Windmill Estate Maintenance Company Ltd

Welcome

Welcome to the Windmill Estate Maintenance Company Ltd! We are an organisation run by volunteers to manage the upkeep of the communal areas on the Windmill Estate in Widmer End.

The Directors meet once a month to discuss the matters relating to the estate and organise improvements. There is an Annual general Meeting when a report on the year’s work is made and accounts presented. Whilst explaining about the work of the company we would like to point out that the Windmill parade is not the responsibility of the company. The shops and flats above are leasehold with their own management agent with responsibility for the area surrounding the shops.

Our registered office address is Blaser Mills Solicitors, Chalfont Court, 5 Hill Avenue, Amersham, Bucks. HP6 5BD (Tel: 01494 788026 or 0203 814 2020). Our Companies House number is 01034403.

History of The Estate

The original developer of the estate in the 1960’s was local builder George White & Sons (Hazlemere) Ltd. In obtaining permission to build the estate he agreed to include communal greens for the benefit of the residents. Wycombe District Council (then known as the Rural District Council) had insufficient funds to include the additional maintenance cost of new housing developments in the area, so the developer had to agree to maintain approximately:

3 acres of greens
1000 square yards of communal garage forecourt
1000 yards of footpath
Ad hoc areas of walls and interwoven fencing.

He passed the costs on to each house owner who, in purchasing the property, agreed to enter into a covenant payment of £10 per annum (the annual fee due in 2024 being £95 payable by 1^st July each year and will rise in future to keep pace with increased costs). If George White had not agreed to this method the properties would have been sold as leasehold with an annual ground rent or an estate Management Company appointed with power to levy the fee. In 1966 the Residents Association became a Limited Company and took over the responsibility of the maintenance. To pay for the maintenance, the Residents Association (as it was called at the time) also obtained the right under the Covenant on each property to collect the annual charge; your solicitor should have arranged for you to sign this before forwarding it to WEMC at time of purchase.

Windmill Estate Maintenance Company Limited (as it is now known) is made up of volunteer Estate residents who meet regularly to review queries/issues/contracts thus enabling the Estate to function efficiently and be as cost-effective as possible. Our Committee give their personal time and effort whilst juggling families and careers. We employ an Accounts Company to oversee all transactions and produce annual accounts plus we have Blaser Mills Solicitors to advise on legal aspects. The only paid member on our Committee is the Administrator who collects the annual charge from each property and carries out the day to day running of the Company, we also have an Estate Manager. The Estate should be maintained in an open plan manner and any alterations to property or boundaries must be approved by the Council and WEMC (please refer to our Consent Document).

We hold an Annual General Meeting open to all residents (usually in October) when a report on the current financial situation and maintenance issues concerning our estate are covered. The Parade on Georges Hill is not within WEMC’s remit; the shops and flats above are leasehold and have their own managing agent with responsibility for the area surrounding the shops.

Notices for Owners/Future Owners

Planning Permission for Extensions, Alterations and front boundaries – Under the Title Deeds of your property, if you plan to extend/alter your property OR are thinking of enclosing a front garden, you must get permission firstly from the Council, and then from WEMC. Please provide us with the approved plans for our consideration (WEMC Consent document refers), always bearing in mind we try to maintain a presentable open-plan aspect to the Estate and clear visibility at junctions is of paramount importance.

In the event of permission NOT being applied for beforehand, problems will arise in the sale of a property causing costly delays and if retrospective WEMC approval is sought there may be a charge of £100.

Parking Problems and Vehicles – Always an issue which impacts most residents causing complaints and neighbour-related frustration! PLEASE park considerately to allow access for the emergency services, council lorries and buses. Obviously, keep off footpaths where possible to avoid problems for wheelchair users/parents with children and buggies AND always ensure easy access for garage users and clear visibility at junctions there are legal implications if these actions are not followed. Parking issues are not something WEMC can be involved in but if a car is causing a dangerous situation it may be reported to Police, otherwise please refer to FixMyStreet website.

Dog Fouling – Dog waste bins are provided for easy disposal, but we rely on dog owners to respect our environment and to “scoop the poop”. Our greens have been designated as play areas NOT dog toilets within the Deed of Covenant we should all adhere to. So please ~ if you have dogs .. clean up after them.

Other problems – Issues regarding the roads, this includes street signs, drainage, public footpaths, potholes, fly tipping, dumped vehicles and blocked drains etc., should be reported online to www.fixmystreet.com who will redirect your problem to the correct department, as these matters are out of our control. To report street lights not working please call 01494 715296 (Hughenden Parish Council) and reference the number on relevant pole.

Trees/Bushes – WEMC is required to keep a 2m clearance on our estate trees so that pedestrians can walk freely under them. Any trees or bushes that fall within the demise of the homeowner are the responsibility of the homeowner to cut back and maintain. Also all boundary hedging and trees must be kept tidy and not cause an obstruction to the footpath – this is a requirement on the Deed of Covenant and also Local Council. Should you need assistance with maintenance, we do have a contract estate gardener and tree surgeon and would be more than happy to provide you with their contact details.

Just a Note – Our homes are the largest investment we are ever likely to make. WEMC puts in a considerable amount of effort to keep the communal areas attractive and a desirable place to live. Your assistance in maintaining your gardens and the areas around your home (as noted in the Deed) not only enhances your environment and neighbourly relations, but keeps Widmer End a very marketable area! We hope that adults, teenagers and children have respect for the estate and its residents so please consider others at all times.

Membership of WEMC – Each owner automatically becomes a Member with a right to vote and have a say at the Annual General Meeting. We all (including the WEMC committee) have to pay our annual subscription as a legal requirement as stated on the deed when buying a property on the estate.

If you have an hour or so to spare each month, we welcome new committee members to bring a different perspective to our “team”. We generally meet on the first Monday of the month – if you are interested please contact our administrator on 07394 332 262 or come along to our next AGM (generally in October) and we can explain what we do. If you’re able to join us we’re sure you will enjoy being a part of the Committee.

There can sometimes be confusion with WERA (Widmer End Residents Association) whose Group cover ALL residents in the village. They produce an interesting quarterly magazine delivered to your door covering local events, services and issues plus policing and Neighbourhood Watch too plus WERA are pro-active regarding planning issues for Widmer End and the surrounding areas.

We hope this has been of some help and interest to you. From time to time we issue a brief Newsletter which can be seen within the Widmer End News magazine, on our website or on the Notice Board.