Dear Residents,

We are writing to update you of a possible soil issue that has been identified in some of the main planters on the estate, and to explain the steps we are taking to address it.

What has happened

We have been advised that there could be Aspergillus, a common soil fungus, in some of our main planters. This is a naturally occurring organism found in soil everywhere, and its presence does not pose a risk to most people going about their daily lives on the estate. 

However, we have been advised by the Environmental Health Office that anyone with respiratory conditions (such as asthma or COPD) or a weakened immune system should avoid direct contact with the soil in these planters, including gardening or handling the soil.

If this applies to you or someone in your household, we would ask that you avoid working in or disturbing the soil in the main planters for the time being. If you have any concerns about your own health in relation to this, please speak to your GP.

What we are doing about it

We are taking this seriously and are acting on expert advice at each step:

• We have reported the issue to the Environmental Health Office, who have confirmed the appropriate precautions outlined above.
  
• We are arranging for a local horticultural school to visit the estate and carry out soil testing, so that we have a clear picture of the condition of the soil across all the planters and can plan the right long-term remedy.
  
• On the advice of the Royal Horticultural Society, we will work to remedy the soil in any affected planters as soon as possible and get planting! This will reduce the amount of fungal spore that can become airborne, particularly on windy days.

A note of thanks

We would like to thank our volunteer gardener, Daniel, who has looked after the estate’s planters for many years and whose dedication has brought a great deal of benefit to the whole community. We know it will be disappointing for him to step back from this work for now. 

We will keep you updated as these progresses. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please do get in touch with the Management Committee.

Kind regards,

Odhams Management Committee