Kingsgrove Resident Working Group – February 26 2026

Estate Administration & Communications

Property Updates

818 occupied units total as of Feb 2026 ; Preim currently have 752 tenants set up. The team is working on adding the remaining properties, with these primarily properties on phase 3b, and the Vistry units.

Resident Comms

Places has a 42% uptake (318 units). 61% of residents are currently contactable via email.
The developer newsletter currently at 580 subscribers.

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Maintenance

Community Hub

They are working to a target start date of April, however this is pending a number of variables with the date very much a target.

Public Square Street Lights

Contractors have replaced fuses, but the lights are no longer connected to the electrical box.
Action: Tom to verify the current status with the contractor and will liaise with developer if necessary.

Winter Planting

Planting is complete, including replacement trees. Concerns raised previously about the planted whips on 1B not being supported/creating an effective barrier to stop people walking through.
Action: Whiting’s are replacing the whips on the 1B square with some maturer hedging – this will be planted on Monday 2nd March. Once planted, Tom to review if any furtherwork needed to ensure the area is effectively blocked.

Phase 1B ‘Rough Area’

Redelivery is scheduled for late March when the weather is drier. Turf will be laid instead of seed. Residents will monitor and water as necessary.

Tree Maintenance – Woodland Walk

Overhanging trees near the pathway will be addressed by the tractor/flail team in the 2nd or 3rd week of March, weather permitting. Works have been delayed to the recent wet weather, and the likely damage that would be called to the soft landscaping as a result.

Dog Bins

Standard bins (to allow for future relocation) are on order with a 4-5 week lead time. Expected installation by the end of March.

Tree Survey

James noted a woodland area was missing from the survey; Tom confirmed this has raised this with Ligna. One tree recommended for removal/replacement was already planted by Whiting’s prior to the survey; Tom is querying this. No TPOs are in place. Quotes for replacements will be obtained later in the year.

Tree Removals

Tom confirmed that no trees will be removed until replacements are ready to go in, unless the tree is posing a H&S risk, which there are none noted on the tree survey.

Grass Cutting

Scheduled to resume in the 3rd or 4th week of March due to current wet ground conditions.

Woodland Walk Flooding

Whiting’s’ civils team has surveyed the flooded pathway and is preparing a report (likely a drainage issue). Remedial work will take place later in the year when drier. Akos suggested the developer should cover the costs. Tom advised that a report is needed to prove it is a build defect; otherwise, funding may come from the Service Charge, the Council (if adopted), or Open Space Transfer (OST) funds.

Fenced-Off Area (Woodland Walk)

Tom confirmed residents have contacted them regarding this, with Sami confirming the same. The issue has been raised with the developer to address and an update is awaited.

Signage

Akos requested the removal of obsolete signs (bus gate diversion signs, signs near the flats/St Modwen sign, school gate corner, and opposite the Co-op).
Action: Tom to ask Whiting’s to remove these.

Handovers (OST 5 & 6)

Not yet snagged due to weather issues however will be the next area reviewed for handover to KEMCL.

Council Adoption

The council are still intending to take management of the woodland walk, with discussions on going between the developer and the council on how this will impact the open space funds.

Allotments

Queries received from residents, with these directed to the council. No firm date on opening yet.

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Finances

Accounts

Accounts are being prepared. S106 contribution this year is £130k due to additional areas handed over since last accounts, benefiting the service charge. A £67k surplus is expected.

Reserve Fund

The fund is currently healthy at just over £70k.

Utilities

Anticipating incoming electricity costs as supplies transfer to ManCo; lighting associated with the Central Park/pavilion area.

Debtors

Estate debt is at £4k. Only individual debts over £350 are referred to debt collection.

Unregistered Properties

Properties not yet on the system will face backdated charges to the date of completion once details are received/provided. This will result in a temporary spike in income, which will show in the accounts.

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Community & Any Other Business (AOB)

Resident Drop-ins (Zoe)

The first drop-in had a good turnout despite poor weather. Residents expressed interest in outdoor community events (e.g., “Picnic in the Park” with food vendors).
Action: Akos volunteered to assist with planning and will liaise with Zoe.

Next Drop-in

5th March, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM at the school. Sovereign are planning to attend. SOHA may attend a future session.

Future Venues

Exploring using Wantage Town Football Club facilities for future drop-ins to increase attendance.

Noticeboard

No current update.
Action: Tom to chase up Co-Op.

Pitches & MUGA Booking

Akos inquired about residents renting pitches/facilities. Booking forms will be available, but pricing has not yet been set.

Resident Rep Contact

James confirmed all reps use the format [firstname]@kingsgrove-residents.co.uk and utilise a WhatsApp group for coordination. All reps can be emailed at reps@kingsgrove-residents.co.uk.

Traffic

Akos inquired about the installation of speed bumps; James confirmed this will not happen due to the adoption process on the roads.

Admin

James added Zoe to the automated notification system for the ‘Kingsgrove Issues Tracker’ and thanked Sami for assistance with adding items to the tracker.