Steps consultation closed

Replacing broken down flights of steps is the largest project we have undertaken for many years. It will make a big improvement to the appearance of the Estate.

The consultation process, lasting over a year, has now closed. The decision is to replace all 100 flights of steps with entirely new installations in the same positions. A few flights with only one or two steps will be replaced with ramps.

The design follow advice from outside consultants and are based on our objectives of achieving the best combination of aesthetics, cost, safety, durability and access. The new flights are pre-formed concrete with raised non-slip edges. The surface is ground granite which is attractive and anti-slip. Each flight will have one handrail of a simple aluminium design with a matt nylon coating.

The pre-fabricated design is higher quality, more durable and less expensive than replacing the steps using the previous construction method.

The final design will be based on the sample flight (see photograph) which has been installed in Makepeace West near Hillway with the following alterations based on responses to the final stage of consultations:

• Reduced steepness
• Less proud installation
• Darker colour
• No bulkhead at the bottom
• Improved join of the steps with the road
• Narrower and lower edge

The specifications are now being prepared and the work going out to tender. A date for work to start will be announced when suppliers have been agreed.

Updated: 21 Feb 08

Projects 2007

The grounds team have achieved a huge amount this year and the Estate is in a considerably improved condition.

There are still projects ongoing that we plan to complete before the end of the year. They include:

• Weedkilling and fertilising all grass verges in Hillway and the Avenues
• Remedial work to Hillway verges, including replacing poor soil, re-seeding and turfing damaged areas
• Renovation of benches: sanding down, re-painting and re-varnishing and installing paving slabs underneath
• During the autumn season, Maurice and Sean will wage their regular battle to remove falling leaves
• Cleaning the road signs
• Improving the planting at the bottom of Hillway (move holly tree, plant climber on Tesco wall, renovate rose bed)
• Improving the top roundabout (install cobbles, update sleepers and replant)
• And, following positive comments on the pilot in Bromwich Avenue, planting 2,500 bulbs around trees all around the Estate

As well as the signs, steps, gates and railings described on this page, the following smaller projects are planned for the next few months:

• Refurbishment of fencing round the ornamental gardens
• Replacement of the lamps at the entrance
• Renovate Langbourne East lower pavement
• Planting in the Langbourne East verges (may be delayed until autumn if ground is too dry)
• Plant periwinkle (vinca major & minor) as ground cover Langbourne East where grass won’t grow

The following projects have been completed so far this year:

• Renovation of the brick entrance pillars at the bottom of Hillway and those of the ornamental gates
• Painting of garage doors with anti-graffiti paint
• Planting in the Langbourne West verges and signs to reduce damage caused by cyclists
• Re-paint road lines
• Repairs to garage roofs

Consultation: Have we got the right priorities? Please post your comments on the forum so the Committee can take your views into account when making its decision.

Weekly maintenance rota

Each week Maurice and Sean will focus on gardening and maintenance for a specific area of the Estate. If you are aware of any items requiring attention, please email Dominique Florin the previous week.

Of course, they will continue to do urgent and routine work on the whole Estate throughout the year. Please see the community page for how to report urgent problems.

Week starting	Maintenance and gardening rota
4 Feb	Hillway to Makepeace East & Makepeace East
11 Feb	Hillway to Oakeshott West & Oakeshott West
18 Feb	Hillway to Oakeshott East & Oakeshott East
25 Feb	Rest of upper Hillway both sides
3 Mar	Holly Lodge Gardens
10 Mar	Upper Gardens
17 Mar	Lower Gardens
24 Mar	Robin Grove
7 Apr	Bromwich and Lower Hillway
14 Apr	Hillway to Langbourne West & Langbourne West
21 Apr	Hillway to Langbourne East & Langbourne East
28 Apr	Hillway to Makepeace West & Makepeace West

 

Makepeace wheelchair ramp

Camden want to install a large ramp in the grass bank outside the Community Centre in Makepeace Mansions to give improved access to wheelchair users.

After discussion on alternative designs and agreement on financial arrangements to cover the costs, the Estate has issued a ten year licence to Camden to allow them to install the ramp.

It is likely that Camden will start construction next year.

Roads and pavements

Earlier this year, we completed our regular survey of the pavements throughout the Estate and updated the plan for our rolling programme of pavement repairs and resurfacing.

The pavements that have deteriorated so that they are unsightly or unsafe will be resurfaced first. The next on the list is to resurface the Langbourne East lower pavement and carry out minor repairs to the upper pavement. The date of this work depends on progress of the steps project and the decision taken about the leylandii.

We are in a never-ending battle with the gas, electricity, water, phone and cable companies to try and ensure they repair their holes as well as possible. This constant digging is the reason we have boring grey pavements - a more attractive colour would initially look great, but it would look awful when it has been dug up a few times and repaired in standard grey!

Most pavements on the upper side of each road have longitudinal cracks where the ground has shifted slightly. In the past we have attempted to repair these cracks, but the repairs are as unsightly as the cracks and further movement inevitably occurs. We have therefore decided to take no action on the cracks that do not appear to be a hazard.

Redesign of Lower Entrance

While the roundabout at the top entrance to the Estate has been improved, the lower entrance of the estate is not particularly attractive and nothing really marks the entrance.

The committee will be considering how to improve this as a possible future project.

If you have any thoughts as to how it could be improved please let the secretary know.

New: 21 Feb 08

21 more trees to be felled

Following a detailed inspection of the trees throughout the Estate by Mr Patch of the Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service, it has been decided we must remove 21 trees because they are dead, dying or unsafe. The trees are:

• Hillway - Lime at junction with Swains Lane
• Hillway - Horse chestnut at corner with No 46 Hillway
• Langbourne Avenue - Birch adjacent to 31 Hillway
• Langbourne Avenue - Rowan at no 22
• Makepeace Avenue - 6 x Thorn at nos 1, 3, 5, 7 13 & 20
• Makepeace Avenue - Cherry at no 10
• Makepeace Avenue - Thorn adjacent to 93 Hillway
• Makepeace Avenue - Birch adjacent to 42 Hillway
• Oakeshott Avenue - Cockspur thorn at no 5
• Oakeshott Avenue - Cherry at no 9
• Oakeshott Avenue - Thorn at no 15
• Oakeshott Avenue - Robinia 'Frisia'
• Oakeshott Avenue - Purple Plum at no 19
• Robin Grove - Ash adjacent to Highgate boundary
• Robin Grove - Sycamore
• Robin Grove - Thorn

Please see the separate article for details on the long-term tree planting and maintenance plan.

Long-term tree plan

For many years, decisions have been made about planting and managing trees on the Estate as the need arose. Now that many trees are nearing the end of their life, we have decided that we need to agree a long-term tree planting and management plan.

The plan will be prepared following advice from outside consultants, visits by committee members to view recommended trees and consultation with residents.

The plan will have the following elements:

Hillway Limes	The theme of an avenue of limes is proposed to be retained. There will be a rolling programme of replacement over 50 years with a different variety - silver lime Tilia tomentos Petiolaris. This has no borsal growth and does not attract aphids. It is proposed to stop pollarding the limes and to allow them to grow freely.
Corners of Hillway and Avenues	Again, the theme of matching trees on the corners will be retained. However, the horse chestnuts will probably be replaced with different species which are smaller and more resistant to pests. Two options have been proposed: evergreen oaks or evergreen magnolias.
Avenues	It is proposed to select six species which are suitable for the Avenues. Every autumn we will replace any dead trees with one of these six. The only proactive replacement that is proposed is to plant new trees to replace the leylandii in Langbourne Avenue and, when they are established, to fell all the leylandii. The following species are being considered: Himalayan birch - Betula utilis Himalayan birch - Betula albo-sinesis Goldenrain tree - Koelreuteria paniculata Manna ash - Fraxinus ornus Members of the Rose family - crab apples, pears, cherries

You can read two shorter reports completed at the end of last year by clicking Report on Estate Trees November 2006 and Second report on Trees November 2006.

Consultation: Visit this page in the coming months for details of the Plan as our consultations progress and to find the date of a meeting for you to come along and have the opportunity to understand the reasoning behind the plans and to have your views heard.

Gates and railings

The gates at the end of some Avenues are nearing the end of their lives. The remaining Avenue gates and the Hillway top and bottom gate are in need of renovation.

Most of them have been repaired several times in the past and some of the white metal railings have been replaced by temporary wooden fencing. The gates at the end of Oakeshott Avenue East are in a particularly bad state.

We are in the early stages of a project to renovate or replace all the gates.

The committee has commissioned a designer to propose options: whether we should repair the existing gates or replace them with a new design. There will be a consultation when the alternatives are published.

Signs

The planned replacement of road signs throughout the Estate is now complete.

The design of the signs follows the original concept – black wooden posts with black boards and metal lettering painted white. This gives us three standards for signage on the Estate: White lettering on black wood for street signs, white lettering on green metal for information signs and black lettering on a yellow background for parking signs.