First Port Update - Tuesday 7 th July 2015 Road & Drains Update Roads Project Update – Phase 1 Further to last month‟s report it was explained the areas of road to be included in phase 1 of the roads project. This was Clarence Gate, The Boulevard and Regents Drive. There were issues to contend with on the drainage system along Regents Drive which have now been addressed. Upon investigation there was evidence of concrete, builders rubble, tree roots and other solid materials which had been sitting in the chamber and contributed towards the CCTV survey previously being abandoned. Please refer to the photos to the right. The issue below ground along Regents Drive was cleared by using a high powered jet wash. The good news is that there are no serious defects to the pipes, although the initial feedback from a contractor was that it needed sleeving. After taking a second opinion the pipe was deemed in good working order and no further remedial works were necessary. This area of road can now be repaired. First Port have chased Price & Myers and waiting on feedback from their tendering process. It has been explained to Price & Myers that our objective is to carry out the road repairs within the current service charge period and in conjunction with phase 1 of the roads project.
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First Port Update - Tuesday 7th
July 2015
Road & Drains Update
Roads Project Update – Phase 1
Further to last month‟s report it was explained the areas of road to be included in phase 1 of the roads project.
This was Clarence Gate, The Boulevard and Regents Drive.
There were issues to contend with on the drainage
system along Regents Drive which have now been
addressed. Upon investigation there was evidence
of concrete, builders rubble, tree roots and other
solid materials which had been sitting in the
chamber and contributed towards the CCTV
survey previously being abandoned. Please refer
to the photos to the right.
The issue below ground along Regents Drive was
cleared by using a high powered jet wash. The
good news is that there are no serious defects to
the pipes, although the initial feedback from a
contractor was that it needed sleeving. After taking
a second opinion the pipe was deemed in good
working order and no further remedial works were
necessary. This area of road can now be repaired.
First Port have chased Price & Myers and waiting
on feedback from their tendering process.
It has been explained to Price & Myers that our objective is to carry out the road repairs within the current
service charge period and in conjunction with phase 1 of the roads project.
Grounds Review
Roses around Repton Park
The roses throughout Repton Park are now in full bloom and
look simply amazing.
Roses were first introduced to the development about 4
years ago and been a huge success. It is not always easy
to introduce new species of plants to Repton Park due to the
high clay levels within the grounds but the roses have
flourished.
The variety of colours really produces the wow factor and
break up a lot of the natural greenery and surrounding
woodland. Although roses require additional maintenance
throughout the gardening season, we believe the additional
pruning and cutting back is time well spent.
Summer Bedding
Some more photos of the summer bedding located
throughout the grounds of Repton Park.
We welcome feedback on the grounds so if you have
any ideas or suggestions then please contact the
Development Manager who can arrange a „walk and
talk‟ with the gardeners.
We are very proud of the grounds and the gardeners
do a fantastic job all year round. We are hoping for
some kind of recognition in this years annual
Redbridge in Bloom gardening competition.
Watering the grounds
A large part of the gardeners time throughout spring and summer is watering the shrubs, bedding plants, and
even newly planted trees. The water bowser has been brought in every week this month and holds over
100,000 litres of water in its tank as per the below picture.
We have experienced some very hot weather in June and it‟s meant to continue into July, so making sure the
plants are well managed and watered is crucial. On one occasion this month, the gardeners got thorough
300,000 litres of water in a single day!
As you can see from the temperature
reading above, the local area has
experienced temperatures in excess of 30
degrees! The gardeners are working very
hard to make sure all the summer bedding
is not affected by these abnormally high
temperatures.
In fact due to the high temperatures all staff have been encouraged to be sensible whilst working around site.
Cold bottles of water and regular refreshments have been made available at the gatehouse to ensure all staff
remain hydrated and safe in the workplace.
Redecoration Update @ Repton Park
Major Works
Repton Park apartments only
Top Coat continues to work on the external redecoration
project at Repton Park.
In last month‟s reports the contractor was focussing his
attention on Tavistock House. He has completed the majority
of the work with the exception of a couple of areas due to
restricted access which will be reviewed at the end of the
project.
Top Coat have now moved onto Sutherland House and
although progress is slow the works are being carried out
correctly and the person assigned to undertake the works
visits the Management Office every morning to collect the
controls for the cherry picker and to provide an update.
Further to the above, the Development Manager will again be holding a progress meeting with David Higgins,
the senior representative from Top Coat and Jay Ryan, the Contracts Manager appointed to oversee the
works.
At the moment everything appears to be moving in the right direction and the onsite Management team are
being kept in the loop. We have however reminded Top Coat the importance of giving residents curtsey calls
who remain on the snagging list.
Claybury Villas External Redecorations
The Claybury Villas external redecoration has just begun. All the windows are currently being redecorated
after the section 20 process being completed. The job was awarded to Top Target and the Development
Manager will be overseeing the works to ensure everything is done in accordance with the specification of
works.
The contractor has been introduced to one of the Directors of Claybury Villas Management Co Ltd and
everyone will be liaising closely throughout the project.
The Manor Internal Redecoration and Refurbishment
The second part of the section 20 consultation has been issued and we expect works to begin in the next 2
months. This includes total redecoration of the communal areas, carpet replacement and new light fittings.
Pest Control @ Repton Park
The rodent activity on Repton Park in June remained consistent as the graph highlights. A dead mouse was
retrieved and there was activity indicating that both mice and rats visiting the bait boxes.
The Maintenance Contract with Prokill is currently a visit every 6 weeks to check and top up the boxes with
bait, however in the new service charge period this is to be revised so visits are more frequent as there is a
demand for the additional service.
As of August, Prokill will be visiting Repton Park on a monthly basis to support First Port in our efforts to get
the balance correct and keep rodents away from the buildings. This change also ties in with a new code of
practise specific to pest control, and in particular where there are long term baiting programs as there are in
Repton Park due to the surrounding areas and natural woodland.
We have also been able to increase the level of baiting around Repton Park. A further 4 old bait boxes were
discovered in June and now brought into service and incorporated within the Pest Control Maintenance
program. You can see from the overview of the development below that all the bait boxes have been carefully
located around Repton Park. This is monitored closely throughout the course of the year and can be adapted
or added to should it be necessary.
Activity
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Activity
Activity
Matt Garwood from Prokill continues to pop into the Management Office on a regular basis to ensure
everything is running smooth; even when not scheduled to be on site. Matt Garwood is relatively new to
Repton Park after being given a chance last year and showing a fantastic attitude and appreciation for the
level of service we aim to offer. Below gives an overview of all the bait boxes in service on Repton Park.
First Port can instigate works on communal grounds only,
meaning anything within a resident‟s home is their
responsibility. Should residents experience pest control
problems, or simply require guidance, then please contact
Prokill direct. Matt Garwood will be able to give you the correct
guidance and support should you require his services.
Now summer has officially arrived, and with it becoming light from around 4:00am, the night concierge is also
able to help out with the litter picking responsibilities on Repton Park.
Litter picking is carried out on a daily basis approximately 3 times a day; however the night staff is also able to
litter pick when going on patrol around 6:00am due to the extra daylight throughout the summer months.
As a team we work very hard to ensure the litter around
Repton Park is minimal.
The Development Manager‟s approach to litter is... if you
see some litter on the floor, then no matter your position
amongst the team, you are expected to pick it up. With this
attitude being adopted by all the onsite staff we continue to
successfully manage the litter and keep it under control.
All residents are encouraged to be responsible when
disposing of litter; this includes being sensible when
discarding cigarette butts and chewing gum.
If any residents have concerns about litter and know of
areas which may have been overlooked in our efforts to
keep the development clean, then please contact the
Development Manager. With 265 acres of land to look
after, no matter how hard the onsite team works, it is only
natural for litter to get blown around and stuck in areas of
the grounds which may be harder to see and access.
Happy Birthday to Phil from MBS
Although the gardeners are not directly employed by First Port, they
are on site every day with the rest of the First Port team so they are
treated like one of the team.
To make sure Phil feels appreciated as he works so hard looking
after the grounds, everyone got together for a cup of tea and cakes
in celebration of his birthday.
The Development would like to thank Phil for all is hard work and
wish him a Happy Birthday from all at Repton Park.
Communal Area Touch Up
We appreciate the communal area and its general
standards require attention from time to time, so there
will be occasions throughout the year where the
onsite staff will focus their attention to touching up
any walls which are in need of a little TLC.
All residents are encouraged to treat the communal
areas with respect and if any damage is noticed, you
are requested to report it to the Development
Manager. Ken our caretaker has done a great job in
repainting and touching up areas which have either
become damaged or looking dirty through every day
wear and tear.
The onsite team are not in a position to redecorate
communal areas in their entirety, but if we try to keep
them presentable then when the major works are next
due which is approximately every 5 years, we hope
that our intervention will contribute to making the
redecoration process as simple and straight forward
as possible. It will also contribute to keeping the
major works cost low, as less remedial works will be
required if they are well maintained and looked after.
Road before Claybury Hall
At last months meeting with the Repton Park Residents Association,
the Development Manager was asked about the possibility of
introducing a turning area just before Claybury Hall.
It was explained to the RPRA that Claybury Halls freehold boundary
starts just outside the main gates and distinguished by the
difference in road colour. This meant any change to this area would
require the consent of Claybury Hall Freehold Limited.
The Development Manager works on behalf of Claybury Hall
Management Co Ltd; he has approached the Directors of the RMC
and currently waiting on their feedback. It would not be possible to
introduce any change before the boundary due to there being a
pumping sub station and chamber in the way as per the photo.
Staff Update
It has been a busy month for Management due to some staffing changes.
The Manor - The Development Manager has been conducting interviews
for the Caretaker position at The Manor due to Reg, the current caretaker,
resigning as explained in previous updates. The good news is that we have
successfully hired a replacement.
I would like to welcome Jas to The Manor and the Repton Park family. Jas joins the team with vast experience
and a great skill set. Jas will be shadowing Reg for 1 week before Reg officially leaves First Port so a thorough
handover can be carried out. Jas will then start his 6 months probation and if all goes well will eventually be
made a permanent member of the onsite team.
Claybury Hall – The caretaker recently handed in his notice and the Development Manager is currently looking
for a replacement to fulfil this full-time position.
The position at Claybury Hall is very unique and a „Bespoke‟ job description and service is needed, so finding
the correct replacement is vital. Interviews for the position will be carried out in July which will involve an initial
interview with the Development Manager, which if successful will then involve a second interview with the
Directors of Claybury Hall Management Co Ltd.
Budget Meetings
Due to there being various developments involved in the makeup of
Repton Park it is necessary to liaise with the different Residents
Management Companies over their budgets. Each year the
Development Manager will present a budget proposal to the RMCs for
their consideration and feedback.
Claybury Hall – Year Ending 30th June.
The Development Manager has liaised with the Directors and a new
budget and contracts are now in place.
Claybury Villas – Year Ending 31st July
The Development Manager has liaised with the Directors and the new
budget has been approved and currently being implemented.
Repton Park – Year Ending 31st July
The Development Manager, Regional Manager, and our Senior Finance Analyst have completed the budget
proposal for Repton Park. This was presented to the Repton Park Residents Association. A meeting was held
in June with a couple of RPRA committee members to establish their feedback. Although they are not in a
position to approve the budget, we welcome their input in our efforts to maintain a healthy working relationship.
Anti-social Behaviour
Living on Repton Park is a way of life and there are many rules and regulations
which govern this prestigious development. Freehold owners are to live in
accordance with their Freehold Transfer and owners of leasehold properties are
to live in accordance with the terms of their lease agreement.
Although residents are encouraged to behave in a sensible a respectful manner,
there can be occasions when people fall victim to Anti-social behaviour.
So what is anti-social behaviour?
Nuisance neighbours
Rowdy and nuisance behaviour
Yobbish behaviour and intimidating groups taking over public space
Vandalism, dumping rubbish and abandoning cars
Begging and antisocial drinking
The misuse of fireworks
Constant dog barking, whining or howling
Loud parties in residential areas
Excessively amplified music, TV or musical equipment
Noisy DIY or building works outside restricted times
Unattended intruder alarm or vehicle alarm
Noise from commercial premises such as pubs, restaurants, factories, etc.
Harassment, abuse or crime targeted at you because of prejudice against your race, religion, sexuality,
gender-identity, disability or age. These are called hate crimes.
Action taken from site staff The onsite staff will do their best to address anti-social issues direct from a site level, although the staff is limited in what they can do. Our normal approach would be to speak to people directly, write to them and instigate investigations, gaining evidence should the local authorities ever need to intervene. Every attempt will be made by the onsite team to address the matter quickly and efficiently and 99 times out of 100 our efforts are successful – hence the minimal amount f complaints received. Request for First Port legal letter If the onsite team exhaust all avenues available to them and our direct approach has no been successful, a request for a First Port legal letter to be sent can be raised. This action will remind the said resident that their behaviour is not acceptable and that if it continues then the landlord could take legal action against them. The letter will explain that their behaviour could result in court referral or forfeiture of their lease. For this to happen to onsite team will need to provide evidence of the complaints received and the lengths they have gone to resolve the issue. Everything is then collated and passed onto our legal team for review before the letter is sent out. Landlord referral
Should the legal letter have no affect and the person(s) causing the anti-social behaviour are showing no signs
of improving their behaviour, then the case will be referred to the landlord. Ultimately it is the Landlord who has
the power to enforce covenants within a lease, i.e. Estates and Management.
When experiencing anti-social behaviour you should always contact the local council for guidance. In the case of Repton Park, residents should approach London Borough of Redbridge as they have specialist departments who deal such issues.
Residents can contact Redbridge‟s Anti-social behaviour team.
The Redbridge Anti-social Behaviour aims to intervene as soon as possible to:
Protect victims, witnesses and the community
Enable the perpetrator to recognise the consequences of their behaviour
Encourage the perpetrator to change their behaviour.
The team will liaise with the Police in dealing with criminal activities such as dealing or buying drugs and vandalism and with other enforcement agencies of the council such as street scene and licensing.
There are a number of measures available to the Anti social behaviour team which they can take to combat problems including:
Persons can be interviewed
Warning letters can be sent
Agreements, such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC‟s) may be signed
Parenting Orders and Individual Support Orders may be obtained
Noise Abatement Notices may be served
Injunctions and Dispersal powers may be issued
Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO‟s) may be obtained
“Crack house” closure orders may be obtained and executed
Prosecution for breach of a Noise Abatement Notice
This may lead to a fine of up to £20,000 for each offence (commercial) and £5,000 (domestic) if found guilty
Obtaining a warrant from the magistrates to seize and remove all noise making equipment, which may be destroyed
Start possession proceedings against Council tenants
Using contractors to disable alarms and recharging the owner for the costs. The council may use force to gain access when necessary and may also prosecute.
Since the last email there has not been any residential burglaries on the ward, yes that‟s right your eyes did not deceive
you, 0 residential burglaries on the ward. This is fantastic news for you as residents and also us the Safer Neighbourhood
team. Keep up the good work!
We have however unfortunately had three theft of motor vehicles on the ward which is very disappointing. Keyless car
thefts have been a problematic crime within London over the last six months.
Organised criminals are able to steal some of these vehicles in less than 30 seconds. They do this by using specialist
equipment to programme a blank key that is compatible with the vehicle. They do not need the original key. This means
that they do not need to steal your key in order to steal your motor vehicle.
To reduce the chances of becoming a victim of keyless vehicle theft, please consider additional security
measures:
• Consider using an approved car alarm, steering wheel lock or gearstick lock in addition to your vehicle‟s own security. If
you have a driveway consider a parking post fixed into the ground.
• Consider having an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) lock professionally fitted to the OBD port.
• Always park your vehicle in a well-lit area, a garage, a staffed car park or an area covered by CCTV.
• Ensure that your vehicle is locked when leaving it, by double checking it is secure.
For advice on recommended security devices, see:
www.thatcham.org/security www.soldsecure.com
We have had an ATM theft on the high street at the bank where by a victim was approached by two eastern European
males at the cash point who asked her for her pin number and pretended to attempt to help her use the cash point and
made off with her card.
When using the cash points please be aware of people around you, if you're not sure, go inside the bank or walk away.
Never use your phone or have ear phones in when using the cash point, be alert and focused.
Stand close to the machine and always shield the keypad to avoid anyone seeing you enter your pin number.
Keep an eager eye out for anything unusual about the cash point, I always feel the card insert and keypad to see if anything is loose before entering my card, look out for any devices attached to the machine.
Once you have finished your transaction discreetly put your money and card away, never walk away with these visible in your hand.
If in doubt and you can, use the cash point inside a bank and alert staff of any unusual activity.
PC 409 Charlotte Herring
Fairlop Neighbourhood Policing Team Email - [email protected] Tel - 020 8721 2569