Newsletter Summer 2015

A very warm welcome!

A very warm welcome to new residents and those of you who are now around for the summer holidays which, we hope will be a scorcher! Please remember to let us have your email address for future correspondence if you have not already sent it in and, should it change, please remember to inform us directly of your new email address.

Estate Roads

The Estate roads have been patched and repaired and Allan Road, Hodgson Road and Bowyer Road were redressed before the weather deteriorated prior to Christmas. St Marys Grove was patch repaired but was not redressed as construction works were ongoing to a number of properties along St Marys Grove or accessed from St Marys Grove and planning permission for two new properties had just been applied for in the grounds of 84 St Marys Grove and a further planning application has recently been submitted for 10 St Marys Grove.

Preston Parade, when inspected, the tarmac was seen to crazing and we were advised that thicker tar base should be applied to seal the cracking and crazing and to receive the road dressing of chippings. The surfacing was carried out from Allan Road to St Marys Grove junction in February but was then stopped due to the inclement weather. In May the remaining section of Preston Parade and Fairway Crescent were tarred and dressed and rolled but the finish was disappointing and tar started to bleed through and this was enhanced by the extremely hot weather in June.

The contractors advised us that they would return and redress with 6mm chippings and roll this into the 10mm chippings previously applied to stop the tar bleeding through and to provide a more satisfactory finish. This seemed quite acceptable but the main supplier of the stone dressing, Bretts at Cliffe, were unable to provide the stone due to a shortage of stock and that what little they had they required for their manufacture of paviors. The contractors tried other possible building material stockists without success and eventually resorted to a light dressing of sand to the worst patches of tar on 3rd July. Once the 6mm stone is available the contractor will redress and roll to improve the finish and stop the tar. Road traffic if driven within the 12 mph speed limit should not cause any further damage to the transport or the roads but many of the delivery vehicles drive to fast.

Gate Closure at Admiralty Walk entrance.

We have refused Durtnells access through the Estate in connection with the Admiralty Walk £2m new build as we will the contractors for no 11 AW once we know who they are and as is the policy for all New Builds in AW to protect the roads, reduce inconvenience, noise and disruption to residents. The Architects are advised that there is no access as soon as we are advised of the planning application submission so that they can advise the tendering contractors and that they can build in the additional cost in their tenders. We are unable to close the gate at AW as a furniture delivery van from AW reversed into it!!

Granville Cliff Estate Company Limited Shares.

There are still a number of residents that are not share holders and our accountants have advised us that it is in the residents interest to be a shareholder as being one gives the resident a right of access over the Estate Roads and Company Land.

When a property is put up for sale the very first questions that the buyers solicitor asks us is “does the owner have a share certificate?” and if the answer is ”No” then sales have been known to fall through as the solicitors are always concerned about the right of access. In some cases (usually following the death of the owner) properties have changed hands without the share being transferred leaving the new owner without a legal right of access. If the property share is lost we can arrange to have it replaced. If the property has never had a share certificate issued we can provide a new share at a cost of £200.00 (The original purchase price as at 1998). Our accountants charge a fee of £30.00 + £6.00 VAT (total £36.00) for issuing a replacement share or a new share. The Granville Cliff Estate Co. Ltd. does not charge a fee for either.

To obtain a Deed of Grant which provides a Right of Way for Perpetuity i.e. access for 80 years from the date of the issue of the Deed of Grant which is the perpetuity period applicable to the deed. The deed is available from our solicitors Furley Page at a cost of approximately £450.00 but the Deed of Grant is only available to share holders. This ensure access even if the Granville Cliff Estate Co. Ltd. ceased to exist.

For further information or advice please get in touch via our contact page.

2015 ANNUAL SERVICE CHARGE – IF NOT PAID – IT IS NOW OVERDUE

The annual charge runs from 1st January to 31st December and we are now in July so please pay if you have not done so. Please remember overdue accounts will incur an additional Administration Fee of £20 per year. Should you choose to pay by instalments this will incur an Administration Fee of £5.00 making your total annual fee £105.00

Streetlife

What is ‘streetlife’?

About Streetlife: it is a British social network for local communities. They appear to have a simple aim: to help people make the most of where they live by connecting with their neighbours and sharing practical information, advice and resources.

How did the idea for Streetlife come about?

One of our founders was burgled on the night he moved into a new home in Battersea, London. He wanted to get in touch with his neighbours but didn’t have their contact details and felt awkward about knocking on doors.
He realised there was a need for a simple way to connect with his local community and exchange practical information and advice, and so the idea of Streetlife was born.

What happened next?

They launched a pilot version of Streetlife three years ago, initially only in the London Borough of Wandsworth.

Where is Streetlife available?

You can sign up anywhere in Great Britain, but our longest established communities are in Greater London, Anglia, South East England and North Somerset.
They are now rolling out Streetlife on a county-by-county basis, so new communities are coming to life every week.

Who uses Streetlife?

Streetlife is a place for every member of the community – residents, groups, local authorities and businesses – to discover and discuss local issues and initiatives.
Users are male and female, and the majority are aged from 30 to 80. Many Streetlife users don’t use other social media, so the site is as simple as possible to enable people who are less confident with digital technology to participate.
As with any community, they have very active users who contribute daily, and those who dip in occasionally to be kept in the loop about what’s going on, or ask a question when they want to tap into the wealth of local knowledge.
The one thing all Streetlife users have in common is that they care about their local area, and want to build a better connected community.
Check this out, it costs nothing. https://www.streetlife.com