Islington Wharf

Islington Wharf Residents Association

Annual General Meeting

Date of meeting: Thursday 5 July  2018 Time: 19:00     Location: Medical Centre

Attendees

Residents Committee

• James Needham
• Katherine Harrison
• Tracey Langford
• Paul Kelly

Revolution

• Laura Walker
• Linda Cox

Residents

• Claire Johnson
• Andrew
• Sharon Catherine

Apologies – Tim Gardner, Sana Khan, Sam Niruben, Susan Swientozielskyj, Jonathan Isaacs, Ian Forrester, Anand Patel.

Minutes of the AGM Meeting held on the 5 July 2018

• JN welcomes everyone to the first IWRA AGM.
• JN Invites everyone to introduce themselves. Everyone giving a brief introduction, who they are, and how they are related to the building. Committee member, Revolution, or Resident.
• JN Gives a brief history of the of the Residents Committee. From humble beginnings as a group of concerned residents wanting to deal with early post construction issues. To a more formalised committee striving to improve the management of the building, implement cost savings and coordinate latent/building defects as a unified matter, rather than an individual one.
• JN gave a brief overview of some of the things the committee has achieved over the last few years and gave thanks to Revolution for improving services since taking over from GVA, and continuing to work with the committee to drive improvement.
• JN explained about a number of ongoing improvements in discussion, including
• A consultation with a designer about progressing the uplift of the Garden. This would include a redesign, new furniture, and a more useable space.
• Replacement of hoarding at the car park level, to improve security and the aesthetics.
• Update on the heat gain including our work with local MPs to put additional pressure on Waterside Places. JN gave thanks to CH for all the work she had put into this. CH gave a brief update explaining the councillors raised awareness internally on our behalf, and Lucy Powell MP met with the Chairperson of Waterside Places in London to discuss the matter further. While it felt the meeting was productive at the time, we did not get the traction we were hoping for. LP has invited us to meet her at her constituency surgery to discuss next steps. Our first one being setting up a meeting with the Chairperson of Laing O’Rourke (the construction company) to put additional pressure on the other major stakeholder in this issue.
• JN discussed that in recent correspondence with Mike Payton at Waterside Places, he had again highlighted the issues people were having to endure at the development, further exacerbated by heat wave and reduction of air quality from the moor fires. Mike explained in his response they had sent their recommendations over to Laing O’Rourke with supporting material and would discuss with me further once they had responded. In the interim we have secured more Air Conditioners which Waterside Places will fund for those apartments that have not received one, or have a faulty unit to exchange. CJ raised the point that one of her rooms does not have an openable window, and because of this she cannot use an air-conditioning machine. JN to raise this with Mike to see what special measures can be undertaken for people in this circumstance.
• Questions raised over what evidence we could gather or could we need that we don’t already have. JN believes info is disjointed, i.e. Mike unaware of child having heatstroke in building.
• CH states that she sent a detailed letter including that incident to Mike and Lucy.
• JN states we 6 week time frame for waterside places to respond / gives us time to put an argument together to strengthen our position. Also suggests consolidating facts, challenges etc on to a single sheet for easy reference and digestion of information.
• JN speaks of disappointing items in letter, exemplifying the heat monitoring only being recorded in 2 apartments.
• Committee members talk further about issue of the heat. PK talks about how the heat is also an issue within the corridors of the building not just within the apartments + mention of waterside places accepting such issues.
• JN explains some of solutions proposed so far to heat include; moving the bedroom windows closer to the recess of the building (improving airflow), to put more openable windows in apartments, extend restrictors, replace glass or applying a solar film.
• JN suggests with the recent heatwave it would be worth emailing residents to get more evidence/stories around the difficulties of living in those conditions

• JN Asks residents to raise any other issues about the building…
• • Residents mention recent issues with block A lifts and the challenges it creates- JN explains a full survey has been carried out by an independent contractor on all lifts, as a result of poor service the lift service contractor Schindler has been fired and will move to Otis. Given Block A only have 1 lift available JN has asked for a report on the common failing parts, along with those that have the longest wait time for replacement, and for costs to be put together for holding these parts ourselves as spares. We will consult with residents once we have the numbers.
  • SC Raises safety issue of lack of filters on junction / crossing as a pedestrian is very difficult. 2-3 years ago/ plans muted from retail park. Was a provision for improved safety at junction.  JN explained the council tends to fund such improvements via developers, and will likely to come as part of the redevelopment of the area, oxygen / retail park and last phase of Islington Wharf. JN suggested it would be worth raising with our Councillor Emma Taylor, who holds a drop-in session in Vivid every other Saturdays. Further discussion about road safety, suggestion of road boxes, no entry zones, to improved traffic flow and safety.
  • CJ raised cleaning of the carpark. JN explained the committee had also chased this and had been assured it was to take place imminently. All agreed it needed doing, and on a regular basis. Committee to work with Revolution to get a schedule in place.
  • Concerns raised about abandoned office with mould growing up the internal walls. JN thought this had been purchased, although only hearsay that it will be used as a divided office space. Revolution to try and get more information on timescales and plans.

• CJ put herself forward for joining committee explaining she would like to be more involved.

• JN Thanks everyone for their attendance

• JN keen to get more people involved with the committee, even if this was on an ad-hoc basis i.e. if anyone could offer a service, or SME advice to help improve the community as a whole.
• JN Keen to plan resident barbeque / and more socials to increase the sense of community. Looks forward to seeing people there and talk more on the matters raised tonight.

END of Committee meeting