Dear All,
To make everyone aware of a large number of emails being distributed to emails of Chase Residents (who went to last meetings and added emails), Housing Assoc& Community workers, Council, Meadfleet and the developers (Bellway& Charles Church) on concerns over the degradation of the site already and lack of progress on landscaping.
Not pointing the finger at who is responsible for this - but to hopefully work together and get this resolved. Considering the best of the summer months are over and since Bellway and Charles Church have left the site, some areas appear untouched or dealt with on the site. Either not handed over for landscaping or lack of resources/awareness of concerns.
I feel all residents be it Private, Renters, Affordable Housing or Council Tenants have all paid costs towards landscaping and the site maintenance. I like the residents around me would like the site brought up to it's advertised state, with landscaped areas and the removal of fenced off overgrown areas. To avoid it staying how it currently is all over winter until next spring - even to get updates on what's going to happen would help.
Below is a copy of the main emails distributed(after this post) - I have replied to all on the distribution to this to make them aware of this posting and to use this website - The Chase Forum, for people to reply or add comments and concerns. Even by listing areas on The Chase development you feel should be dealt with more urgently (any hazards) or also for other areas to be landscaped/cleared up (to make the development a better environment to live in).
I hope everyone will benefit from this, and allow us to get our points across directly to all parties involved and get The Chase developement up to scratch - as marketed 'An Exclusive Development'!
Many Thanks & I Hope the Local Council, Residents Association, Housing Association, Community Project Worker, Bellway, Charles Church and Meadfleet, will be passed and pick up on these points.
A final note to The Chase Residents Association - is a meeting going to be scheduled soon?? Unlike previous meetings raising more petty individual concerns, which went on not covering major points - can a meeting be arranged for the subject 'The Chase - Landscaping and Works only' as no meetings for some time or publicly advertised? Plus getting all parties or a statement/update from all parties Local Council, Housing Association, Meadfleet, Bellway and Charles Church.
Best Regards, Carl Sackett
The Chase, Lindford Resident.
COPY OF EMAILS DISTRUBUTED FOR EVERYONES INFORMATION:
INITIAL EMAIL:
Subject: Hazards on The Chase estate, Lindford
Dear .
Thank you for writing to the developers about problems on the new estate. However, it has now been drawn to my attention that there are more serious problems there than those which we have so far identified.
I have just been shown around the area to the rear of 28 - 86 Hawthorn Way. This is an area of rough grass, where children play, between the flats and the boundary with the sewage works. The area is in a disgraceful condition, full of all sorts of rubbish including materials left by the builders. This includes lengths of barbed wire, partly concealed in the grass. There is also barbed wire running along the fence. A young child showed me large scars in his leg made by this barbed wire. I have been told that several other children have been similarly injured.
The boundary fence with the sewage works is in a poor condition and in places it is fairly easy to get through it.
On the estate side of the tall fence at the end of Chase Road there is a large electricity junction box, a few feet above the ground, with electrical connections exposed to the elements and, of course, to children. It looks as though it is connected to the electricity supply and I have been told that it is live. I hope that this is not the case, but it certainly should be looked at.
The communal areas on this estate are in an appalling condition, and it seems likely that there are other hazards elsewhere. It is hard to believe that companies of the size of Charles Church/Persimmon and Bellway would put their reputations at risk by allowing things to reach this state.
I would be grateful if you could insist on urgent action to deal with these matters.
Best wishes
RESPONSE AND ONGOING CASE WITH BELLWAY, CHARLES CHURCH AND MEADFLEET:
Dear Yvonne (Local Councillor),
As you will have seen from my out office return I have been away from the office at meetings for the past two days.
We are inspecting site today to look at these issues but would point out that this week is the first time that any concerns have been raised to Charles Church on the matter and would also comment that # email was in fact not copied in to either Charles Church or Bellway and therefore it was reliant then upon Chris Murray (Hants Council) raising the matter with us. Surely it would have been better to have sent the message to us direct or simply pick up the phone. On this point I did try to call you today however understand that you are not in the Council Offices today.
I have also spoken with Rebecca Probert of Drum to express my concern over the manner in which she has replied and the parties she copied in to her email, surely we should be given the opportunity to inspect in the first instance before making accusations and threatening legal action.
We take matter such as these seriously and will address them accordingly however in the first instance need to establish the true facts to ensure that the appropriate action is taken.
The alleged hazards are a separate issue from the on-site landscaping, in this respect we are fully aware of the extent of works outstanding and now having received agreement from EHDC to the method statement for the works to the central tree sanctuary we will preceded to complete the remaining elements. We are also of the opinion that there is a misunderstanding in respect to the principal open space at the rear of the site, this is in effect a nature space that requires minimal maintenance, only two cuts per year with the exception of the mown paths. The principal areas are sown with a wild seed mix which has a low proportion of grass seen and creates the environment that can bee seen on site rather than a fully grassed area which some parties may have been expecting however this accords with the planning approval.
We are moving matters forward to address these issues however would kindly ask that is issues such as these arise in the future that they be raised to us directly so that we can deal with them expediently.
Regards
Karl Endersby
Technical Director
Charles Church Southern
FINAL RESPONSE AND WHERE THE CASE IS AT:
Dear Yvonne (Lindford Councillor)
I have today been to site myself to look at these issues.
The fence to which the comments relate belongs to Thames Water and has clearly been vandalised and this was acknowledged by the Chair of the Residents Association. There is bared wire on top of this fence that forms part of Thames Waters own security measures.
We did whilst on site find two other small areas of bared wire however these are within the dense vegetation on the perimeter and are not areas intended for public access however arrangements are being made for them to be removed.
I believe the power cable in question relates to the old supply to Bellway’s compound this cable is dead and Bellway will be removing the remaining cable in the next week or so.
I appreciate that matters such as these are a concern and we will address the sections of barbed wire found and remove the redundant electricity cable however cannot be held responsible for vandalism to a fence owned and maintained by Thames water.
Regards
Karl Endersby
Technical Director
Charles Church Southern
