Mill Court

As you are you are aware, we are removing the internal installation and OSB board.

This may cause the plaster board nails to pop on the inside. If this happens, please let us know and we will make arrangements to make good at the end of the works.

This may also cause items on your external wall to fall so can we please ask that you remove these items until we are finish the works.

Read the full letter here

Façade cladding colour

We are replacing the external cladding and the colour that best match from the original is ‘Sand Yellow’. Some leaseholders expressed an interest in having a choice, and a survey was sent to all residents.

There are two alternative colours that should be suitable for planning and these are Clay Brown and Pebble Grey. However, the final decision will be subject to confirming that there will be no planning issues.

Please fill out the sheet on the link here and return it to the summer house (in the rear garden) Mill court London SW18 5AE a scanned copy or good quality photograph can be emailed to Alena rather than posting.

Colours on the voting sheet are not guaranteed to be 100% accurate there are samples in the summer house, or alternatively, you can view online on:
https://www.cedral.world/en-gb/cladding/our-products/choose-your-colour/

On behalf of the site teams, Equans would like to wish you a Happy Halloween.

Don't forget, there's a children's Halloween activity pack available to download - click here or alternatively ask your site team for a copy.

Thank you to everyone that attended our last monthly resident's meeting on 8th October. Please see a copy of the minutes below - these can also be viewed in full by clicking here.

Project summary:

• Scaffolding has been erected to the entire building
• Summerhouse has been erected in the rear garden
• We are currently removing the current external wall cladding system and installing a new fire rated system to match the existing look of the block
• Roof inspection has been undertaken

Actions from last meeting:

• Obtain samples: Samples will be on site next week
• Bike shed: The Fire Officer has said the bike shed and the back gate are safe to leave in place
• Intrusive survey: No residents have volunteered, we will need to get in 10% of the properties to undertake the inspection

Time for the meeting: There has been confusion about the time for the meetings and what time is best for the residents. The residents decided that 6.30pm was the best time. The residents asked for the next residents meeting that someone from the estates team and the property manager attend.

Weekly update change to fortnightly?

Now the site is fully set up we would like to know whether residents would like us to change the weekly update to fortnightly? Residents have decided fortnightly updates would be more informative. Resident's have also asked us to report on progress against our project plan in the newsletters.

Last month's key steps:

• The fire engineer was on site last week and we are expecting his report next week
• Thank you to those residents that gave us access for the lights and flues
• The consultant's engineers report has been received and we are discussing with those who are involved, the best way forward
• We are continuing to strip the cladding

This month's key steps:

• Cladding is nearly finished
• Drawings will be delivered on site next week and cladding will start being installed from 21st October. We will start with the front elevation and work our way down
• The Fire Engineer was on site last week, we will be expecting his report next week
• We would like to thank all residents that gave us access into your property for the flues and balcony lights
• The Designer's report has been received and we are discussing with those who are involved, the best way forward

Questions:

Q: Is the project delayed?
A: The project isn't currently delayed but if we are to get new windows then this may delay the programme.

Q: When is the cladding starting?
A: The cladding will commence on 21st October we will start on the east elevation (front) from the top level working downwards. When completed we will move onto the next elevation.

Q: Why has the stripping on the cladding not yet been completed?
A: Because we did not want the cavity's to be left open which would allow rats to gain access. We have now worked out a method of doing this work and not allowing the rats to get in.

Please join us for the next meeting taking place on Tuesday 12th November at 6.30pm

Your feedback is invaluable to us - it helps us improve our service offering for future schemes.

If you would like to provide feedback to us regarding the works undertaken by Equans, please contact your allocated Resident Liaison Officer - their details can be found with the 'Your site team' section on the homepage. They will be happy to take your feedback either in person or over the phone.

You can also download and complete our Feedback Form by clicking here - once completed hand it to any member of the Equans site team.

Thank you in advance for providing your feedback.

Welcome to your first works update on our progress with the works being undertaken at Mill Court.

These updates are provided by members of the site team and are always as up to date as possible, however If you have any queries, questions or concerns about the works please contact your appointed Resident Liaison Officer (RLO), Alena on 07977 834 553.

Welcome to your September newsletter - it is our intention to provide a regular update to residents at Mill Court as to what works have taken place and what works are upcoming. In between these updates the site team will be contacting you to make appointments for any surveys or works that need to be done to the outside or near your flat.

Our progress to date:

• A design meeting has taken place and we are now waiting on residents to volunteer on an intrusive survey
• Stripping of the cladding will be undertaken shortly
• For the gas flues, we will come into your property to isolate the boiler, get Eden Facades to take off the cladding around the flue and come back in to turn the boiler back on
• Pre-condition surveys are continuing, therefore please contact Alena to arrange

Further information:

• Pre-condition surveys have been refined, and it may be necessary for us to re-attend and take a few additional photos, anyone who hasn't had a second survey please contact Alena
• Anyone that's interested in having an intrusive survey please contact Alena
• Hoarding will be installed around the toilets and the container at the front of the block, these will be blue
• We now have parking spaces across the road to reduce parking issues at Mill Court
• We please ask all residents to send a text message to Alena on 07977 834 553 including your name and flat number - this will help for future references if she needs to contact you
• Alena will let everyone know when the material for the cladding is on site so you can all come and have a look at what's being installed

Monthly resident's meeting:

We would like to invite you all to the next resident's meeting on Tuesday 8th October from 6.30pm.

During the meeting, there will be an opportunity to provide your views, concerns and to ask questions. Representatives from both Equans and Southern Housing will be present.

We look forward to meeting you all.

Please click here to view the September newsletter in full.

On behalf of the Equans site team delivering these works, welcome to the Mill Court resident website.

On this site, we will display important information about the scheme including an introduction to Equans, our expertise and the team working on this scheme. We will also provide you with key contact details including our emergency out of hours number, show progress photos and provide updates on the works we're delivering throughout the duration of the scheme.

Take your time to browse each section at your own leisure but as a summary please see below:

• Introduction: Found at the top of the left side of the page, this section is our introduction to you, providing a brief explanation of who we are and what works we'll be carrying out on this scheme. You'll also find a link to the website for Southern Housing
• News Feed: Found on the left side of the page underneath the 'Introduction' section, the 'News Feed' includes all our recent news and activity. It's in date order so the most recent news is always at the top for your convenience
• Contact us: Found at the top of the right side, this section details every member of the Equans site team appointed to this scheme as well as a brief explanation of their role and most importantly their contact details. We've shown the key contacts on the main page, but click more to see the full team
• About Equans: This section tells you a little more about us, our expertise and our approach to corporate responsibility.
• Careers at Equans: We're keen to promote recruitment, click the image displayed to view all our current vacancies. We also have apprenticeships available - just contact us for more details!
• Document Library: Like it says on the tin, here is where we display any relevant documents related to the works - you may already have a paper version of these documents, so these are just a copy that may come in handy to view, download or print
• Photo Library: Like the 'Document library', this is where we will display our progress photos taken throughout the duration of the works. Each image will also have a short caption to explain what's being shown

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the website if you have any queries or concerns about works we're undertaking don't hesitate to call your dedicated Resident Liaison Officer - details can be found within our 'Contact Us' section.

Welcome to your weekly update from Equans. This is a great way for us to keep you up to date with all the work that has been going on so far and what we expect to achieve going forward.

If you have any queries about the works being undertaken by Equans, please direct your query to your appointed Resident Liaison Officer, Alena Webster by calling 07977 834 553.

As you will be aware, Equans has been appointed by Southern Housing to undertake regeneration works to the external cladding at Mill Court.

As of 29th August we have been here for 12 weeks and here's what's happened so far:

Works update:

• Scaffolding is now completed. We will be starting to remove the cladding
• A skip has now been placed at the front of the building, and all rubbish has been cleared from the back garden
• The hoist has been installed and scaffold has been handed over
• All blue netting around the scaffold has been installed

Next week:

• If you have not had the full pre-condition survey, then please call Alena urgently on 07977 834 553 to arrange to have yours carried out. These need to be completed by next week otherwise we will be held up, which in turn will hold up the programme leading to delays
• Cladding will be removed where we have pre-condition surveys
• On Monday 2nd September there will be a coffee afternoon at 1pm in the summerhouse if anyone would like to attend
• We have consultants on site on 11th September to examine the building

If anyone needs any more information, please contact Alena or attend the regular coffee afternoons.

Please click here to view the Resident Update in full.

Thank you to everyone that attended our last monthly resident's meeting on 9th August. Please see a copy of the minutes below - these can also be viewed in full by clicking here.

Last month's key steps:

• Scaffold almost completed. Waiting on design change sign off
• Summerhouse complete. Electric being installed soon

Next month's key steps:

• Scaffold completion and handover
• Roof inspection - Langley will attend to inspect issues on roof
• Placement of toilets, storage and skips on site
• Start of investigation works
• Pest control to make regular visits to the rear gardens and bin area
• The dividers and the pigeon netting on the balconies will start to be removed from 12th August
• Design meeting has been arranged for week commencing 2nd September - we will let you know with plenty of time

Questions:

1. What is the latest timeline, has scaffolding been delayed?
   A: The scaffolding will be completed by the end of next week and we will then start opening up the building for the consultants to have a look at to see what is within the walls.
   
   
2. Have they not already started opening the walls?
   A: The current openings are for the scaffold ties. We need to remove a lot more around the private balconies and other areas around the building, so the consultants can have a look at the cavity closures.
   
   
3. Are there any issues with the roof?
   A: We are not aware of any problems with the roof but as part of these projects, we will do a survey on the roof and pass it to our asset management team for them to review.
   
   
4. When do you think you can give an end date for the work?
   A: We are looking at the end of February, but we will be able to confirm more details once we have seen what is within the walls.
   
   
5. When opening the walls in winter do you plan to provide anything to protect them?
   A: At the end of each day everything will be covered with fire rated materials. We do not remove the insulation.
   
   
6. Is there anything you can do to speed up the work before the rainy season?
   A: We will have rain delays, but we do anticipate that within our programme.
   
   
7. With the pigeon netting on the balconies will it be re-instated?
   A: Yes
   
   
8. What is the size of the toilet block?
   A: We are looking to have a 2+1 toilet block. This means two male toilets and 1 female toilet, and it includes handwashing facilities.
   
   
9. Will you provide the colour of the final look of the building?
   A: We are looking to get some samples on site. Which will be in the office for all residents to see. The colours will be chosen to match the colours on the original construction.
   
   
10. Will there be pictures taken of the communal area?
    A: Yes there will be.
    
    
11. What photos will be taken in the flats?
    A: We will be taking photos of all the walls, ceilings, flooring and around the windows of the flats, not of your possessions in them. Please feel free to move any out of the way. This is to capture any damage caused by this project to your home and the structure of the building.
    
    
12. Will the surveys that have already been undertaken need to be done again?
    A: All that needs to be done is adding more photos onto the existing pre-condition photos that have been taken already. This will be arranged with the residents by the Resident Liaison Officer (RLO).
    
    
13. Can we have copies for those that don't live in the properties?
    A: This would be something that has to be looked into in relation to GDPR and the Southern Housing policy.
    
    
14. Will we have access to the electronic portal where the photos are kept?
    A: No only the Equans site team, Ian (Southern Housing) and the Data Controller.
    
    
15. Can you share some generic photos of the sort of damage that could be caused?
    A: We can get some examples and put them in the summer house for residents to come and see.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th September at 6.30pm.