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Minutes of the General Meeting held on Tuesday 1^st November 2022

Members

Mrs K Creese took the chair, all other committee members were present with a further 20 society members in attendance.

Minutes

Minutes of the previous general meeting were confirmed and signed, proposed by Mr M Cort and seconded by Mrs J Bradshaw.

Matters Arising

None

Chairman’s Report

The chairman commenced her report with a reminder that as of 1st February 2023 rent day will change. As of 1st February and will be collected thereafter on the 1st of each month. We hope that this move will help tenants who persistently do not pay their rent or are persistently late with payments. If you have any problems regarding your rent, please do not hesitate to contact the office and we will see how we can help you, rather than not informing us and not paying your rent at all.

It is nice to report that we currently have no empty houses and that the recently empty houses now have new tenants.

More and more tenants have asked if they can install log burners. Anchor Tenants has no objection to this on the proviso that tenants follow the estate’s fitting directions. Anchor Tenants need the information of the fire to be fitted prior to the work starting. All installations will require a liner to the chimney and a copy of the certificate of compliance must be forwarded to the office on completion. If tenant’s fireplaces are currently blocked up, no log burners will be allowed. Tenants must get their chimneys swept each year and can only burn beech, ash and oak wood. Waste must not be burnt.

Any alteration requests to properties must be put in writing to the committee in the first instance. The proposed alterations will be discussed with the tenant and agreed before any further progress can proceed and any plans are drawn up.

The electrical checks are now in the final stages, finishing the last of the houses along Keyham Lane, then the finishing of the remedial work on any outstanding jobs. The next check will be in 5 years time starting from the first house.

Tenants should have now received carbon monoxide alarms. These are to comply with current regulations. Alarms should not be tampered with. If you have a problem with your alarm or you do not yet have one please contact the office.

You will see that two committee members are up for retirement in 2023. Myself and Mrs Vanessa Walker. There is an additional position available this time due to the resignation of Mr Busko earlier in the year.

We are currently holding coffee mornings every Tuesday in the hall at 10.30am, where you can find a selection of books and jigsaws that you can swap or borrow. The coffee mornings are being supported, but it would be lovely to see a few more people joining us.

We are not an estate or just a collection of houses, we are Anchor Tenants, a unique community and the committee wish to make sure that we continue. We can all step out of our houses and say hello and wave to our neighbours as we walk around the estate. It would be a shame if this disappeared, therefore we need to support the ethos of Anchor Tenants. Attending our meetings shows support and I thank you for coming this evening.

This concluded the chairman’s report.

Nominations for Committee

Nominations are Mrs K Creese, Mrs E Allen, Mrs K Bagnall, Miss D Smith and Mr I M Carter. As there are three vacancies and five nominations, a vote will be required. Mrs J Bradshaw and Mr G Baker volunteered to act as scrutineers.

Proposed Rent Increase Due to rising costs in materials and labour the committee proposed a rent increase of £2.50 per week from February 2023. A shareholder asked if the increase would give the estate the funds it needed without having to pay corporation tax, to which they were informed it would.

A shareholder enquired why the increase was a fixed amount rather than a percentage rise as they did not feel it was fair on tenants on lower rents having to pay so much more. They were informed that over years, percentage rises make a larger gap between the higher and lower rent amounts than a fixed increase and tenants on higher rents would eventually see much larger increases than tenants on lower rents. The shareholder replied that tenants who pay the highest rents have properties that are well insulated and cost a lot less to heat than tenants on low rents and less insulation. They continued that a 10% rise would have been much better. Mrs Creese asked shareholders if they preferred a fixed amount increase or a percentage increase. The majority of shareholders in attendance agreed the increase should be set at £2.50 per week. Motion carried.

General Business

A shareholder enquired about the fitting of carbon monoxide alarms. Mr Pierce replied that alarms should be placed in the same room as the boiler, 1 metre away but not on a window sill where draughts can affect the alarm’s performance.

A shareholder thanked the committee for clearing the rear garden of 28 Chestnut Avenue as this had made a lot of difference to the light and asked if the job was finished now.

Mr Gee replied that his work was now complete unless the committee tell him otherwise. The shareholder asked what would be happening with the remaining tree stumps. They were informed that these will be drilled out so the trees will not regrow. The shareholder then asked if the committee would be erecting a fence to which they were informed that fencing is normally up to the tenant. The shareholder continued that the fish pond is still gathering water and there were still pipes in the ground on the border. The shareholder was informed that this was draining but would be looked at again.

A shareholder asked if the tanker that regularly parks on Laburnum Road poses a danger to residents and whether a HGV should be parked in a residential area. Mrs Benning replied she’d noticed that it slowed the traffic down as cars have to stopbefore overtaking the tanker. The shareholder was informed that they can make their own enquiries with the council if they wish.

A shareholder asked if the car at the rear of 28 Chestnut Avenue would now be removed as the trees have been felled. The shareholder was informed that the tenant had previously been asked to remove the vehicle but the committee’s powers are limited due to the law and requests cannot always be enforced.

The shareholder continued that for a decade they had been trying to get the neighbour’s garden sorted out and had been told numerous times by the committee that it is not the estate’s responsibility. They stated that they had spent 18 months speaking to the environmental health department about the garden and that the department had put it back into the committee’s hands. Mrs Osborne replied that the department had not been in contact. The shareholder continued that they’d done their part, that they might as well not bother and they could understand why people didn’t attend meetings. Another shareholder replied that it was an unfair comment.

The shareholder then raised the issue of asbestos on their boundary. They had reported it to the estate and had received a reply stating that the asbestos was not dangerous. The shareholder was informed that if asbestos is dangerous it will be removed but it was understood that the mentioned asbestos, if left alone, is ok. The asbestos will be looked at again. Mr Hollis stated that no committee member is an expert on asbestos and can only take advice from the council, etc.

Another shareholder stated the committee are just tenants the same as everyone else and are representing estate, which is what shareholders voted for.

A shareholder asked if the Over 60’s party would take place. Mrs Creese confirmed that the children’s Christmas party would be held in December and the Over 60’s party would take place in January 2023.

Mrs Creese informed the meeting that trees donated by the Woodland Trust would be planted in the spare ground on Lilac Avenue from 10am on Saturday 12th November. The committee are asking for residents and their children to attend and plant a tree. Please bring a spade/trowel.

Fridge magnets detailing the emergency telephone number will be circulated to tenants as soon as possible.

The committee has been approached by the council regarding the possible installation of a heritage board on the estate. The board would not give any current details about the estate except for the history. The majority of shareholders in attendance agreed with the installation.

This concluded the business of the meeting and Mrs Creese thanked members for their attendance, before declaring the meeting closed at 7.30pm.

These minutes are the official record of what happened, and not a verbatim account.

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