Welcome to the latest edition of the Property Team Bulletin. Read on for more information about:
- 2025 Decoration Grants
- Heating Reminder
- Upcoming Tree Survey
- Quinquennial Process
- Self-seeded saplings
Best wishes, Property Team:
Charlotte Kirby, Property Director
Barbara Young, Parsonages Estates Manager
Elizabeth Pazzi-Axworthy, Estates and Trusts Officer
Lesley Shrosbree, Property Team Administrator
Decoration Grants – deadline
As you know, the responsibility for internal decorations in your home rests with you. However, we do recognise that the cost of decorating even one or two rooms a year on a rolling programme can be quite high.
In recognition of this, the Board of Finance has again agreed to provide grants towards the cost of decorating materials for internal decorations. The Board will refund you up to a maximum of £250.
Please supply details of any internal decorations which you are proposing to carry out in 2025, together with a rough estimate of the cost of materials when you apply for a grant via this form before 31 March 2025. Please keep to neutral colours, as leaving dark and bright colours for your successor to over-paint is not a kindness.
Grants for additional funding for insulation can also be included on the form and these must be approved before you proceed.
Heating
Please remember to leave some heating on if you are going away; no one wants to come home to a flood. We recommend that the heating should be set to a minimum of 12°C at all times. It only takes a very brief time of pipes freezing to lead to major leaks.
Tree Survey
We are undertaking a tree survey in order to understand the scope of work required to trees on all our properties. You will shortly be contacted by BHA Trees in order to arrange a convenient time for the survey of your property.
Quinquennial Process
You will be aware that each property is required to have a quinquennial inspection every five years. These inspections are undertaken by the Diocesan Surveyor, Rumball Sedgewick, who will produce a report and suggest repairs. You will be contacted when it is your turn for an inspection.
We will send you a copy of the report and the suggested repairs for your comment, this will then go to the next meeting of the Property Committee for approval. We aim to complete the agreed repairs within a year, although there will occasionally be reasons why this won’t be possible. If there are works that you feel are over-due please do let us know.
Self-seeded Saplings
We all know how important it is to protect trees, however, when they self-seed into areas where they can do damage, they should be treated as weeds and be removed as soon as possible.
Seeds can be spread over huge areas, being carried on the wind and often landing in tricky places!
Whilst they might not do any damage when they’re small, as they grow, the root system will start to cause damage that is costly to repair and can endanger the structure of the building. Removal also becomes more difficult. Please make sure you remove all self-sets near house walls and drains.