Summary of our Annual General Meeting 2026

Over 50 residents came to our 2026 AGM - making it the biggest ever - along with elected representatives and the new chair of Portal’s board. Thanks to all who took part, and extra special thanks to those who have offered their help going forward.

What we reported

Picture of the 2024 AGM (because yet again we forgot to take one this year 🤦)

ERA Chair Iain welcomed the attendees and identified reps in the room. He skipped the history of the organisation, but it’s available at the end of the above slideshow for the uninitiated.

What was discussed

Portal Board restructure was mentioned, including the introduction of the new Chair Mark Prisk and Resident Directors John Atkins and Lee Crossingham. Last year’s shake-up in board constitution was aimed to make governance of the estate management more tuned in to the needs of residents and better able to communicate about issues and progress.

ANPR cameras which replaced the oft-damaged bollards at the bus gates on Eddington Avenue were discussed, including their limited ability to discourage motorbikes and drivers willing to mount the pavement. Though some residents remain frustrated by the need to drive round Turing Way, on balance the reduction in through-traffic appears to be positively viewed.

Green waste remains high on the agenda but we await planned changes this year to adapt some (roughly 25%) blue bin chutes to accommodate new green waste containers. This requires modification of the underground structure but will also necessitate the purchase of a second bin lorry, ultimately offering better redundancy than our current single-lorry collection.

Three new pedestrian crossings are to be consructed this summer along Eddington Avenue and Turing Way. Two known sites are at the Milne Avenue crossing to the primary school gate and across the Ridgeway.

Improved designs for sports pitches replacement came as the result of a series of complaints from residents which the ERA helped to organise into a formal petition and ultimately a more community-led consultation. The resulting plan still achieves all of the University’s objectives but makes concessions important to the most affected residents.

The Eddington Community Orchestra was recognised for its continued growth and popularity within the community. The Chair thanked founder Marvin for his efforts in growing the group and offered similar support (with funding, promotion and space) to anyone else looking to start a local initiative. Members were encouraged to consider becoming a Friend of ECO to support its ongoing activities.

The heat network was discussed in light of the recently circulated message from Core, which introduced the network and set expectations around its efficiency. While forwarding residents’ concerns about both financial and environmental costs of heating their homes through the network, our committee members became concerned by levels of inefficiency; lack of timely monitoring; and potentially unfair billing practices. Core’s message was the start of a broader conversation around the network’s performance as well as that of its operator. It took the ERA over nine months of campaigning to have that single message published - these efforts will continue, please get in touch if would like to assist.

Car parking and enforcement was mentioned, asking how residents have been affected by the enforcement process. Poor mobile signal was raised as a frustration when trying to pay online. If you have experienced parking issues please send details to help us build a broader understanding.

Hotel-style rental in Present Made was raised as a concern by Present Made residents who felt it went against the agreement they had with their landlords, particularly around matters of security and use of shared facilities by strangers not neighbours. This was also related to representatives of the University’s Estates Division at the preceding Portal meeting, who will attempt to advise those residents directly.

ERA’s Social Media Presence presents an unexploited opportunity to bring different local groups into our orbit. Our current lack of skills in this area is a weakness we’re still looking to improve - please get in touch if you would be interested in contributing.

Full meeting minutes will follow this weekend.

Who was elected

All six existing committee members stood for re-election without competition and were duly re-elected. We’re still looking for someone to take the reigns of our social media accounts - please get in touch if you are interested.

Everyone is welcome to stand for election, but you don’t have to wait till next year to get involved. Becoming a champion of a local cause or volunteering to help at an event is a great first step. And after getting some experience you might consider joining the committee in future.

Elena Pascal
Support
2025 to current

Pieter Desnerck
Support
2023 to current

John Atkins
Secretary
2023 to current

James Strachan
Comms
2023 to current

Iain McMath
Chair
2023 to current

Graham Horton
Treasurer
2020 to current

Afterwards

The committee and a small group of enthusiastic residents went for a drink at the (unfairly maligned!) Star Man bar at the hotel. We should do that more often!

What’s next

A number of volunteers stepped up to support initiatives raised; to support future events; and to help run the ERA. We’re grateful to all who want to do more - interested parties are invited to our next committee meeting. It’s in mid-May - let us know if you would like to come along.