DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES

General Meeting
9th December 2025, 7pm
Followed by drinks, snacks and seasonal cheer!

Chair’s AGM Report

Edited to account for developments since the AGM took place in July.
The estate has been running smoothly thanks to Lorraine and Sarah-Jane. I’d like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for their ongoing patience and dedication. Thanks also to Sarah- Jane for doing such a great job in updating the website and for producing informative newsletters.

Front doors: It has taken a lot of time and effort to get to the bottom of what leaseholders are required to do with their front doors if they have failed a fire-safety inspection. At the time of the AGM, staff were still working through complex leases and attempting to match government legislation to Wandsworth Borough Council’s (WBC) instructions. Thankfully, since then, we have moved much closer to a resolution and affected leaseholders will soon be replacing their doors.

Food waste disposal: WBC agrees we lack space for large communal bins. Individual bins for each property were being considered, but this has since been ruled out. Smaller communal bins have been spotted in Wandsworth, and we will be inquiring about those.

Bin-shed refurbishment: We will be upgrading the bin sheds at 1 and 10 Chesterton Close, which are in a very sorry state. If the update proves successful, we will roll the same out across the estate. This job will likely need to be spread across several annual budgets, beginning with those that are in the poorest condition.

Trees: Pruning and removal of dead trees was due to begin in the Autumn, but nothing has occurred yet. The work will be carried out by WBC. A new page on the Co-op website links to WBC’s tree-reporting.

Gardens: Thanks to Jane, Sue and Peter for their hard work with the estate gardens. A new gardening club has recently formed (see details overleaf and get involved!)

Dogs and dog excrement: We love our non-human friends (especially me, as those who know me well will confirm). Sadly, however, some residents are not following the rules, which state dog excrement must be bagged and removed by the owner, leaving volunteers to clean it up. Of course, we are aware, some of the culprits are simply walking through and don’t live here. Nevertheless, we must now be stricter about WBC rules than previously. Dogs may no longer walk on the grass (which was a Wandsworth rule we used to let slide). While this remains a problem, we ask residents to report any violations to WBC’s Dog Patrol department. There is a comprehensive and easy-to-use reporting system on the council’s website under ‘Dogs and the law’. Please use it. Or if you’re leaving your dog mess behind, please stop.

Chair’s resignation: Every year after the AGM, committee members vote on roles. This year, I have taken the decision to stand down as Chair and from the committee altogether. I have been on the committee in various roles for several years and have enjoyed serving our community immensely. Jane Wilkinson and Sue Daley are sharing the post as an interim measure until after a series of committee training sessions taking place in October. Thank you to my fellow committee members for all the years of fun and satisfaction.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR DRAINS CLEAR

If you have a balcony, you must clear the drain regularly. If you leave it and a blockage occurs, there is a high chance of flooding the property below yours. This can lead to damp and mould. This is especially important at this time of year when the trees are losing their leaves. Drains must be kept clear at all times.

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Gardening Club

As the Chair’s report mentioned, a gardening club has recently formed. You may have seen some residents weeding, watering and potting plants. All residents are welcome to join. It’s a wonderful way to get some exercise and get to know your neighbours, so we hope more people will get involved. And some good news! We’ve got funding for new gardening tools and a plant budget (around £300), so expect to see some fresh greenery popping up. If this sounds like something you’d like to join, please email, call or pop into the office. We’d love to hear from you! Come join us as we plant spring bulbs, hardy perennials, and annuals; do some pruning, tidying, deadheading, watering and digging!
This also means we can at long last begin addressing the Secret Garden, which was unfortunately placed on the back burner as resources were limited. Now that we have our Gardening Club up and running, we can tackle it. The more of us who can help to level the land and drag out the weeds, the sooner it can reopen. Remember, this space has been left to recover and is intended as a safe space for humans to come and play or just sit and enjoy the surroundings (no pets).