NEWS

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This goes out to residents/owners at Sandown Lodge by email where possible, by hand otherwise and is posted here in the News section on our website www.sandownlodge.org.uk.

It is with great sadness that we report the loss of long-time resident Gerry Halls, who died on 27 April and will be very much missed. Our thoughts are with his family. 

Save the date - AGM 30th July  

We have our next Annual General Meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday, 30thJuly. Venue as usual is St Martin’s School. Please come along, we have some important matters to discuss and agree – including contracts for our common parts refurbishment and what to do long-term about replacing our chestnut trees (see items below). We may also need to revisit the vexed question of Avenue Road boundary fencing.

Apart from business decisions, the AGM is an opportunity to socialise with neighbours over informal wine and nibbles. It was great to see over 60 of you there last year. Please come, it’s a fun evening and your input helps the board hugely.

Horse chestnut trees   

Following the spectacular Christmas Eve collapse, our arboriculturalist David Challice arranged tomography analysis. He has advised that the large chestnut adjacent to the block C barrier (T32 on our tree map) needs to come down. With regret, we shall be arranging this in the next month or two. The remaining chestnuts have been confirmed as okay for now but will sadly need replacement in the coming years. 

Parking - lists now renewed for another year   

Thank you to all for assisting the 1 April renewal, and particular thanks to each of the block reps in our Residents’ Committee for all the work involved in making this possible.

 
Common parts refurbishment project   

Work proceeds apace. In May and June, we will be sending out formal Section 20 notices about planned expenditure on replacement doors and entry system. Other aspects of the renewal project such as ceilings and lighting replacement, doorbells and panelling are better tackled block-by-block so fall outside the S20 process, but detailed plans and costings will be presented at the AGM for approval.

Prior to the AGM, we hope to install a sample door for inspection, along with examples of the planned new video entry units, so everyone can have an opportunity to see what’s in store. Fingers crossed this proves possible – we’ll let you know.  

New mower coming soon  

Repair bills for our trusty old Countax mower have started mounting and keeping it going is becoming ever more costly. With help from gardener Chris, a replacement has been identified. The (bright yellow) Stiga Estate 9122W costs just under £5,000 and comes with a reliably proven Honda engine. Estimated life is at least 10 years, so compares well to the £1,000+ per year the Countax has begun to cost.
  

Fibre broadband connections

Around half the estate has now successfully connected to the fast fibre network. This year, BT and other telecoms providers seem to have started telling remaining customers they’re being upgraded without waiting to be asked. Upgrades aren’t compulsory, but existing copper lines may prove harder to repair if they stop working in future. 

If you receive a notice about upgrading, always let directors know. We can advise about options and, if you do decide to upgrade, we need to agree correct cabling details.
  
Pathway / garage roof repair  

In February, we decided the pathway between blocks A and E was becoming hazardous and needed to be re-laid. This became a more interesting job when the contractor discovered a section that kept sinking. With caretaker Nicky’s help, we arranged an investigative trench that revealed a crack in the garage roof seal below. A month on, the crack has been fixed and the path again re-laid.

Apologies for the extended disruption. The good news is we now don’t just have a secure and safe path, we also have a drier garage.

Last, not least...  

Our main WhatsApp group has been busy in recent months with re-homing misdelivered Amazon and other parcels plus lost keys etc. It’s proving to be a useful resource, so big thanks to Miriam (flat 74) for managing it all.

Miriam also runs a separate WhatsApp group for young families on the estate, helping to recycle children’s clothes and share useful information.

If you aren’t yet on board and would like to join, please let us know.

Thank you for reading this update.  

Your directors 

Terry Davey (flat 53), Tony Green (flat 47), Richard Grace (flat 10), Andrew Humphreys (flat 26) and Paul Stokes (flat 41)

And a personal PS from Richard...  

While Maria and I were in Argentina in April, there was another frustrating incidence of bike thefts from the garage – the third of recent years. Sadly, this time children’s bikes were also taken. So far, the presence of CCTV has done little to identify or deter and, on this occasion, proved unable to assist at all.

We want everyone living at Sandown Lodge to feel secure and protected. This remains a low-crime area but repeated garage intrusions, carried out with such apparent impunity, undermine us all. As a board, we are resolved to find a long-term answer and hope to discuss potential solutions (and their costs) at the upcoming AGM.

It was difficult for me to contribute anything useful while away but immensely encouraging to see the strength of community response in co-ordinating liaison with local police, upgrading pedestrian gate locks, trying to extract CCTV data. It was a huge effort on the part of many but in particular I want to thank our rep team and their amazing co-ordinator Miriam, my fellow directors and especially Terry for their efforts to rescue CCTV footage and our wonderful caretaker Nicky for a string of short-term adaptions to enhance garage security. Big respect to all.  

For now, please let’s work together to stay secure. Report any suspicious activity. Keep garage doors closed. Ensure any valuable items stored in the garage are locked where possible. Let’s be good neighbours and keep watch for each other.

Richard