06/05/2026
Development Update – Encore/U&C
Encore
Tracey provided an update on the tree guards. They normally wouldn’t be removed as they protect the trees, but it’s been noted that some of the tree guards don’t have trees in them. Tracey will speak to Whitings regarding this.
A tree survey was recently completed at the end of March, and out of over 600 trees, only 14 require any recommended work.
Whitings are regularly cutting the grass. There have been some complaints over speed and reports of damage from stones. Tracey will speak to Whitings regarding this.
Tracey has also raised a work order for Whitings to remove the dumped rubbish on Senliz Road, she will follow up with them again. There are considerations for signage around flytipping to deter people from repeatedly leaving rubbish on the streets.
Tracey noted that there are reported brown-tail moths around hedgerows. There will be treatment applied for this, but it doesn’t harm humans or animals.
It has been reported on Facebook that there are poison hemlock weeds around the estate – these are known down Swynford Road, in the Morris Homes section up by Windsor Road, and in the Redrow block. Tracey will let the Whitings and Property Management team at U&C know so they can resolve this.
There was a query around leatherjackets in the grass, Tracey advised these should be reported so they can be treated as necessary.
In regards to IBC at Windsor Road allotments, Whitings will be monitoring water levels, but ultimately act upon instruction of the Property Management team at U&C.
U&C
There have been reports of children by the bus stops near the flats causing nuisance and a potential danger to themselves and others. Natalie will look further into this query.
A drinking water fountain was requested by the skatepark, however this is unlikely due to logistics of water implementation.
The NHS works have started for the surgery above Co-op, and the steels for the shops outside Co-op will be in by the end of the month.
The concrete by Redrow is coming up so they can finish the houses. This started last week and is set to last 6 weeks from the start date.
Hopkins have seemed to have reseeded an area of land with grass seed rather than wildflower seed – Natalie will look into this further.
Community Garden Update
The Community Garden is rooted in the community, growing knowledge, and flourishing together. They aim to improve health and wellbeing, inspire young people, bring the community together, share knowledge, and support ecological practices and biodiversity.
The garden has thrived this year. They’ve grown loads of lovely produce – everything from herbs and garlic through to broccoli and leeks. They’ve also got quite a few young fruit trees planted, and fingers crossed we’ll start seeing fruit from them this year. They’ve held some recent activities: gardening club, making eco bird feeders and mini bug hotels, planting day, and a composting workshop.
The AW Community Garden Group meets on the first Saturday of every month if anyone wants to get involved in planning and sharing ideas for the garden.
Dates coming up:
Saturday, 30th May is the next Gardening Club date
28th June, is the Hidden Gardens event – they’re planning a garden treasure hunt with homemade lemonade, elderflower juice, and cakes
Prestley Wood Academy is also supporting the creation of a bug hotel this summer.
Keep an eye on social media pages and Eventbrite for all the latest activities and updates.
Beer Festival Follow-Up & Watch Office Update
David from The Watch Office provided a follow-up from the Beer Festival last month.
It was their first beer festival, and it involved lots of organisation ahead of the event. They had 16 different ales from mostly local breweries, 4 ciders, and 3 lagers. They had options for everyone, including non-alcoholic, gluten-free, and vegan drinks. It was noted by residents that the live music was a great touch for the event. Friday and Saturday were extremely busy, with Sunday quietening down.
They recognised some improvements for next time. The menu board for the BBQ did not state the options for vegetarians so some people assumed the options were not available. They would also like to have something for younger children coming with their parents. There were suggestions for big garden games, and potentially having the Friday and Saturday as more adult-oriented, with the Sunday more focused on families with activities for children.
The Watch Office will be hosting an Oktoberfest event on the third weekend of October on the Friday and Saturday.
They will also have a mobile bar, which will be introduced at the beginning of the cricket season when the cricket teams play.
They will also be hosting sessions for the World Cup at The Pavilion for the initial group games. These will be June 17th, 23rd, and 27th. There will be a mobile bar, a BBQ, jacket potatoes, as well as of course an area to watch the games. It will be free to enter, and there is no need to book.
They’ll be opening around 7pm. For the 17th and 23rd, kickoff is at 9pm, and they hope to close up by 11.30pm/midnight. The game on the 27th will kick off by 10pm, and they will close by midnight. We’ll have to see how England progresses through the tournament!
A reminder that The Watch Office operates a Challenge 25 policy, so for all events (as well as attending their regular location), please bring ID to make sure you’ll be served.
The next ‘Fancy a Pint?’ event will be on the 18th May. This event is designed as a ‘night for the lads to get together, have a drink, and finally meet the people they keep walking past.’ ‘It’s all about the simple stuff: a drink, a chat, and not being strangers anymore.’
There was a suggestion to make the bench areas more comfortable, particularly for evenings. The Watch Office said they’ll be getting some blankets, and are open to suggestions for more comfortable seating, such as cushion pads on the benches.
There was a query around turning the gravel area into a more accessible resin area. The Watch Office have looked into this, but unfortunately the quote was over £100k so this is very unlikely, but they will continue to look into options.
It was also noted that the stones outside The Watch Office are slowly migrating into the grass close by, and consideration should be made when cutting the grass due to the presence of stones. Natalie noted this will be passed to Tracey at Encore.
Food Festival Update
Preparations are well underway for the Food Festival.
The Community Association decided by majority vote to reach out to more vendors for non-food stalls. We currently have 2 or 3, with space to have more.
We would like the Community Association to have a stall at the Food Festival. To make this work, we need volunteers to help man the stall, as well as considerations for what we will do on the stand. We have some toys left over, so we could potentially do a raffle for children. The Co-op may also donate raffle prizes.
Natalie confirmed we will have a flyover (weather dependent).
Hidden Gardens Feedback
Jacqui is championing the Hidden Gardens event, and Beth has been gathering feedback through a survey. Unfortunately, there has not been much feedback so far, so if you would like to voice your opinion, please complete the survey.
So far, the feedback suggests that it would be great to have something to get children involved, such as a trail or children’s activity.
Posters for the event are published on social media. However, we need people to open their gardens, as we currently only have 2, including the Community Garden. The event will be on the 28th of June, tickets will be £2 minimum, and all proceeds will go to Magpas Air Ambulance. The Watch Office, Swynford Coffee, and The Co-op have all agreed to sell tickets for the event.
If you have questions about the event, or are considering opening your garden, please email hiddengardensofaw@gmail.com.
Noticeboard Charges
The AWCA only controls the noticeboard by Ermine Street Church Academy down Swynford Road. Both the noticeboard by The Co-op and the noticeboard by the Community Garden are not controlled by the Community Association.
There will be another noticeboard coming in the next few months by Elizabeth Walk, which will also be controlled by AWCA.
A vote was held to decide how to charge for the AWCA noticeboard: a monthly charge of £2, £5, or £10. The Community Association decided by majority to vote to charge £5 per month to businesses wanting to advertise on the AWCA noticeboard. There will be parameters in place, such as a maximum size of A5. This charge will not include community association notices, charities, and community events.
We will make it clear on that noticeboard that all charges will go directly back in to the community association, so the charge for businesses is justified and explained.
We will eventually look to establish a way for automated payments to be taken for this, but a few things are needed to be put in place first.
Finance Update
Invoices have been sent out to vendors for the Food Festival. We currently have about £3,400, based on money in the bank account and invoices outstanding.
Prize Draw
If you’d like to join the membership to be in with a chance of winning in the Prize Draw, please follow this link to sign up: https://bit.ly/AWCACommunityPrizeDraw. The membership is £25 annually, and there is a monthly prize draw. 50% of membership fees go directly to the Community Association, and 50% goes to the prize draw. The bigger the membership fund gets, the bigger the prize draw gets.
1st place – £14.50 – AWCA0006
2nd place – £8.75 – AWCA0010
3rd place – £5.75 – AWCA0024
It was suggested that the membership would be great to promote at the Food Festival, if there is a Community Association stall. The Watch Office are also happy to put a poster up to promote this.
AOB
Remember to vote! You only need to bring your ID to vote (as long as you are registered), so don’t worry if you haven’t received a polling card.
Gill is championing the Garage Sale event. This will be held in August, with more details to be confirmed.
The next Community Association meeting will be Wednesday, 3rd June at 7.30pm.
Any questions, please email us at alconburywealdca@gmail.com.