HRRA has put together an update on some key issues affecting the Estate. Questions asked at a recent High Royds Liaison Group (HRLG) meeting are shown here with responses from Dean Cutts (DC) of Avant – and then, some details about Landscaping.

Q: Did you gain board approval for the adoption (of roads) process to start on site? Have you a firm date when these works will commence?

DC: We now have approval to proceed with the works and have booked:

1. A highways inspection for Monday 5 September
2. Highways issue of remedials list – Monday 12 September
3. Commercial re-tender (4 weeks) – Monday 10 October
4. Remedials contract tender analysis and let – Monday 17 October
5. Contractor materials order and lead in (4 weeks) – 14 November
6. Remedial and completion works start – Monday 21 November
7. Remedial and completion works duration – TBC but expected to be at least 10 weeks (completion Friday 11 February 2023)
8. Highways re-inspection – Monday 14 February 2023
9. Final remedial duration (1 week) – Monday 21 February 2023
10. Surfacing works start – Monday 28 February 2023
11. Surfacing works duration – TBC but estimated at 6 weeks
12. Estimated completion – Monday 11 April 2023

Q: Have you now submitted the latest plans for the new social club for planning permission?

DC: Our contractor is Walker builders … this comment has now been updated –

Latest update:  the payment for the planning permission has been made and the plans have been submitted to Leeds City Council planners for approval.

Q: When can we expect the football pitches to be cut?

DC: Brambledown, Avant’s landscaping contractor, has declined citing heavy workload. We are in discussion with a further two contractors and envisage that the football pitch grass cutting and clearance works will be started on 1 September.

Landscaping

With reference to the various queries and comments on our Facebook site about landscaping, HRRA has talked to Joanne Palmer of Trinity. The response includes the following details:

MGH (Trinity’s landscape gardeners) did stop cutting the lawns during the very hot weather. This was because, had they been cut, the grass would have burnt and turned brown. In terms of planting, re-planting shrubs and trees in various areas around the Estate, Joanne Palmer says there are specific times of the year when this type of planting can take place otherwise the new shrubs etc would die from lack of water. Monies have been ringfenced for various re-planting initiatives which will take place end of Sept/early Oct.

HRRA made the point that if there was to be a break in any landscaping regime, it should be communicated to residents beforehand.

Meanwhile, Trinity will obtain 3 levels of quotes for next year’s landscaping budget – to reflect a basic (cheapest), medium, and advanced (more expensive) service. But residents should consider the financial impact of a higher level of service.

High Royds Liaison Group Meeting on Tuesday July 5, 2022, held at the Civic Hall Leeds

Present:  Cllr Paul Alderson; Cllr Paul Wadsworth; Carol Cunningham LCC Planning; Dean Cutts Technical Director Avant; Nigel Hackett HRRA; Nick Lowry HRRA; Andrew Armitage HRRA; Joanne Palmer, Senior Property Manager, Trinity Estates (via Zoom)

Apologies: Jon Birkin, Avant

Road/pathway/lighting adoption

DC advised the meeting that preparatory drainage works required by Yorkshire Water had now been completed.

Avant had received a deed of variation from YW on Friday July 1. He stated that this would be returned to YW on July 5.

Following this DC would need to obtain approval from the Avant board to proceed with works. He anticipated that this would happen on Monday July 11, 2022.

DC estimated that it would be 2-3 weeks following board approval that works could commence. The anticipated timeline for these works would be approx. three months.

Following the works to roads/pathways/lighting there would be a period of remedial consultation between LCC and Avant. In effect this would constitute a period of one year in which LCC would need to satisfy themselves that all works had been carried out to an appropriate standard to allow adoption to take place.

Unadopted roads/pathways

There are still some works outstanding on areas of unadopted roads specifically, but not limited to areas of block paving around those blocks not yet taken into management, notably Aysgarth Court and Appleton Court.

These areas will need to be brought up to an acceptable standard by Avant before Trinity Estates will agree to take these blocks into management.

This includes the car park behind Appleton, the diagonal walkway at the back of Aysgarth/Askrigg etc.

Other areas of block paving around blocks which have been taken into management will fall under the responsibility of Trinity Estates and JP advised that the tendering process for these areas is underway.

Vehicle access on ingle Lane and High Royds Drive (aboveGuiseley Drive)

NL raised serious concerns about these two areas of road being left open to the possibility of being used as a “rat run” or abused by residents and delivery drivers.

These two points which are both single track roads were originally intended to form part of a bus route and were to incorporate automated bus barriers. This was part of the original s 38 agreement. When the bus route failed to materialise (service providers were unwilling to take on the route), this section of the s38 was withdrawn and Avant replaced barriers with “No Entry” signs. These are as yet unenforceable. They have still to be introduced on Ingle Lane.

CC advised that LCC Highways were justified in removing the requirement for the barrier scheme.

If residents wanted such a system to be introduced following adoption it would have to be approved by all residents.

Members of HRRA suggested that the alternative would undoubtedly lead to a rat run, especially from the A65 onto Guiseley Drive and round Ingle Lane to the traffic lights at the bottom of HRD.

As this section of Ingle Lane is single track road it could and probably would lead to accidents and also traffic using the lawned areas to avoid oncoming vehicles. It would almost certainly be used by delivery drivers as a shortcut.

The top end of HRD above Guiseley drive would almost certainly be used by residents living at the top end of the estate.

Both sections of road would become enforceable under existing road traffic laws following adoption and could be monitored by CCTV cameras.

Cllrs Wadsworth and Alderson agreed to refer the matter further to Jonathon Walters in highways.

Ecological Reports

Questions have been raised for some time now by HRRA with regard the requirement for continued Ecological Reporting once the development is complete and the wider Estate has been handed over to trinity Estates to manage. (This process actually took place in July 2021).

HRRA argues that the requirements for annual Ecological reports only applied to the construction phase of the development and would then cease.

CC confirmed that the last Ecological report received from Avant had been for 2017.

DC stated that he believed that all Ecological reports required under the s106 agreement had been undertaken by Avant. It was noted, however, that these reports should be sent to both LCC Ecologist and HRRA. Neither body had received these reports.

Until these reports were received and evaluated by LCC it was unclear as to who should be responsible for the cost of maintaining the wider estate or indeed carrying out any works highlighted as being required. HRRA is adamant that until such time that the reports are agreed with the LCC Ecologist, Avant must remain responsible for any resultant costs.

CC was of the opinion that it could be the case that any such ecological requirements going forward could mean a less frequent reporting, maybe every five or ten years. This needs to be confirmed.

There are also question marks over two large areas of land taken out of the estate and subsequently sold by Avant to local farmers. One of these is to the left of Guiseley Drive. This land contains the old pumping station which is currently being developed by the new owner. CC appeared unclear about the current status of planning permission for this project and said she would follow up.

The other area of land to the side of Menston Drive was sold with specific conditions relating to both its use and the continuing agreement to meet all ecological requirements going forward. DC advised that these conditions definitely formed part of the contract of sale.

NH asked JP what requirements were in place with regard to the management of the many areas of landscaping around the development under ecological requirements. These areas now form part of the “wider estate” rather than coming under the previous “external block” schedule for means of the service charge.

HRRA has continued to ascertain, for example, which areas of the estate actually constitute “wildflower meadow” and as such are limited to cutting and maintenance on a very limited number of times each year.

JP confirmed that with her Landscaping contractor she is currently developing a comprehensive landscaping maintenance plan for the whole estate. Of course this is a complex task, and is also dependent on all parties having access to all Ecological reports produced historically by Avant. JP agreed to send the plan, once completed to both councillors and HRRA.

New Sports and Social Club

DC advised the meeting that the latest plans for the new sports club, as agreed by the group established under the umbrella of HRRA to handle this project, would be subject to a further planning application to LCC within three weeks.

CC confirmed that as it was an amended application to a previous application it would be seen as a “minor application” by the LCC planning dept. It is estimated that the planning process would be approx 13 weeks.

Other points raised

NL asked DC when the football pitches would be cut as they were looking unsightly. DC confirmed that he had instructed Brambldown accordingly.

DC also confirmed to Cllr PW that the existing cricket pavilion would be demolished as planned. It had been deemed unsafe due to the roof.

Next meeting: early October (although it was  agreed communications will continue between all parties in the meantime)

A HRRA meeting was held on Monday June 13 at St Mary’s School.

Present: Nick Lowry; Nigel Hackett; Susan Pape; Cynthia Wood; Cedric Sander, Jeanne Claire Stanley; Andrew Armitage; Wendy Cousans; Catherine Burton; Christine Gaughran

The primary reason for the meeting was to gauge which residents would be willing to undertake more formal roles in the structure of the existing HRRA.

In the previous AGM (28/04/22) only one formally elected role was filled: Nick Lowry being re-elected as Treasurer.

Neighbourhood Watch

One of the functions for which residents had shown a willingness to participate was the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Both Jeanne Claire and Wendy Cousans said they would participate in overseeing this role and liaise with the relevant NW contacts in the local police.

NH suggested that the first step would be to organise a meeting (or some form of contact) between JCS/WC and the police representatives which at the time were believed to be Megan Woods and Alexander Bennett.

CW advised the meeting that she had been a representative for Burnstall Crescent (High Royds) at NW meetings between Guiseley, Yeadon and Menston. She said these meetings were attended by both PCSOs and LCC Councillors and were held every six weeks. This information was news to both NH and NL, neither of whom were ever made aware of these meetings. The previous NW co-ordinator for High Royds, Isobel Hainsworth Brear, had recently moved from the development.

Best way forward

It was agreed that probably the best way forward in terms of maintaining a functioning Residents’ Association was for as many residents as possible to share the official roles and alternate participation at future meetings. To this end the following was agreed:

Co-Chairs for future HRRA meetings would be rotated between Andrew Armitage, Cedric Sander and Nick Lowry

Secretarial duties would be shared between Nigel Hackett, Susan Pape and Nick Lowry

HRLG (Liaison Group) representation would be provided by Nick Lowry and Andy Armitage

Any issues surrounding Estate matters would be dealt with by Nick Lowry and Christine Gaughran.

Technical and operational matters relating to the Website, Facebook etc would be handled between Susan Pape and Catherine Burton.

It was made very clear by NH and NL that without future participation and involvement from a number of residents the likelihood was that HRRA would cease to function. This would mean that residents would no longer have an “official” voice regarding how the estate was managed.

It remains clear that more residents are needed to cover the various roles in a more formal manner.

Other matters:

Social Club

Up-to-date plans have been sent by Avant to the group of residents overseeing this project. The group has reviewed these plans and after some amendments have agreed to them.

This matter will be followed up at the next HRLG meeting.

Drainage

Works continue to be undertaken by Avant contractors on the estate drainage system in preparation for the ongoing process of road/path/lighting adoption. Again this will be followed up at the next HRLG meeting.

Ecology Surveys

HRRA are still waiting a response from LCC on the requirement for future Ecological Surveys with regard the wider estate. HRRA is of the opinion that under the s106 planning agreement these were only stipulated to be carried out during the construction/refurbishment period. They were the responsibility of the developer.

Maintenance

There was a discussion regarding various maintenance regimes across the estate and what Trinity Estates had in place to maintain the infrastructure. NL said he would follow this up with Joanne Palmer.

Sectors

CS again made the suggestion of breaking the Estate down into manageable “sectors” and volunteers taking responsibility for acting as a conduit between these various areas and HRRA/Trinity in terms of reporting/communication. Whilst some agreed that this was a reasonable idea, it was also clear that finding enough volunteers for any such role may be more challenging.

Bicycle owning residents took part in a bike marking event on High Royds at the weekend.

Two Community Police Support Officers were on hand to mark bikes and give general advice about storing bicycles safely.

Following further lobbying by HRRA, Avant have advised us that they received confirmation from Yorkshire Water on Friday 13th May that they have accepted the drainage calculations, and as such, Avant are now finally in a position to start the works required for adoption.

Avant’s contractor, JLES, will be sending out letters to residents shortly to advise of their timescales on completing these works. HRRA understands that completion of these works will then allow Avant to lay final surfaces to the highways and footpaths, and ensure the connection of all street lighting. 

Avant’s groundworkers are using the lower half of the car park for storage and parking their plant and machinery.
Because of this Dean Cutts at Avant agreed with the cricket clubs that they could use the hardstanding area between the car park and the proposed site of the new social club. They access this area via Guiseley Drive and Ingle Lane.

HRRA wasn’t informed and we only found out after someone complained about cars using Ingle Lane (from the top end) and it was queried with the cricket clubs.

We think they had agreed to use this area until last Friday, but the timeline has slipped and the agreement has been extended for a further two weeks.

High Royds Residents Association AGM will take place on Thursday 28th April at St Mary’s School at 7.30pm.

The meeting is in the school gym and can be accessed via the main school entrance.

If you would like  to have an input regarding how High Royds is managed this is your opportunity to elect resident representatives to work with Trinity Estates on your behalf to discuss  budgets, maintenance proposals and to review the annual accounts.

PCSO Megan Woods is expected to attend to discuss security issues on High Royds and recent incidents on behalf of the Police Community Constable for our area.

                                                   Agenda 

Introductions 

Current position with HRRA

Review of last two years 

Management of the Wider Estate and the pond

Avant’s outstanding obligations  

Update on the adoption of the surface water drainage  by Yorkshire Water – required prior to the final surfacing of the main estate roads, footpaths and outstanding street lighting connections.

 Management of properties including those not yet in management 

Update on New Social Club

Neighbourhood Watch (PCSO Megan Woods plans to attend to discuss recent thefts and security issues) 

Treasurer’s Report
 

The future of HRRA

Agreement of HRRA representatives or winding up?

If the meeting decision is to continue with HRRA  – Appointment of Officers