LIVING AT HELENA COURT, HIGHLANDS GARDENS
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Photo: T. Gilling
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improvements
Helena Court is a beautiful Victorian building with spacious and pleasant gardens. But it is subject to high costs for essential maintenance works to brickwork and the roof plus internal and external painting on top of routine cleaning, gardening etc. Reversing years of neglect, the Residents Association's priority in the 1990s and early 2000s was to get a grip on these major recurring works. But lack of forward planning and thus money meant improvements didn't happen, leaving Helena Court below the standard leaseholders and residents expect. Beginning in 2003, multi-year maintenance plans have made provision for such works. These have included re-paving the front pathways in sturdy and attractive herringbone brick, basic repair of the bins area, the installation of a modern, regulations-compliant fire detection and alarm system, electrical re-wiring in the common ways, and tree surgery and some restoration work in the gardens. These works were complete by the end of 2009. A long-standing project relates to the proper refurbishment of the rubbish bin area. A plan appears below. This project has been expanded to include resurfacing the steps to the main basement area to improve safety, repair of the small garden wall next to the east-side front entrance and restoration of the ground-level rear walls. The project is budgeted and will be achieved in stages beginning in 2010. Other projects are to restore metal railings so as to improve the security of the property and to install satellite antennas serving the entire property. These await budget becoming available.
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Proposed new design of the rubbish bin area (as seen from the road).
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