18th Aug 2014

/

Minutes of the meeting of The Garrison Residents’ Association held on 18th August 2014 at 3 Mess Road, The Garrison.

Present

  • Chris Coomber (Hon Treasurer)
  • Adrian Walker (Hon Secretary)
  • Ian Dally
  • Scott James
  • Viv Jones
  • Viv Byczinsky
  • Michael Kennedy
  • Barry Spinks
  • Cliff Marshall 
  • Matthew Brittain
  • Daniel Puddick
  • Apologies
  • John Dowell (Chairman)
  • Jamie Robinson
  • Jonathan Hunnable

In the absence of JohnDowell, due to a family bereavement, Chris Coomber took the Chair for this meeting

Chris Coomber opened by thanking Viv Byczinsky for hosting the meeting.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 14th May 2014 were approved

Minutes of the meeting with George Cronin on 30th July 2014

CC said the main purpose of the meeting with GC was to obtain as many answers as possible to the outstanding issues. He expressed disappointment with the outcome and said he had told GC that C&M could, if it so wished, leave the site without resolving any of the issues. He acknowledged GC had good intentions, but he was constrained by his board of directors. 

Viv Byczinsky said the new Shoebury Garrison Management Company, to be formed by the residents, could be handed a ‘poisoned chalice’ and what was the potential for residents refusing to form a new board on the basis they were not fully understanding of the situation.

Barry Spinks said he had had a conversation with a barrister who explained that the legal owner of an entity could not give it away unless there was a willing recipient, so in the event of the situation described by VB, SGMC as currently constituted would continue as the owner.

At this point, Cliff Marshall asked who among the committee had offered to join the new board and six members responded. VB said there were currently so many difficulties in the way of members coming forward. CC said we would shortly be ready to appoint a new managing agent and it would be difficult for any agent to take on the site in the present circumstances.

Vivien Jones said, as a new member reading the July 30th minutes it seemed that C&M was ‘taking it to the wire’, leaving it too late to carry out their responsibilities. He added that at the AGM GC had said he had a bottomless pit of money, but it seems this was no longer so. 

Barry Spinks suspected the C&M board had told GC there wasn’t enough money to fulfil the promises already made. Scott James reminded the committee GC is an accountant first and foremost so must know what his responsibilities are as Managing Director.

CM asked if meetings with GC were minuted and were these minutes accepted by GC? He was told they were. CC pointed out there wasn’t much time left.

VB said the next invoices from Nationspaces were due in January 2015 and would these show the necessary increases in charges. CC replied they would not if new directors were not in place by then. CM asked if there was time to send a communication to residents asking them to respond to the request for director nominations and to explain the need for increases to the estate and service charges.

BS said any new managing agent could be relied on to make a proper assessment of the level of charges required to run the site properly. CC thought the increases would not be so high as to make residents baulk at paying them. 

CC reminded members we had one further meeting with GC the following week and would try to nail him down on the issues. CM asked what our main objectives should be at that meeting and CC replied we had asked GC at the previous meeting to come back with an increased offer of money from the board. 

SJ said we needed to know the legal implications for the new board in taking on their responsibilities. He also said we should be given details of any due diligence already carried out on SGMC. CC confirmed these three issues would be put to GC at the 27th August meeting.

Adrian Walker said in his view the most likely outcome was C&M would leave the site in reasonable order with money in the accounts; it probably wouldn’t be as much as we would like, but would be enough to enable the new board to take things forward.

CC said after the new board was appointed, there would still be a role for the Garrison Residents’ Association. Cliff Marshall said there was a need for more and better communication between residents at grass roots level. In support of this, Viv Jones described how the residents of his block had got together to resolve issues affecting them and had formed a plan of action to resolve them. AW pointed out the difficulties in galvanising residents into taking their responsibilities seriously and he reminded the committee how badly attended the residents’ meetings always were, however much information or how many reminders they were given or how important the matters to be discussed.

Michael Kennedy asked how we could ensure existing covenants were enforced by the new managing agent and a discussion ensued about what was possible and not possible and what was reasonable and not reasonable, bearing in mind The Garrison is a mixed community ranging between social housing and multi-million pound mansions.

Treasurer’s report

CC said there was no change in the accounts since they were last published

Any other business

Cliff Marshall said there was a serious issue of breaches of the peace in Mess Road including boy racers, sexual activity in vehicles, parking and the throwing of stones from the beach. Police and councillors had become involved. Gates erected by residents had been removed and residents were seeking planning permission to have some kind of traffic-calming device, paid for by Mess Road residents, to be erected at the north end of Mess Road. Barry Spinks pointed out Mess Road was, in common with all roads on the site, open to the public and there was a danger that residents of other areas on the site, some of whom had already intimated their desire for gates, would demand the same. Matthew Brittain said he would be in favour of this, together with manned gates at the main entrances but this was generally agreed to be impractical. Viv Jones suggested employing a parking enforcement company to deal with nuisance parking, but CC reminded members residents had previously roundly rejected this suggestion. CM asked if B2C and the spa were subject to the covenants and this was confirmed. AW suggested the new managing agent might arrange 24-hour or night security patrols.

There being no further business, the meeting closed at 21.10.