Minutes of meeting 25/02/2026

Agenda

1.       Welcome & previous minutes approval

2.       General committee updates – including Association recognition by Regal and front gate redesign planning with Regal.

3.       Personal residences ‘builder’s warranty’ period-ending June/July 2026.

4.       Health and safety update.

5.       Service charge discussion.

6.       New Lornham KPIs/service level agreement.

7.       Bin store usage + other anti-social behaviour.

8.       Wint automatic mains water valve system.

9.       Communal amenities discussion – seating in lobby, drinking facilities in gym.

10.    Spring/summer social event – roof terrace drinks/nibbles.

11.    Any other business

12.    Next Meeting Date, Tuesday 14 April 2026, 8pm

Attendees

Jonathan Meech – Treasurer (JM)

Chris Du – Interim Chair (CD)

Emily Artinian – Interim Secretary (EA)

John Harker (JH)

Jill Oliver (JO)

Cyprian Brytan (CB)

Francisco Ferrari (FF)

Amy Marr (AM)

Laila Vafa (LV)

Murilo Salviano (MS)

Actions from meeting – summary

•          CD to issue a WhatsApp group reminder of the June 2026 warranty deadline, calling on residents to log flat defects promptly.

•          Committee to hold an internal prioritisation session before the 11 March 2026 meeting with Arada/Regal, agreeing what to push for – with resident safety (front gate) at the top of the list.

•          Committee to meet with Arada/Regal 11 March 2026 and circulate a summary of points covered to all members.

•          CB/all residents to copy committee@fieldsviewbuildingresidentsassociation.co.uk when reporting any communal issue to Lornham, to create a formal record.

•          LV and Committee to set up a shared Google Sheet to track issues raised with Lornham and with Regal/Arada, including status, deadlines, and responses.

•          Fieldsview Committee and Concierge to install clear signage in the bin store indicating bin allocation and fair-use rules.

•          Dustpan, brush, and box-cutter to be placed under the lobby stairs for residents’ use.

•          Circulate information to all residents about how the Wint water valve system works and the out-of-hours emergency contact number (020 3835 3590).

•          Include Wint emergency number on Omer’s proposed notice board and distribute via the WhatsApp group.

•          Raise gym access by commercial units at the 11 March 2026 meeting with Arada/Regal, insisting on a timed-access system at developer’s cost.

•          Committee to raise proposed lobby seating area with Arada/Regal for approval.

•          Obtain a detailed year-on-year service charge breakdown from Lornham; collate any resident queries on specific items for collective presentation.

•          Organise a spring/summer social event on the roof terrace (provisionally late May/early June 2026); invite Arada/Regal and Lornham to contribute.

Minutes

1. Welcome & previous minutes approval

2. General Committee Updates

a. Membership & Finances

•          The Association has 49 members, or ~68% of flats.

o         Membership remains uneven across floors.

o         The existing lift poster has lost its impact through overexposure. A redesigned poster is planned.

•          The association bank balance is £251, against monthly running costs of £33. The financial position is healthy.

b. Developer Engagement – Report and 11 March 2026 Meeting with Residents Association

•         Key update: the Association has received formal written recognition from Arada/Regal, giving the Committee the power to liaise with shareholders and officially represent all signed-up members. This is a significant milestone.

•         Arada/Regal has formally recognised the Association’s defect report (compiled by JM, CD, JO, and EA following a walkaround, with the Concierge’s input).

•          Visible early outcomes: landscaping specialists, fire safety assessors, and tiling specialists have been sent to site, likely part as a result of the defect report.

•          A face-to-face meeting between Association committee members and Arada/Regal is scheduled for 11 March 2026. This is a relationship-building and progress-tracking session – not Arada/Regal’s formal written response to the defect report – with the aim of setting service level expectations and gathering feedback on the report.

•          The committee will hold an internal prioritisation session before the 11 March meeting to agree what to push for, with resident safety (including the front gate) at the top of the list.

•          The committee will hold an internal session after the meeting and circulate points covered to members.

c. Front Gate

•          The front entrance gate has been identified as the highest-priority issue. A redesign and remediation of the entrance is being requested from the developer.

•          The long-standing request by the Concierge for an external gate camera is included in the report sent to Arada/Regal and should form part of the new gate design.

•          The possibility of 24/7 concierge service was raised by LV. The committee confirmed this had been explored previously: current annual staff costs are approximately £52,000, and a round-the-clock service would nearly double or triple that figure, significantly raising service fees. This is not being pursued due to cost, which strengthens the argument for proper security infrastructure at the front entrance.

3. Personal Residences ‘Builder’s Warranty’ Period – Ending June 2026

•          The approaching end of the two-year builder’s warranty period in June 2026 is the last opportunity for residents to formally notify Arada/Regal of defects in their individual flats for which the developer retains responsibility.

•          Developer must respond to defects raised within the warranty period, even if remediation takes longer.

•          Common defects already identified include imprecise bath/shower faucets and issues with shower trays (the latter acknowledged/remedied by Arada/Regal in numerous flats).

•          A resident notice should be sent via the WhatsApp group asking all residents to document and report any defects they are currently ‘just living with’, before the June deadline.

•          There has been decreasing responsiveness from Arada/Regal’s site representative Gabrielle, who has relocated to their Wembley project. Residents experiencing slow replies should escalate to Arada/Regal: first to Dorina Caushi (Asset Manager – Dorina.Caushi@regal.co.uk), then to Daniel Walters (Head of Asset Management – Daniel.Walters@regal.co.uk).

•          In cases of persistent non-response, emailing board-level directors (e.g., Jonathan Seal, found via Companies House) has proven effective. Contact details are on the association website.

Action: Chris Du to issue a WhatsApp group notice with today’s minutes, highlighting the warranty deadline and calling on residents to log defects promptly.

4. Health and Safety Update

The following safety issues were discussed:

Slipping Incidents:

•          Several slipping incidents have occurred over the winter, involving Omar and other residents. These will be added to the next report.

Bike Storage Room:

•          Doors to the bike storage room have been unlocked and broken for over a month and a half. This was flagged as a high-priority security risk given the value of bikes stored there. The committee agreed this illustrates the need for a formal Service Level Agreement with Lornham (see Item 6).

Building Cracks:

•          Structural cracks noted in the previous walk round report; these have been flagged with Arada/Regal.

Front Gate & CCTV:

•          As noted under Item 2, the front gate is the top safety priority. A full redesign is needed.

•          An external gate camera should be included in the new design. The committee will first ask the developer whether they will install one.

•          LF emphasised the importance of presenting safety-related requests to Arada/Regal in order of priority to ensure the most critical items receive prompt action rather than being lost among a long list. The committee agreed and confirmed safety items will lead the agenda at the 11 March meeting.

5. Service Charge Discussion

•          The committee noted that a detailed breakdown of the service charge should be obtained from Lornham, comparing it year-on-year to identify any increases or new line items.

•          Residents wishing to query or dispute specific items on the service charge are invited to raise them with the committee so they can be collated and addressed collectively.

•          This item will be developed further once the breakdown has been obtained.

6. New Lornham KPIs / Service Level Agreement

CD outlined a proposal to establish a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) framework with Lornham, the management company. Key points discussed:

•          Critical faults (e.g., broken access, gate failure) should receive a response within 24–48 hours of a reported issue.

•          A follow-up with a proper resolution or on-site inspection should be agreed within a defined period (one to two weeks suggested as a starting point).

•          The broken bike storage doors – unresolved for over six weeks – were cited as a clear example of unacceptable response times.

•          The committee will draft the SLA framework internally, seek resident agreement, and then present it formally to Lornham.

Communication & Issue Tracking:

•          CB proposed that all residents cc the Residents’ Association email (committee@fieldsviewbuildingresidentsassociation.co.uk) when reporting any communal issue to Lornham. This creates a formal record and starts the clock on response time without adding administrative burden.

•          LV proposed using a shared Google Sheet as a simple tracker, allowing any association member to view the status of raised issues, deadlines, and responses. She offered to set this up.

•          The committee welcomed all suggestions and invited members to volunteer to assist with administrative tasks.

7. Bin Store Usage & Other Anti-Social Behaviour

The committee has received complaints about misuse of the bin store, including:

•          Recyclable materials placed inside sealed plastic bags (negating their recyclability).

•          Large items (e.g., sofa boxes, flat-pack packaging) deposited in the bin area rather than disposed of appropriately.

•          General mess caused by mud, recycling spillages, and broken-down boxes left without being broken up.

Agreed approach:

•          Fieldsview Committee and the Concierge will work together to install clear, prominent signage in the bin store indicating which materials go in which bin and setting out fair-use rules. This will draw on Hackney Council guidance where appropriate.

•          Discussion considered whether bin store cameras could be used to identify and approach residents in breach. The committee agreed that a soft, educational approach (signage first) is the right first step, and that a direct conversation – rather than a formal or surveillance-led approach – would be appropriate if problems persist after signage is installed.

•          A dustpan, brush, and knife/box-cutter can be placed under the lobby stairs to make it easy for residents to clean up mud and break down packaging on the spot.

General communal cleanliness:

•          Mud tracked in from the park (particularly after dog walks) was raised as an ongoing issue. The same soft-touch approach applies: encourage residents via the WhatsApp group, and provide practical tools to help.

8. Wint Automatic Mains Water Valve System

Fieldsview Committee provided an update on the Wint system, which uses AI to monitor water flow on each floor and automatically cuts the supply if it detects an unusual pattern (e.g., a tap left running while the resident is away).

•          The system is considered effective and is not proposed for manual override. However, some residents have had their water cut without understanding why or knowing who to call.

•          A resident went an entire weekend without water because she did not know the emergency contact procedure.

Agreed actions:

•          Circulate clear information to all residents about how the Wint system works and what to do if water is cut: one call to the Wint out-of-hours number – 020 3835 3590 – restores supply.

•          The emergency number will be included on Omer’s proposed Notice Board inside the building entrance, and distributed via the WhatsApp group.

9. Communal Amenities

Notice Board:

•          The Concierge has proposed a notice board just inside the building entrance, to the right of the lifts. This is supported and will be a useful location for emergency numbers, bin store guidance, and general notices.

Water Cooler in Gym:

•          JH confirmed that a water cooler has been installed in the gym and has been operational for approximately one week. This was welcomed – and likely a direct outcome of the Association’s report.

Seating in the Ground Floor Lobby:

•          A small seating area near the ground-floor stairs was proposed (raised by a resident). It was agreed this is needed. This requires approval from Arada/Regal before proceeding.

Gym Speaker / Wi-Fi:

•          CB raised the idea of a gym speaker. The committee noted that coordinating with the commercial unit would be complex. JH noted that most gym users use personal earphones. No action agreed at this stage.

•          CD confirmed there is Wi-Fi signal in the gym; residents should connect to the ‘cinema one’ network (advised by Omer).

Lobby Cleaning Equipment:

•          As noted under Item 7, a dustpan and brush will be placed under the lobby stairs.

10. Spring / Summer Social Event – Roof Terrace Drinks & Nibbles

•          The committee proposed organising a social event on the roof terrace, provisionally three months from now (approximately late May/early June).

•          EA suggested timing the event slightly ahead of the two-year warranty period ending in June, to allow residents to confer informally on defects and other matters before that deadline.

•          The committee will invite Arada/Regal and Lornham to contribute, as their involvement would allow more to be offered (drinks, chairs, nibbles, possibly a raffle). Further details to be confirmed.

11. Any Other Business

Gym Access by Commercial Units:

•          CB reported observing commercial-unit occupiers using the gym outside of permitted hours. The committee agreed to raise this at the 11 March meeting with Arada/Regal.

•          The committee’s position is: (a) insist that Regal install and enforce a reliable timed-access system for commercial units, and (b) insist that any costs involved are borne by the developer, not residents. A move to a 50/50 cost split on the service charge for the gym and cinema amenities was floated as a fallback but is not the preferred position.

12. Next Meeting Date

•          The next meeting is provisionally scheduled for Tuesday 14 April 2026, 8pm, to provide updates following the 11 March meeting with Arada/Regal.

•          Subject to no pressing matters arising, the regular cadence for association meetings will continue to be scheduled approximately every two months.

There were no other matters to discuss so the meeting was adjourned at approx. 21:30.

The minutes were approved by the following committee members:

Chris Du

(Chair)

Jonathan Meech

(Treasurer)

Emily Artinian

(Secretary)