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06
December
2017
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The latest news and updates from the Chalcots Estate – w/c 20 November 2017

Friday 24 November 2017 - The latest news and updates from the Chalcots Estate

Cladding removal and replacement

  • The cladding removal works cannot be completed on Taplow until after Christmas. This is due to the additional safety work we carried out before cladding removal started. We apologise for this and know that residents are concerned about noisy works over the Christmas period. We can assure residents that contractors will not be working between 22 December and 2 January.
     
  • We remind any residents of Blashford who are still to contact us to confirm their details for heating payments to call 020 7974 4444 (option 7).

Current works

  • You will receive three sets of keys with your new front door. If you require additional keys, Sentry Doors will cover the cost of the first and half the cost of the second. Angela Carr, Resident Liaison Officer for Wates, will organise the cutting of these keys for all blocks and their reimbursement. Please call 07590 170332 to arrange this. If you would like to get further sets of keys cut independently, please ensure your locksmith cuts the keys steel blanks as opposed to brass. To make an appointment to have your door fitted, or to highlight any snagging works, please contact your Resident Liaison Officer:

    Taplow and Bray – Hayley Townsend – 07702 970354
    Burnham and Blashford – Angela Carr – 07590 170332
    orney – Sue Speller – 07939 158509

     
  • Now that the cladding removal is well underway, we know that your homes are colder. We are helping you to cover your additional heating costs, however it is important that you control the balance between temperature, humidity and ventilation to prevent damp in your home. Taking a few simple steps can help:

    Maintain a comfortable temperature as increased humidity can cause damp

    Prevent the spread of moisture by closing the bathroom and kitchen doors when cooking or bathing, also use saucepan lids while cooking on your stove

    Ensure the trickle vents in your windows are not blocked, allowing enough ventilation

    Try to create spaces between your furniture and walls, furniture pushed up against walls can trap moisture aiding the mould growth

    In the event that you do get mould, try to clean it as soon as possible using effective cleaners that kill spores
     
  • If you have any concerns about damp or mould in your flat please call the Chalcots Works Coordinator on 020 7974 5539.

Resident safety

  • In the run up to the festive season we remind residents to keep their communal areas clear of any clutter or rubbish. Please can you also help maintain a high standard of safety by ensuring things are not left in your communal areas, if you see anything left in the communal areas please call your Resident Liaison Officer or alert the fire marshals by calling 07903 232592.

Other news

  • Parts of the carparks beneath Taplow and Bray will soon be reopening. The carparks will be accessible to blue badge holders first to ensure any residents with mobility issues or disabilities get easy access to the blocks as soon as possible. We are currently in the process of contacting them to invite them to take up a space beneath Bray and Taplow. We will be contacting other residents with spaces in the underground carparks shortly.
     
  • If you are using Parking Zone CA-B during the closure of the carparks and would prefer to park in Zone CA-J, please contact our parking team on 020 7974 8521. If you choose to switch zone you will no longer be able to park in Zone CA-B.
     
  • We are still finalising our respite offer for Chalcots residents, we hope to have a full programme of activities and quiet spaces next week. In the meantime, we are pleased to announce that Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre will be offering free swimming to residents aged 60+, Monday to Friday, from 7am to 12pm. To access this offer you must sign up for a Pay and Play card at the leisure centre, we will cover the costs of this.

Feedback from TRA technical meeting, Wednesday 22 November 2017, present Taplow, Burnham, Bray and Dorney

  • The TRA group again raised issues with the installation of the new flat front doors. Council officers confirmed that the need for quality workmanship had been reiterated to the contractors with each door installation needing to be signed off by site management. It was stated that if there were any issues with a door this should be reported to the relevant Resident Liaison Officer in the first instance. If there’s no satisfactory resolution then this could be escalated to the Chalcots Works Coordinator. Council officers also explained that performance of the doors would continue to be monitored over a 12 month period.
     
  • There were also further concerns about the possibility of faults developing with the new door locks. Council officers agreed to work with the door manufacturer to ensure that appropriate measures were taken to replace any faulty locks and prevent further failures.
     
  • The TRA group asked about the new cladding decision making process. It was explained that the plan was for an options report to go to the Cabinet meeting on the 24 January 2018. This is a public meeting (broadcast live online) and it is also possible to ask to make a deputation to the meeting. Council officer agreed to forward a timetable of key dates for the Cabinet process. Steps were being taken to ensure that, once the decision was taken on what would replace the cladding by Cabinet, the required engineering, planning and procurement processes were prepared and ready to go to achieve the earliest on-site date possible.
     
  • The TRA group said that a lot of residents from Bray were upset about parking spaces not being released now scaffolding and mast climbers were complete. Council officers explained that there was a need to prioritise the limited number of spaces being released and work was underway to identify residents who are most vulnerable and have the highest need for the available parking spaces. Council officers agreed, at the TRA group’s request, that they would look at whether more parking spaces could be made available by undertaking remedial work on some spaces that has been previously unavailable.
     
  • In response to a request from the TRA group, Council officers noted that residents with parking permits for the CA-B Zone could ask to swap it for a permit allowing them to park in Zone CA-J (but not both). Council officers agreed to publicise the process for doing this.