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alert!! outbreak of common-sense...

The front door entryphone panel has long been a bit of a mystery - and an irritant. You canʼt type in the actual apartment number you might want - instead, you have to know and enter the developerʼs plot number, used by them during the building period.

This has been frustrating for visitors and residents alike - but will very shortly change. Weʼve found a firm who will reconfigure the panel for us in the next few weeks, after which the actual number (including the letter) for each apartment, will be whatʼs entered. New signs will also be put in place to explain the system.

WATER METERS: As reported in the last newsletter, water meters have now been fitted to every flat, so in future you only pay for what you use. United Utilities insisted on billing us (GNTMC Ltd - rather than each leaseholder) for the fitting of the meters, and this bill has now arrived.

We have asked R&R to pass the cost on to leaseholders, so you will have a bill in the next week or so.

No bill is ever good news, but we expect that many of us will recoup the cost of this one, for the meter fitting, in the first year or two of the new arrangement. For any clarification, please email matt.kirk@rendallandrittner.co.uk, or contact him by telephone on 0161 277 7610.

GNTOWER UPDATE

This update has been produced by a group of leaseholders and residents who have a positive commitment to the Great Northern Tower; four of them act as initial Directors of GNTMC Ltd, the GNT management company, following takeover from the developers in spring 2009.

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Rendall & Rittner get on with the job...

Rendall and Rittner Regional Limited (R&R) were appointed as new Managing Agents for the building from January 2010. Progress since has been good. The handover from the previous agents happened on schedule, and as youʼll have seen, redecorations have begun, that horrible carpet in the hallway has finally been replaced, and new equipment has helped lift cleaning standards.

Thatʼs stuff we can see, of course - thereʼs a lot else happened that you canʼt see or touch - such as getting to grips with collecting the 2010 service charges for the building, and addressing the arrears from previous years.

It has been an enormous help that the majority of leaseholders have now either paid their 2010 charges in full or completed a direct debit form - thanks! As promised, the Directors waited until the end of February to give everyone a chance to catch up with the changes before asking R&R and DLA Piper to pursue arrears with vigour.

Rendall & Rittner can be contacted by email at:matt.kirk@rendallandrittner.co.uk, or by telephone on 0161 277 7610.

Reach for Sky + Good news for those who want Sky+.  Our aerial system contractor Taylor Bros can now fit the necessary hardware to allow one room in your flat to useSky+.  This is the best way to get Sky+ if you want it, as private satellite dishes are not allowed to be fixed to the building. If you areinterested in the offer, look out for a letter with more details.

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operation protector 2010Greater Manchester Police are once again running Operation Protector for the Labour Party Annual Conference at Manchester Central, which will take place in late September. Similar security measures to those we’ve seen in previous years will again be implemented around the Great Northern Tower.

Our liaison officer for the third year in succession is Constable Ivan Hewitt, GMP Outer Zone Officer, based at Bootle Street Police Station. As in previous years, strict security measures will be in place for the conference, and certain checks will be conducted in respect of both residents and vehicles. While Constable Hewitt already has a good knowledge of the building, he will need to ensure he has accurate and up-to-date information on who occupies each apartment. Vehicle passes will again be required for entrance and exit to the car park during the conference period, and these passes will again need to be applied for via Constable Hewitt - by 31 August at the very latest.

To make things more convenient, in addition to door-to-door visits to apartments, this year Constable Hewitt will also be based in the entrance lobby of the building every Thursday evening between 5pm and 9pm. He will be pretty evident - see picture above! Please do stop and talk with him, or make an appointment to see him, to confirm your occupancy details and apply for a car park pass for the conference period should you need one. You can call him on 07500 607038. PC Hewitt will need:

1. Identification: ie current passport or driving licence2. Proof of residency: eg tenancy agreement if you are a tenant on a 6 or 12 month agreement3. For a vehicle pass: vehicle details ie registration number, make, model, colour and parking location of vehicle. (These details will be recorded and will form the basis of the pass to be issued at a later date, prior to the start of the conference.)

Constable Hewitt has offered to attend our next residents meeting (June or July) to deliver a presentation on the progress of the operation and give residents a chance to ask any questions.

*****IF YOU DON’T HAVE A VALID VEHICLE PASS YOUR VEHICLE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED INTO THE BUILDING DURING THE SEPTEMBER CONFERENCE PERIOD*****