Summer/Autumn 2021
Dear Residents, here are the latest updates regarding the estate.
Welcome!
Welcome to everyone who has moved onto the estate recently. The Directors and Court Reps are available to help if there are any questions or issues – contact details are at the end of this newsletter. Please don’t hesitate to ask. A welcome pack should be delivered to every new resident. Let your Court Rep or one of the Directors know if you’ve not received it. In these strange times it’s important to communicate and encourage each other. We hope you find the newsletters useful.
For new residents it might be useful to point out the basic roles. Dene Park Maintenance Ltd. (DPM) manages the estate and the Directors are volunteers who employ Realty, our estate management company, to deal with the business and administration side of DPM. This leaves the Directors free to concentrate on our community and a large number of estate issues. Together with the volunteer Court Reps, we are an interface for communication. We are also friends and neighbours too, of course.
It has been a busy time despite Covid-19 which has Inevitably affected some activities and our ability to arrange a safe AGM.
We are, rightly, very proud of our community. New residents comment on what a lovely place the estate is to live. The Directors acknowledge their role and duties in maintaining the integrity of the estate for generations to come.
Our commitment is still to endeavour to produce a newsletter once a quarter; and feedback from residents shows that posting these out to every household is the preferred method at the moment. In order to reduce waste, and where agreed by individuals, we hope to provide this information in future via email. However, we do recognise that not everyone has access to a computer, so paper copies will still be provided where requested.
Hard copies of the newsletters and all other relevant documents are available for residents to look at if appropriate (recognising that some information needs to remain confidential). These are also available on the DPM website “denepark.org”.
AGM
The DPM Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday 1 September 2021 at the Heaton Moor Sports Club in a large and well-ventilated function room owing to Covid-19 concerns and, as per tradition, one free drink was provided by DPM for all attendees. This was the first opportunity to hold an AGM since the previous one on 27 June 2019.
The first part of the meeting conducted the formal business of the AGM:
– Regarding the accounts for the year ended 31st October 2020, Daniel Pollard of Realty gave an overview of the income and expenditure. He explained that the Realty accountants needed to adjust the accounts to be Service Charge Accounts according to best practice. He also pointed out that the DPM finances are in a good state.
– Election of Directors:
Prior to the election DPM shareholders had been given notice of the motion:
- DPM propose that only DPM shareholders can be nominated to be DPM Directors.
- All residents, including tenants, are eligible to act as Court Representatives.
The vote was carried and the motion accepted.
Bo Cochran decided to stand down and not seek re-election – see below for “Thanks to Bo”.
Tony Picot was re-elected.
Gill Heyworth, Phil Speak and Teresa Tyrrell were formally elected having been previously nominated and co-opted.
Andre Pakes was proposed and elected.
After the close of the formal business, there followed an opportunity for questions, answers and discussion.
Thanks to Bo
Our heartfelt thanks go to Bo for her tireless commitment to DPM and hard work as Director from 2015 to 2021. She always dispensed her duties with a friendly smile and calmness throughout difficult times for her personally. Her horticultural knowledge enabled DPM to make sound decisions in terms of planting; and we wish her all the best for her well-earned second retirements. Bo has agreed to be consulted from time to time on DPM matters. See below for a photo of when she was presented with a bouquet of flowers from DPM as thanks for her contributions over the years.
Phase 2 Painting/UPVC Cleaning
UPVC Cleaning:
Pure Clean completed the work in June 2021.
New residents may be interested to know that Pure Clean offered to clean gutters at the same time if requested by the resident. This was an extra cost payable by the resident via Realty.
Painting:
Realty contracted P. Harrison for the work which commenced in August 2021 after being delayed by Covid-19 restrictions – this was completed on 29 September 2021. DPM provided written details of the painting specification and schedule. Realty organised and oversaw the work as per the DPM Agreement.
There is a very small amount of paint left over, both white and green. Contact Phil Speak if you wish to use this (email at the end of the newsletter).
Phase 1 Painting: 2018:
DPM have been made aware of various issues regarding the Phase 1 Painting in 2018: the painting of the fences due to the wood, preparation and actual painting. The Directors discussed the issues and agreed to leave this until the next Phase 1 in 2022 – this will include garage facias. We intend to inspect the estate well before the expected start date (which could be April 2022) in order for necessary repairs and maintenance to be carried out by house-owners. Realty may be able to offer this work as a job lot to house-owners, and possibly discounted.
Landscaping and Gardening
The gardeners continue to do a great job keeping our estate looking tidy and attractive. They have a schedule of maintenance but are also available for grounds development if requested by DPM. Any requests for grounds development are welcome but the costs incurred need to be allowed for within our gardening budget. Also, any development should not conflict with the Covenant or the Estate Design Plan. A Request Form is available on the website in the Contact Us page and hard copies are available too.
If you wish to change or add to planting in the communal areas around your house, please complete a Request Form – this is so that any new plants, bushes etc. can be approved as part of the overall estate planting scheme. Otherwise, you could make a request via your Court Rep. Plants in pots however are no problem as they can be moved easily.
Please let the Directors know of any gardening jobs that you feel might be due such as: areas that might be “unloved,” overgrown, diseased or dying. We will be drawing up a list of maintenance tasks; and now would be a perfect time to hear feedback from residents.
Many thanks to residents who have donated plants and time to maintaining some planted areas. DPM met with Sustainable Living in the Heatons (SLH) who provided some useful free advice about increasing the biodiversity across the estate and also provided some free sunflower seeds that have been planted in various clusters. Additionally, the gardeners were requested to allow the grass to grow longer in a small number of areas which has been done, with mowing providing some paths. Both have received some very positive feedback, particularly from those with small children.
Over the autumn/winter period the work on the estate will include some pruning and this might look a little drab or untidy. However, come the spring new growth will appear; and the end result should be worth it.
The DPM strategy for the estate is long term with a view to encouraging fresh growth and wild life as well as maintaining the original appearance with minimal maintenance:
- Shrubs and bushes will be maintained as part of the winter schedule.
- DPM have purchased the following for planting:
English bluebell bulbs, wild daffodil bulbs and wild garlic bulbs.
- The holly hedge by the ginnel will be trimmed.
- Trees are part of the winter project and thorns will be kept under control.
- The sunflowers planted have had mixed results. We plan to do this again next year with better seeds.
Trees
Tree surveys are carried out every 2 years and Realty have contracted Cheshire Woodlands to conduct this as they conducted the previous tree survey in August 2019. The estate tree policy and tree surveys are available on the website. There are hard copies available to borrow too.
Volunteer Gardening Group
We are always looking for volunteers to join an informal gardening group to help maintain areas that have been renewed on the estate.
Contact Bo (0161 432 4851)
Please get in touch if you’ve got any ideas by contacting either your Court Rep or a Director – we’d love to hear from you.
Estate Security
The estate WhatsApp group is better for communicating security issues. If you want to join, contact Phil Mason ([email protected]).
Communal Areas
We are so fortunate in having communal areas and play areas for residents to enjoy.
Please note that any equipment, chairs, tables etc. must be removed from play areas after use. Temporary gates must not be used to block access to play areas.
Play areas (not the communal areas) should not be used to exercise dogs or to store bins. DPM are duty bound to adhere to ROSPA regulations regarding children’s play areas. The play areas can be found in Dene Court, Deneway Close and Deneway Mews.
Communal areas are a shared space and residents are requested to be attentive to the privacy of others when close to houses. Please ask children to play on the play areas provided for them.
Parking
Recently some residents have had their access blocked. Please continue to park with care and consideration. This is especially important at the moment with so many residents being at home during the day. Also, please take your bins in after they have been emptied as this releases more space.
Dene Park Estate Website
The website is “denepark.org” and includes the newsletters as well as much and varied information about the estate.
Please send any ideas for articles/inclusions to the administrator Tony Picot (email at the end of the newsletter).
Hard copies of newsletters etc. will still be available for distribution, as we realise not everyone on the estate uses a computer.
Court Representatives
As Bo Cochran has stood down and Andre Pakes is now a Director, Court Representatives are now required for Dene Court and Elizabeth Court.
Please contact a Director if you are willing to take on this useful but not too onerous role.
Contacts
Gill Heyworth (Director)
7, Elizabeth Court
André Pakes (Director)
12 Dene Court
07792440507
Tony Picot (Director)
9, Dene Court
Phil Speak (Director)
10 Deneway Close
0161 432 2130
Teresa Tyrrell (Director)
4 Deneway Close
Sarah Britton (Court Rep)
7 Burley Court
Ev Speak (Court Rep)
10 Deneway Close
0161 432 2130
Linda Stone (Court Rep)
12 Deneway Mews
0161 442 0977
Realty Rep: Siobhan Waldron
Phone: 0161 474 7677
Covid-19
While the Covid-19 virus still affects all of us, please continue to enjoy the communal and play areas of the estate safely and considerately.
WhatsApp Group: The WhatsApp groupwas set up to help and support residents during Covid lockdowns. It’s provided some fantastic support and generated lots of ideas and discussion, as well as general information.
If you have any questions about anything that’s happening on the estate, about DPM or any part of its activities, please contact your Court Rep or one of the Directors to be sure you get the most up to date and accurate information.
If you want to join the WhatsApp group, just send your mobile number to the administrator Phil Mason ([email protected]) and he will add you to the group.
Website: www.denepark.org
Facebook: Search for “Dene Park” and request to join.
Thanks:
Special thanks also go to Phil Mason who provides print services for DPM Ltd.
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