KRSA x The Roof Gardens Monthly Meeting
Date: 20th March 2025
Time: 18:00 PM
Location: TEAMS meeting
Attendees: Sue Walter; Robert Seals; Paloma Fernandez; Alex Stirling; Peder Oien
Summary
Licence Application Update
- The Probationary Licence will expire in December, and a licence application will be submitted next week to remove the temporary condition for the premises. The hearing for the application is expected to take place in June or July 2025.
- The licence application will also include the 5th floor spaces for a members’ lounge and co-working library, both of which have planning consent but are not yet licensed. The application will aim to standardise the licence for these spaces without increasing the building’s capacity.
- The Seventh-floor construction will begin in May 2025, with the restaurant scheduled to open in late October or early November 2025.
- The Sixth-floor refurbishment is planned for early 2026, aimed at refreshing the existing members’ lounge space and front lobby.
- Retrospective planning applications for the gardens (Spanish Garden, Winter Garden, Walled Garden) are still being followed up with various authorities, and a 12-seater private dining room in the gardens for exclusive lunches & dinners.
- The Special Treatments Licence for beauty and wellness events application (facials, manicures, etc.) will probably be submitted concurrently with the main premises licence. This will cover small-scale treatments between 9 AM and 6 PM.
- Following submission of the application, neighbours will be notified, and feedback will be reviewed during the next scheduled meeting on 24 April 2025.
Security, Parking, & Enforcement
- The security and parking apps have recorded 9,097 captures since the club’s opening, covering a broad range of activities including parking violations, noise complaints, and other incidents in the vicinity.
- 1,800 unique number plates have been captured in the app’s database, including registrations for members, guests, and non-members.
- The club continues to monitor and enforce parking regulations, with a focus on improving the tracking of violations and ensuring appropriate follow-up actions for offenders.
- Updated patrol routes for the security team have been agreed upon and submitted to both the Council and Police for their awareness and coordination.
- Discussion around the SIA security staff movement in the evening raised questions about timing, especially as staff are now moving slightly from the corner/gap of the square to a little further up Derry Street from time to time. Rob explained this was done to help monitor and reduce the amount of parking in Derry St early evening (mainly driven by the gym members ignoring parking rules) and to help protect the residents garage entrance on Derry St.
- The geofencing system for Bolt is under review, with the aim to replicate the model that was successfully implemented for Uber. TRG tech team are in discussions.
- Regarding parking policy enforcement:
- The current process involves warnings, followed by final warnings, and ultimately termination for repeat offenders.
- Peder suggested introducing a suspension system for offenders who violate the parking rules after receiving an in-person warning.
- Rob Seals acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing parking violations and emphasizsed the importance of capturing incidents for tracking, while Peder expressed concern over repeat offenders, advocating for immediate suspension.
- It was highlighted that new members may not always be familiar with parking rules, and some individuals who violate the rules might claim misunderstandings. However, repeat offenders will eventually face termination if warnings continue to be ignored.
- TRG note the views of the residents and will have an internal discussion on the warning process to make sure robust. TRG feels that members who do park are all followed up and that the warning process is working as shown by the increased final warning figures from last month to month.
Beauty and Wellness Events
- The beauty and wellness events application, including services like facials and manicures, will be submitted alongside the main premises licence. These events will be small-scale and aimed at adding value for members rather than large-scale gatherings.
- The application will follow the same 28-day notice period as the permanent premises licence, with residents being notified to ensure transparency and gather feedback.
- The event hours will be restricted to 9 AM to 6 PM, ensuring no disruption to the community.
- Alex raised concerns about the potential impact of these events on the club’s operations, particularly in terms of capacity and potential disturbances. However, Rob assured that the events would remain small-scale and would be clearly communicated to residents.
Tree Replacement and Garden Updates
- The fungus-affected maple tree in the Walled Garden has been removed, and a new tree will be planted on 24th March 2025.
- The new tree will be in the corner of Derry Street, closest to the square, and the project is being coordinated with the landlord.
Action Items
- Share permanent licence application updates once submitted.
- Notify local residents with a 28-day notice period as part of the licence application for the beauty events.
- Update and circulate the statistics and past complaints summary to all attendees, including feedback from the resident community.
- Continued review the parking enforcement system.
- Keep communicating parking rules clearly to new members, ensuring they understand the rules at the time of joining to avoid misunderstandings.
- Confirm the removal of the fungus-affected maple tree and the planting of the new maple tree in the Woodland Garden on 24th March.
- Confirm feasibility to implement geofencing for Bolt, similar to the system used for Uber, to improve the management of ride-share vehicles in the area.
Next meeting
- The next meeting is scheduled for 6 PM, 24th April 2025 at the Roof Gardens.