Please be aware that corrective boundary works are due to take place in front of and adjacent to Plot 119 from Thursday the 8th of November 2018.
The duration of works is likely to be seven working days however the time period may well be extended as it is a ‘hand dig’ operation due to the complexity of the services/utilities around this area.
Dear Residents,
There have been many hours spent over the last month, working with both Bellway and DJC Property Management, in producing a Remedial Works Plan that can be robustly monitored to ensure that all of the estates & landscaping issues are resolved in line with expectations.
As many of the remedial works are nearing completion, we will hold a number of ‘handover’ meetings with both Bellway & DJC, the first of which is to take place on 22nd November.
Areas that have been flagged as complete will be inspected by senior Bellway executives and members of the Community Group. For areas that are not yet managed by DJC, and on the basis there are no outstanding issues to resolve, sign off will trigger the process of handing over the land to DJC for on-going management. For areas that are already managed by DJC, sign off will confirm that the land is fit for purpose for on-going management by DJC in line with the budget that has been set.
There have unfortunately been some unforeseen issues with connection of a number of lamp posts and we are awaiting a further update, although most of Fairway Drive should now be connected. Remedial landscaping works around Niblick Green have also been delayed as Bellway is awaiting confirmation from Highways as to whether the tarmac path (leading to the boundary with Countryside) needs to be completely pulled up and re-laid.
You may also have noticed a number of blue dots and markings on the roads across the development. This is as a result of an extensive highways snagging programme currently underway so wherever you see these, it means remedial work will be required. The snagging process is being undertaken to a far more detailed level than even we flagged and currently circa 40% of the development has been checked. Once the final highways snagging report has been completed, we will have a better idea of where and when works will be taking place however all of it is planned for completion by mid-December.
We are in constant contact with both Bellway & DJC and further updates will be posted in relation to progress. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to use the Contact Form on the website and as always if you have any specific concerns in relation to estate management, you can log them here.
Andrew Wright
Channels Residents Community Group
Dear Residents,
Please see below a letter from Bellway in relation to some minor works across the development which will require access to electricity wall meter cupboards on the outside of properties.
“In accordance with our approval process with Chelmsford City Council we have been asked to undertake an audit check of our completed properties. Whilst this is taking place our electrical meter installer will be implementing an additional requirement from the Council to install a seal to the bottom of the electricity wall meter cupboard.
Works to be undertaken over the course of the next few weeks will only take a few minutes and we hope this will not cause you any inconvenience.”
The full letter can be viewed and/or downloaded as a pdf file:
If you do have any questions, we ask that you forward them using the contact form via this website with your name, plot number and e-mail address as this will ensure that everything can be collated and sent to Bellway in an managed way.
Andrew Wright
Channels Residents Community Group
Dear Residents,
There will be works starting imminently to connect a number of lamp posts across the development. This will be undertaken in stages so as to minimise disruption and the site team will do their best make residents aware of works taking place near to them. For now the diagram below indicates planned works over the next couple of days:
If you have any concerns, ensure you continue to log them so that we can raise if necessary with Bellway.
Andrew Wright
Channels Residents Community Group
Dear Residents,
You will have noticed significant estates works being undertaken around the development recently and we met with Bellway again on Tuesday 9th October to discuss progress. Whilst there is a generic over-arching plan, we expressed concern at the lack of a detailed schedule of works and as such a decision was taken to use our issues/snagging list as the basis for managing and monitoring the ongoing remedial work. The list has been turned into a Project Plan which will include detailed tangible actions, estimated completion dates and reasons for slippage where appropriate.
We have requested that the Project Plan is reviewed and fully updated by close of play Friday 19th October however it is important to note however that some remedial work will be undertaken at specific times to ensure the best possible outcome. For example, new and replacement trees will be planted during November.
You will have also noticed that a number of new Street Name Signs have been installed during the last week which are now council ‘approved’ and this should assist with visitors, delivery drivers and emergency services being able to find their way around. We are however aware that some of the signage on Aqua Verde is still not consistent with that on Eagle Rise and this has been raised.
Whilst the new Street Name Signs have all been installed in line with the conveyance plan, 35 of them were on private land and in many cases no warning was given to residents, either in advance or when works began. Bellway have confirmed that under no circumstances are ground workers to enter or carry out works on private property in the future without the owner’s prior written consent.
Bellway have advised that connection of lamp posts will take longer that initially planned. A number of Lamp posts are having to be re-ducted and UK Power Networks are having to adjoin the lamp posts across the site individually. Unfortunately areas of block paving across the site will have to be dug up and works will take place in sections to avoid as much disturbance to residents as possible. A more detailed plan will be provided imminently so that residents can be informed of when & where each section of work will take place.
It is also important to note that we have agreed with Bellway no remedial work can be signed off for handover without involvement of the Community Group. As residents will become responsible for all communal land once Bellway leave the site, we need to ensure that it is in a ‘fit for purpose’ state before taking ownership.
As always, if there are estates related concerns that you do not believe are being addressed, ensure you log them so we can review and if necessary add to the Project Plan.
Andrew Wright
Channels Residents Community Group
Dear Residents,
As ever there has been a lot of activity ongoing in the background and you should begin to see some significant changes occurring over the coming weeks in relation to estate management. A number of meetings have taken place with the onsite project manager over the last couple of weeks and a detailed plan of action is being finalised which will cover all of the issues we have raised.
I am due to meet with the project manager again on Tuesday 2nd October to confirm that there are actions assigned to every issue and updates will be posted to the website on a regular basis to keep residents up to date as to when key work will progress and in which areas.
For example there is work due to begin on Monday 1st October to extend the wooden knee rails adjacent to Plot 67 either side of the new pedestrian walkway that links to the Bridle Path, remove excess concrete around knee rail posts (to allow grass to grow) and to fix a number of other knee rail issues such as poor installation.
Community Group representatives will also be meeting Bellway executives again on Tuesday 9th October by way of follow up to a meeting held in August. This will be to flag any outstanding concerns and to agree further action where necessary.
It has taken a number of months to reach this stage however I am sure residents will agree it has been time well spent. Watch this space for updates and do continue logging concerns as they are all noted and taken into consideration as part of the work that is being undertaken. If you have any other general feedback or comments, do not hesitate to get in contact.
Andrew Wright (Chair)
Channels Residents Community Group
Bellway have now identified an on-site project manager to ensure that all remedial works are progressed. The project manager will also work with DJC Property Management to ensure remedial works are undertaken for the areas of the development that have already been handed over.
The Estates Committee have collated a detailed list (with photographic evidence) of all issues across the development and this has been further developed into a project plan which we will ask Bellway to populate, making clear exactly what action is to be taken for each issue. We will also use the project plan to monitor progress over the coming weeks.
An initial meeting was held with the project manager last week and we will meet again by the end of September to ensure the project plan is going to deliver against expectations.
Essex Highways have also undertaken an initial visit and have notified Bellway of a number of areas in relation to roads that require attention and we will also cross reference this to ensure everything is covered by the project plan.
Whilst residents may not yet have seen significant changes across the development, there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes and once the project plan has been agreed, we should be able to advise as to when issues will be resolved.
Of course if you come across an issue that you do not believe has been raised before, make sure you log it and if it’s not on the list, we will vary the project plan accordingly.
Andrew Wright
Chair Channels Residents Community Group
There has been continued progress since the last update in relation to the estates position. We are now in regular contact with Bellway senior executives in addition to DJC Property Management and Committee Members are working hard to collate a detailed snagging/issues list which we intend to use to monitor progress over the coming weeks.
Bellway have provided us with an initial Schedule of Works however the Committee has not accepted this as a sufficiently detailed plan hence the need to produce our own snagging/issues list as a basis to work from.
Residents can be assured that there is a continued commitment by the Community Group to holding Bellway to account for delivering an estate we can be proud of. It does take time and Committee members have invested many hours to date so please be patient!
Residents should have now received a letter through their doors from Bellway explaining the works planned at the corner of Fairway Drive which are due to start on 6th September. This usual access route will be closed with an alternative route available as per the image below:
A number of residents have asked whether the alternative access route could remain open after the works have been completed. Bellway do not think that this is possible as the junction to junction distance is too close and as such this will not be acceptable to either the highways or the planning team.
Andrew Wright
Chair Channels Residents Community Group
Committee members met with Bellway executives on Wednesday 15th August to discuss the Estates Report which was submitted to Richard Burrows (Essex Divisional Managing Director) in July. The session lasted well over 3 hours however it was time well spent as it was a chance to meet all Bellway representatives responsible for Phase 1/2 and to fully convey residents’ concerns.
The Estates Report is a robust document and the time spent preparing it and collating supporting evidence has paid off as Bellway did not dispute anything contained in the report.
There was an acknowledgement that there have been failings by Bellway, DJC Property Management and indeed by the Channels (Chelmsford) Management Company Ltd which has been set up to ensure that the estate is appropriately looked after. Nevertheless it was clear that Bellway genuinely want to resolve the issues and ultimately deliver a development that is line with the original vision for the area.
It is important to note that the Estates Report was also reviewed by the council and a number of planning breaches have been identified. Bellway received a letter from the planning officer on 7th August stipulating a 2 week deadline for receipt of a response and this must include a timeline for remedial action to be undertaken. The planning officer has additionally set a deadline for remedial action to be completed in a number of areas.
Whilst there was an element of discussion as to the root cause of the issues, the more important goal was to focus on our required outcome i.e. that all identified issues will be made good at no cost to residents. Bellway has given that undertaking and will provide a full schedule of works (requested no later than Friday 24th August) so that residents can be kept informed of the improvements that will be made and when.
The schedule of works due on 24th August should therefore cover remedial action timelines for all issues, irrespective of whether these have been highlighted by our report and/or the council planning officer. Committee members will collate a detailed list of every issue across the development (also no later than 24th August) and this will be cross-referenced to the Bellway schedule of works to ensure nothing is missed.
The remedial work will be taken forwards jointly by both Bellway & DJC Property Management depending on which areas of land have been formally handed over however the Committee will closely monitor all progress to ensure the end result is in line with expectations.
This is an excellent result and I would like to thank all of the Committee members for their hard work in reaching this stage. The website will be updated regularly so that residents are aware of progress however do not hesitate to contact the Committee via the website if you have any queries.
If you believe there to be new issues that need to be flagged, then please do continue to log concerns.
Andrew Wright
Chair Channels Residents Community Group
Representatives of the Community Group Committee met with DJC Property Management and the site-wide ecologist on 4th July 2018. The purpose of the meeting was to gain more information about the role of the ecologist and to better understand what can and cannot be done with the communal areas of managed land.
It is important to note that a Landscape and Nature Conservation Management Plan is in place which is designed to preserve the communal areas in and around the Channels development, to maintain wildlife and to protect the great crested newts by providing the appropriate hibernacula. A copy of this plan has been requested.
Taking into account the habitat which was previously in place in the area which the Channels development now occupies, there was never any intention to provide “manicured” communal areas and The Landscape and Nature Conservation Management Plan reflects this. Whilst comparisons might be made to Beaulieu landscaping, the Channels development was never intended to replicate this and as such this should not be used as a benchmark to compare against.
The ecologist and a member of his team currently attend Channels every 2 weeks for a full day. This is an increase to the frequency of previous visits and has been agreed with the developers involved in all phases and the Site Wide Management Company. They are responsible for ensuring that everything is being maintained in line with The Landscape and Nature Conservation Management Plan and this includes making regular repairs to the fences put in place to protect the newts and inspecting the tunnels used by the newts (across the whole site not just the Channels development area). This has recently resulted in an increase in the Service Charge however it is expected that in the long term the frequency of their visits will be reduced and the savings from this will be passed onto residents.
Both the ecologist and head gardener are open to working with the Channels Residents Community Group. However the ecologist made it clear that any specific requests will need to be signed off to ensure they are in line with The Landscape and Nature Conservation Plan however he will be pragmatic and work with us to create areas which are for the benefit of all residents.
The ecologist has also offered to provide additional visits to the site and guidance to our group in support of what we are trying to achieve, at no extra cost. This will be arranged via DJC Property Management.
The Community Group Committee will assist in educating existing residents about the overall ecology and will work with DJC Property Management to arrange appropriate signage to prevent residents damaging ecological areas. We continue to encourage feedback via the Community Group on all communal landscaping matters, rather than residents taking things up individually with DJC, as this will ensure consistency of approach.
There are a number of specific areas around the development where improvements can be made to planting and weed control that we are currently discussing with DJC Property Management and we will provide updates in due course. There are also a number of broader issues that have been covered by the Estates Report submitted to Bellway for which a response is due by 31st July 2018.
Please do continue to provide feedback and log concerns via the Community Group website and you can be assured that all comments are taken into consideration even though you may not receive a personalised response.
Channels Community 
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