We're finally able to announce that Hyperoptic is ready to run in the building, and we have negotiated several deals on behalf of residents, available during January as they set up in the building.

They are offering the following deals, on either 12 or 24 month contracts, with free installation and routers. Once in contract you run to the end of normal contract term. 30 days notice would be last month of service once contract ends. Payment to be taken 14 days after installation.All are broadband only, but you can add a phone line for £2/month to all.

• 150mb - £12/m (usually £32 - though they have deals for £20)

• 500mb - £15/m (usually £38 - though they have deals for £29)

• 1gb - £18/m (usually £45 - though they have deals for £33)

To get the deal, contact kevin.kirkpatrick@hyperoptic.com M. 07745 121768/ 0203 832 2789 ASAP. The call is very quick and doesn't require many details to fix the deal and you have 30 days to change your mind.

https://www.hyperoptic.com/why-hyperoptic/ gives more explanation of the offer. It is worth saying they will need to run some cables and install a new socket, which you can find out more about here: https://www.hyperoptic.com/help/installation-process/ but that is not a difficult process.

For those that have already received calls and signed up to the original deals, we have agreed in principle that you should be able to move to this better deal (some people have already done this successfully).

For full transparency we are still agreeing whether or not the residents association will get any referral fees (which we would then pass back to residents in some way, and will be transparent about how we do this). Generally though we feel this is a fairly good deal, for a broadband provider that was Uswitch provider of the year 2023 and has very good reviews.

We met with Arsenal earlier in the year to iron out issues with deliveries and other ways that we could work together. We will continue to work with Arsenal to get more community benefits for residents and improve the matchday experience. 

We have negotiated increased delivery times, and agreed a FAQ section with stadium management which is now available on the deliveries page of the website.

One of the most immediate outcomes of this is that they have now agreed to grit the podium and bridges, and this should happen any time the met office forecasts that the temperature will drop below one degree. So far this seems to be working well, and is hopefully a resolution to a very long standing problem.

Lastly we have agreed with arsenal that whilst residents can use cards for hassle free entrance to the podium, they should also be able to just tell security guards that they are Ashburton Triangle residents and will be let through without a search (though may be monitored on CCTV). If residents experience issues please just get in touch.

Newlon has finally agreed to meet to discuss the post situation, and we are aiming to do this during February.  The main issue is that they do not want to formalise the current situation, and we don't technically pay for a concierge service that handles mail (a lot of what the concierge team do is voluntary). We will continue to request a formalised process which is safer but without adding costs to residents and will keep residents updated.

In the meantime, one of the most important things residents can do is to pick parcels up within a reasonable time. We have had a number of large parcels left in the area for weeks (or months) at a time. This makes the space look untidy, but also ruins the service for everyone else as it makes it hard to agree new terms with Newlon given the amount of parcels that they think will need to be accommodated. For this reason, regardless of any formalised process, we will be urging Newlon to remove parcels that are abandoned (weeks/months) and follow the same process as bikes whereby they are stickered, followed up with calls and then removed to another location and then returned to sender if unclaimed.

Some time ago all residents received a letter stating that the communal redecorations in the building were being delayed by a number of years. We have raised this at senior levels in Newlon, making the point that not only have we missed one round of redecorations due to remedial works, but due to these works many of the areas of the building are looking very tired and in need of replacement. We expect Newlon to replace carpet/repair and repaint walls as a bare minimum, and will continue to update residents on progress.

You may have noticed that last year some new signage appeared within lifts with the aim of helping couriers navigate the building (and including emergency information not present in the lifts). This was ATRA taking matters into our own hands, as proper signage was taking a long time to procure via Newlon. We have however agreed with Newlon that more formal and neater looking signage will be installed in the near future, including outside the ground floor lifts.

Newlon has asked us to reiterate to residents (including shared owners and 100% leaseholders) that listing flats on AirBnB is a breach of the rental and leasehold agreements. AirBnB usage in the building has been the cause of some antisocial behaviour, and theoretically noone should be accessing the building without a security card/fob provided by Newlon to registered residents. Newlon is continuing to monitor AirBnB and other short term letting sites and taking action against residents who break these rules.

It is worth noting that leaseholders can let their flat for a longer term due to the ongoing sales issues, but this must be done with Newlon's agreement and the tenants need to be registered with Newlon.

Newlon recently wrote to residents making them aware of the risks of charging electric scooters and bikes, which is becoming a big source of fires in residential buildings. Key messages from the London Fire Brigade are:

Only buy properly tested vehicles/batteries

• Only buy properly tested goods (these will be UKCA marked). Purchasing from the internet/DIY kits can risk buying imported goods that have not met any safety requirements.

Reduce the risk of overheating

• Batteries can get warm during their use. Allow them to cool down before attempting to re-charge.

• Batteries should always be charged on hard flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.

• Batteries can also pose a risk if they have been damaged, so try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried.

• Batteries should also never be exposed to extremes of temperature.

Follow the instructions

• Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging 

• Never leave it charging unattended or charge it while you are asleep.

• You should always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging.

• Always use the correct charger for your batteries and buy any replacements from a reputable seller.

Where to charge your batteries

• Never block your escape route with e-bikes or e-scooters

• Store and charge them somewhere away from a main through route or exit

• Make sure you and your family have an escape plan in place in the event of a fire. Always call 999, never try to fight the fire yourself

Ashburton Triangle Residents Association has a place on the residents forum, which is a regular session for Newlon senior staff to present to residents and take on board feedback. The notes from the latest and previous meetings are here for anyone interested in what is discussed and coming up.

In the background the following are things that we are currently working on:

• Remedial works (including fighting for further improvements to brick-clad areas that experience cold and draughts)

• Improvements to communal corridors to prevent wind driven smells which affect some specific areas of the building.

• Antisocial behaviour including nuisance smoking close to other people's balconies

• Monthly inspection reports for communal repairs 

• Reviewing service charge in detail and fighting for removal of unfair charges (which last year saved leaseholders hundreds of pounds)

• Pushing for energy efficiency improvements to reduce the amount of wasted electricity in the building (which we all pay for)

• Fighting for better quality of repairs (both inside and outside of flats)

• Introducing pigeon netting at no cost to residents