Handover Update on 01 May 2024

By Nige on April 29, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Type: News Category: Handover | Residents
Tags: Announcements | Bloor Homes | FirstPort | Management Company | Vale of White Horse District Council

We are entering a critical phase of handover starting in May, when we will start the transition to a residents-controlled Management Company (MC).

From now on, we will be issuing more regular updates to share progress made, challenges faced and any decisions that we need help from residents in making.

Oddly, it may also see the end of The Dovecote Residents’ Association (TDRA), with the MC taking on the role of representing the best interests of residents. More on that at a later date.

First off, we would like to thank all residents that have made their feelings known about the state of the Public Open Space (POS). From the responses we have been cc’d in on, it appears they have fallen on deaf ears with Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC). However, that does not mean it was not worthwhile. Both the Parish Council and our local MP voiced their support for our cause, so you have done everything you can.

But we now need to move forward positively.

So, what’s happening in May 2024?

• We continue to follow the handover plan that was agreed with Bloor Homes and FirstPort back in Jan 2024. We are probably a week or two behind schedule, but that’s currently not in our control and all of the follow-on activities will simply shift out to the right. If it takes a bit longer before residents secure control of the MC, then it takes a bit longer! Key dates are noted below:
  • Fri 19/04/2024 – Final POS inspection to be held (this is late).
  • Fri 03/05/2024 – Issue Certificate of Final Inspection (likely to be late).
  • Fri 14/06/2024 – Land transfer complete, handover from Bloor to FirstPort and final snagging all complete.
  • Fri 14/06/2024 – Hold the EGM.
  • Mon 15/07/2024 – Transition to residents-controlled MC complete.
• The inspection we expected to take place on Fri 19 Apr 2024 (between VWHDC and Bloor Homes) hasn’t yet taken place, so we would assume that will be organised at some point early in May. That will lead to the issuing of a Certificate of Final Completion, which signifies the start of the end of Bloor Homes being responsible for the POS.
• Later in May, FirstPort may be in a position to organise the EGM at which residents will be able to do a number of things:
  • Elect Resident Directors.
  • Serve notice to FirstPort (and Innovus).
  • Engage with a new Managing Agent.
  • Initiate the formal transition process from FirstPort (and Innovus) to our new MA.
• The timing of organising the EGM and when the EGM is held will be dependent on the earlier activities, so we can’t be sure exactly when this will happen, but we have agreed that the earliest the EGM will be held is mid-June 2024.
• So that means we (the residents) need to organise ourselves during May ahead of that EGM. That means we need to:
  • Work out who will become Resident Directors at the EGM.
  • Hold our first unofficial meeting of (prospective) Resident Directors to plan how the EGM will be handled.
• You may be asking why we need to do this BEFORE the EGM is held? The answer is simple: We need to make sure the EGM is successful in achieving the things we set out above. The only way we can do that is by (informally) electing Resident Directors before we even attend the EGM. By meeting prior to the EGM, we can make sure all of the Resident Directors understand what needs to happen at the EGM and why. Ultimately, ensuring we are all on the same page.

Selecting a New Managing Agent (MA)

We have a plan for selecting a new MA as well! Everything is on track from that perspective. We have some further work to do over the next few weeks and then we will be able to make a recommendation to residents as to who we should engage.

It’s important that residents understand what TDRA is doing in the context of the new MA:

• All TDRA can do is make a recommendation as to who our new MA should be. It’s the MC that will award a contract to the new MA.
• TDRA will set out the reasons we make our recommendation. We are in the process of running a competitive tendering exercise, so we are building a comparison of how each tenderer stacks up.
• The hope is that we will be able to organise an open session for residents to meet and ask questions of our recommended new MA.
• Then, the residents will need to vote on whether they are in support of the new MA. This is key to the Resident Directors having a mandate to move forward with that new MA.
• The elected Resident Directors will need to instruct the new MA at the EGM, so that a transition from FirstPort can start.

Summary

Apologies for the length of this update, but as we noted in the first sentence, we are entering a critical phase, so there’s bound to be a lot going on right now.

We will circulate separate news items about specific activities noted above shortly.