On 30th October the Parish Council hosted an open meeting for residents and homeowners of properties in MH1 to provide an overview of plans regarding the future ownership, management and maintenance of the Open Spaces.
At the meeting it was agreed that the Parish Council would provide updates on Monkton Matters to keep homeowners appraised of progress.
A recap of what is planned
The two Management Companies for properties in MH1 will merge and will maintain the public open spaces and the ownership of the public open space land will be transferred to the Parish Council.
As landowners, the Parish Council will be able to elect up to three Parish Councillors to be Directors on the Management Company, the remainder (being up to six) of the Directors on the Management Company will be homeowners who are members of the Management Company.
Collectively the Directors will make decisions about the ongoing maintenance of the Public Open Space.
The proposal will mean that you, as a homeowner and member of the Management Company, will pay an annual sum to the Management Company.
Update on timescales
It was originally hoped that this would all be in place for 1st January 2024 but due to matters beyond the control of the Parish Council, this isn’t going to be achieved.
Although the delay is disappointing, it is possible for the annual charge to be paid on a pro-rata basis. For example, if the Management Company doesn’t start managing / maintaining the open space until 1st April, a bill will be produced for 9 months of the year rather than the full 12 months.
Queries that were raised at the meeting
Some queries were raised at the meeting on 30th October, answers to these are provided below:
What is the annual service charge likely to be?
The Parish Council has obtained quotations for the management and maintenance of the open space to be able to provide an estimate. From these quotations it is hoped that the annual service change will not exceed £200.00 per year per property.
Can the annual service charge be paid on a monthly basis?
Yes, the Management Company can direct that the Service Charge can be paid in instalments, at no additional cost to the homeowner.
How will Directors be selected?
Once the Management Company becomes operational, the existing Developer Directors will be changed to up to three Parish Council nominations and the Agent managing the estate on behalf of the Management Company will contact all homeowners for interest in becoming a Director.
A further update will be provided in due course once timescales are clearer. If you have any queries regarding the information provided in this update or have any other questions, please contact Amy Shepherd, Clerk of the Parish Council (clerk@westmonktonparishcouncil.gov.uk).