Welcome to the Hide Tower quarterly newsletter. Here's July's. We hope you enjoy it.
RMB Matters
Following on from the success of the 5-year ballot, where residents voted in favour of the RMB to continue managing the block, the next hurdle we faced was to recruit more committee members. We therefore did a recruitment drive in the spring and managed to gain a further 5 members. These members came forward as they did not want the office to close, resulting in the services being handed back to Westminster. We are now in a strong position with a management board of 13 members.
We are also happy to announce that we have appointed a new manager, Coral Gerald, who will be starting on the 16th of August. Coral has had many years’ experience of working in housing. She has worked for a TMO previously and has experience in working within a tower block.
In the meantime, Pauline agreed to work part-time to run the office until Coral starts. She will then work with her for a short while to handover the job.
AGM
This year the AGM will be held on 7th September in the ground floor meeting room. We will put notices in the lift giving 21 days’ notice. At the meeting, you will hear reports on the activities and finances for the last financial year.
Major Works Update
United Living are continuing to install the flat doors in the block and working hard to contact those residents who still haven't had their doors replaced.
If you haven’t had your door replaced then contact United Living on 08009882030
The 1st phase of the ventilation works are progressing, with the equipment being installed and awaiting commissioning. Once again United Living will need access to your flat to fit the new ventilation covers in the bathroom. You will be contacted regarding this. If you don’t give access you will not benefit from the new ventilation system.
You will also have received a letter from Westminster about the AC116 project Installation of a rendered wall insulation system.
Drainage
The drainage system is under pressure and in need of a thorough cleaning and coring of all the kitchen sink stacks. Westminster/ Flow 3 drains will be contacting residents in readiness for the work to begin. The proposed start date is the 2nd week of August.
We would remind you to be careful and mindful of what you are putting down your kitchen sink. For example, you should not pour oil down the sink, as this is a major cause of buildup in the pipes, which then restricts the flow of wastewater from the kitchen sink causing slow drainage or back-up into your sinks.
Another cause of build-up in the stacks is washing powder. It would be beneficial to the building if residents would stop using washing powder and replace it with washing liquid.
Bedbugs reported in building
We have had some reports from residents that they have bedbugs.
If you think you may have them, you should contact Pest Control urgently on 08003580514 to book an appointment for a treatment to your property. Bedbugs are small flat oval shaped, about the size of an apple pip. They hide in the cracks of bed frames and other furniture and feed at night. They leave small dark spots of excrement on the bed. If you think you have them don’t hesitate to contact Pest Control for a treatment to stop the infestation from spreading.
Reminders for Residents old and new -
Garden Rules
The garden is a green space for all residents to enjoy quiet time. We would like to remind you of some basic rules:
Children should be accompanied by an adult in the garden. They should be kept from playing ball games, particularly playing football with a heavy ball, as this causes damage to the plants.
Barbecues are not allowed because of health and safety rules.
Dogs are also not allowed in the garden.
Refuse disposal and Recycling
Please remember that it is your responsibility to deposit your rubbish into either the rubbish chutes or the bins at the front of the building.
You should not leave bags of rubbish on the landings, chute room floors or at the front of the building. This is not only unsightly, it encourages vermin to get into the bags and spread out the contents on the floor.
Small bags of rubbish are to go in the chute, and larger bags in the bins downstairs.
Also use the recycling bins to dispose of all your clean bottles, jars, tins, paper, plastic bottles and pots and clothes.
Please be aware that for health and safety reasons the landings should be free from any obstacles. Do not leave bikes, scooters, or any items of furniture outside of the flats.
Repair Surveys
When you report a repair, you will receive a satisfaction survey. We would be grateful if you would complete these surveys after a repair and return them to the ground floor office. They are essential in helping us to monitor our contractors and to ensure that they are providing the best possible service and value for money.
Noise Nuisance
The City Council’s 24-hour noise team can use its powers to help you if you are bothered by noise such as loud music, parties, noisy neighbours or dogs, DIY works, or prolonged ringing of burglar or car alarms.
Two steps to tackling noise problems:
1. If you feel that your own safety will not put you at risk, you should try to raise the problem with whoever is responsible for the noise and attempt to sort it out reasonably. Approach the person politely to try to resolve the problem.
2. If this approach fails or you feel it is not wise or practical call the 24-Hour Noise Team on: 0207641 2000 who will try to respond within 45 minutes.
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