters alike) are invited to come along: The more active members we have, the stronger our voice in negotiation.
And here is the agenda for that meeting:
1. Buildings Sub Committee report back. Progress on our back-log of repair requests
2. Anti Social Behaviour issues – A report back re meeting in July with Consort and Council
Progress in establishing positive expectations/good neighbourliness
3. Cultural events in the Square – Cultural Sub Committee
Making the Square a community space for all.
4. Where next for the DSRA?
One Committee for whole complex? Democracy? Open Committee with sub Committees? Keeping it manageable. Time to cover a full agenda? Are some items best left to sub-committees? Elections or appointment of officers? Chair, Secretary etc.: Is this desirable? Continue with current ‘semi formal’ structures of self appointed volunteers?
5. Communications
a) email lists – i) ‘Activists list ii) Full residents list
b) website
c) newsletter
6. Summer Social
Roof Garden – Sept 9th – People back from summer breaks and closing ceremony of the Paralympics so fireworks?
7. AOB
Upcoming DSRA Meeting.
Hello neighbours. Just a quick post to advertise our next meeting: Wednesday 20th June, 7.00pm, 61 Gaumont Tower. As per usual the meeting is open to any resident of the Square who is interested in getting involved in our little community. These meetings usually last for an hour and a half or so, and our planned agenda is as follows:
Consort Customer Alert
Hello everyone, hope you are all enjoying the warm, sunny weather. Just a quick post to advice you of a new Customer Alert from ConsortPM. If you have any complaints, or questions, with regard to the management of the Dalston Square development, this is your opportunity to speak directly with Gerard Hayes, Consort PM’s on-site manager. Book your 10-15 minute slot soon to get the one you want. 😉
The message (edited to correct atrocious punctuation):
Dalston Square surgery on May 30th, 6-8pm. Reserve a 10-15 minute slot via e-mail to gerard.hayes@consortpm.co.uk, or telephone 0207 2540896.
Regards,
Consort Property Management
Meeting Reminder And Agenda
Hello neighbours. Just a reminder that we have our next association meeting on Thursday 10th May. The meeting will be hosted by Ben (the committee Chair) at 69 Gaumont Tower, starting at 7.00pm. Generally, our meetings run for approximately an hour and a half and I expect this one to be no different. As always, if you are a resident of Dalston Square, and would be interested in participating, you are more than welcome to attend: The more members the association has, the stronger our voice. Listed here below is the agenda for the meeting:
DSRA Meeting Agenda For 10/05/12
1) Consort Service Charges – [i] Offer from Regional manager for meeting to discuss charges [ii] Report on Circle shared ownership campaign
2) Buildings maintenance – [i] Report on progress from sub-committee [ii] New issues to report
3) Cultural events – Cultural events for Dalston Square: Cultural forum
4) Local council DAAP (Dalston Area Action Plan) – A future open meeting with the council regarding school places and Dalston Lane
5) RTM (Right To Manage) – Update on progress/Urang
6) Social Committee – [i] Report on Easter ‘Egg Hunt’ [ii] Summer Social: Rooftop event to coincide with Olympic closing firework display?
7) Communications – Update on progress of website/blog, newsletter, Facebook: How well are they working?
8) AOB (Any Other Business)
Agenda For Next Week’s Meeting
Hello neighbours. Just wanted to share with you the agenda for next week’s DSRA meeting. If you have suggestions for other topics, do feel free to make contact with Ben through the forum with them. Or you can of course attend the meeting and raise them in AOB.
Dalston Square Residents Association Committee Meeting
March 20th 2012, 7pm to 9pm, Flat 61 Gaumont Tower
Draft Agenda. (comments by return please)
Intro: Welcome to new members.
1) Report on March 13th meeting with Council (Dalston Action Plan and it consequences for us).
2) Report and discussion on changes in services charges 2012-2013
Information for 2012 -2013?
Have the charges been consistent in different blocks/different status of residents?
Charging for the Consort undercharging of 2010-2011?
3) Buildings Sub Committee – report back on mtg with Consort managers
Progress on buildings and maintenance
Response and analysis of residents questionnaire
4) Concerns about some residents (tenants?) breaching leasehold conditions to detrimental effect of standards. What can/should be done?
5) Right-to-manage progress
6) Communications. The website – making it work for us
Next Newsletter.
7) Easter Social – Easter Egg Hunt
June 2nd Street Party Beechwood Rd.- Trinity Centre
8) Future DSRA Committee meetings venues
Sub Committees and new people joining them. Helping keeping track and sharing info etc
9) AOB
Dalston Square Residents' Association 