Estate Essentials
By Helen Hudson Estate matters
Key contact points for the Barbican Estate Office
Whether you are a new leaseholder/resident or you have lived on the Barbican Estate for a while, having key contact points easily available for the Barbican Estate Office (BEO) will make your residency just a little bit easier. So below find key telephone numbers and email addresses for contacting the BEO on various matters.
All general enquiries
Reception: 0207 029 3958
Barbican.Estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Repairs
Report a Barbican Estate repair by email propertyservices@cityoflondon.gov.uk or by phone 0207 029 3909
Out of Hours Service
Often the simplest point of contact is your concierge or car park attendant, who can escalate the issue to the engineer on duty. The contact numbers for the Car Park Attendants and Concierges can be found here.
Report a specific issue
Dockless e-bikes (Lime/Forest) left on the podium: Email the Estate Office – Barbican.Estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk – with the subject ‘Lime Bikes’
Report noise nuisance: Call 020 7606 3030 or visit the City of London website
Reporting broken lights in public areas: dbebarbicanlighting@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Barbican Bulletin
If you would like to submit content for the weekly bulletin: barbicancommunication@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Find out more about London Fire Brigade’s free Home Fire Safety Visits and free smoke alarm installation.
Visit the Barbican Estate website
Residents Information Pack
It is important for all Barbican Estate residents to be aware of the do’s and don’ts of living on our Estate. It used to be that the Residents Information Pack was a small printed handbook that was given to new leaseholders when moving into the estate.
But now you can find all the useful information online via the City of London website.
Find below the link to the City of London website and information on anything and everything to do with living in the Barbican Estate. Happy reading.
Garchey Waste Disposal System (this originates in the Residents Information Pack)
Many residents whose flats still have the Garchey waste disposal system should be aware of the importance of having the system cleaned on a monthly basis. Not doing so can result in unpleasant smells not only in your flat, but also those of your neighbours. Above we refer to regular cleaning as opposed to blockages that may require emergency repair. You can contact the BEO Repairs team via email, telephone or via the newly launched Barbican Estate App to arrange emergency repairs if the system is blocked and not flushing. If you would like to have your Garchey cleaned regularly and pay for the service, then speak to one of the concierges or car park attendants who will help you to make arrangements. If you wish to be adventurous and are handy with DIY, the BEO Repairs team will even give you a demonstration on how to disassemble and clean the Garchey yourself.
Please also note that all food waste should now be disposed of via the food waste recycling collection boxes that are provided to all flats.
Below is information from the Residents Information Pack as indicated in the previous section of this e-Update.
A Garchey Refuse Disposal Unit was originally installed underneath each kitchen sink to take most of your normal waste materials. However, you should now dispose of items which can be recycled in the clear sacks provided.
If blockages occur they should be reported at once to the Repairs Reporting Line; do not use the Garchey until the blockage has been cleared. To report issues with your Garchey email Repairs Service Desk on propertyservices@cityoflondon.gov.uk or call 020 7029 3909, 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
A number of residents have removed the Garchey unit and installed alternative waste disposal systems. In these cases whilst the maintenance of the existing Garchey pipe work remains the responsibility of the City of London Corporation as Landlord, any new installation within the flat becomes the responsibility of the long lessee who will nonetheless remain liable to contribute towards the maintenance of the Garchey system via the service charge under the terms of the long lease.
The Garchey must not be used between 11pm and 7am to prevent noise disturbance to other people.
At regular intervals (once a month) the unit should be dismantled and cleaned. You can request a demonstration of how to do this by calling the Repairs Service Desk.
When leaving your flat unoccupied, it is good practice to insert the Garchey key provided for dismantling the unit into the slots located at the top of the Garchey unit. (Do not turn). This will reduce the risk of flooding should a blockage occur in the system.
It is not possible to recover items deposited in the Garchey Refuse Disposal Unit once flushed away. However if something valuable is inadvertently deposited in the Garchey unit, then it should NOT be flushed and you should notify the Repairs Service Desk immediately. An attempt can then be made to recover the item, but no guarantee or responsibility can be accepted by the City Corporation.
Items which are not disposed of via the Garchey system will be collected on weekdays for disposal or recycling.
If any repair or demonstration on how to use the Garchey is required, please call the Repairs Service Desk to arrange access/ a suitable time. There is no additional charge for this service.
Note: A Garchey cleaning service is not provided as this is the responsibility of residents.
- Please flush your Garchey, even if not used regularly, at least once a day to change the water in the system, thus reducing the likelihood of stale water smells rising from the unit.
- Food waste and even broken glass can be disposed of through the Garchey system, as once it is flushed there is no manual handing of the waste beyond that point.
- Please do not put plastic bags or any other material that traps air inside, as this can lead to the objects not ‘flushing away’ and potentially causing a blockage of the unit.
- When disposing of plant/flower materials through the Garchey, please cut the stems down to no more than 10cm lengths.
Kitchen and Bathroom ventilation cleaning
Like the Garchey system, the original Barbican kitchens and bathrooms have extractors that get rid of unpleasant kitchen smells and bathroom smells. The original system does not use electrical fans but uses convection or the height of our building like a chimney to help naturally extract smells. These vents should be cleaned regularly in order to prevent smells not only within your own flat but smells that may carry to common parts and your neighbour’s flats.
Below find some more useful information provided in the Residents Information Pack.
Barbican flats have extractor vents in the bathrooms and kitchens that provide ventilation and reduce the problems of condensation which sometimes occur. Vents need to be cleaned every 12-18 months to ensure they work effectively.
The vents above your windows which allow fresh air to enter should never be completely closed or obstructed as this will reduce the efficiency of the ventilation system.
Arrangements can be made to have vents cleaned to ensure that they are in good working order by contacting the Repairs Service Desk 020 7029 3909 or make a repairs request via the Barbican Estate App.
Barbican Association and RCC Links
It is important for all of us to stay informed of the important topics of discussion at the Barbican Association (BA) and Residents Consultation Committee (RCC) and matters these two important groups address on behalf of residents on the Barbican Estate.
For those who may be new to the estate, in a nutshell, the Barbican Association represents residents on discussions with the Barbican Estate Office (BEO) and City of London Corporation (CoL) on numerous issues such as our leases, maintenance of the Barbican Estate and planning applications surrounding the estate that may impact on the quality of life on the estate itself. For example, if there is an issue with the underfloor heating breaking down in winter in a building or the estate, then the BA can make representations on our behalf to the BEO requesting urgent repairs. To read more on the BA’s mission visit the following this link About the Barbican Association. You can also browse through the library of current and older BA Newsletters via this link BA Newsletters
The RCC represents residents on matters that relate to our leases and service charges The RCC reviews and audits service charges on our behalf to ensure they are accurate given the data provided. To read more click on the link RCC.
You can also stay informed on happenings throughout the estate and our neighbourhood by reading Barbican Life. Many of you receive the printed edition through your post, but if you wish to access electronic copies including back issues, then click here Barbican Life
Other Useful Links
Barbican Talk – Independent message board website
Barbican Living – Independent website crammed full of facts about the Estate
This page will evolve – please send suggestions to newsletter@barbicanassociation.co.uk