The History and Background
For several years, the Parish Council has been working with Redrow Homes and Persimmon Homes and Somerset Council to ensure the completion of the public open space in the Monkton Heathfield Phase One (MH1) development.
The build of MH1 commenced in 2016/17, although the outline planning permission for the development was granted in 2008 and the legal agreement (Section 106 agreement) providing the legal obligations that must be delivered by the development was drafted and agreed at the same time.
The legal agreement required, upon completion of the public open spaces, for them to be either transferred to the District / County Council or to a Management Company, to be maintained and managed.
The District / County Council confirmed that it did not want to take ownership of the public open space, leaving only the Management Company route.
Where a management company has been established the ownership of the public open space is normally transferred to it, once the developer/s have built out the development, and the management company then charge its members (homeowners) an annual sum (referred to as a Service Charge) to cover the cost of maintaining the public open space.
There are two Management Companies (Monkton Heathfield Management Company Limited and Pavilion Gardens (Monkton Heathfield) Management Company Limited) that were established to oversee the future maintenance of the Public Open Space. The Management Companies are present within the purchase transfers (where the property was purchase was directly from Persimmon Homes and Redrow Homes) and deeds of covenant entered into (where the property is purchased from an existing resident of the development) that have been signed when properties are purchased.
There is a provision for the payment of a Service Charge to the Management Company included in the previously referred legal documents in relation to properties purchased in the Development.
Rather than proceeding with just the Management Company route, and homeowners in MH1 covering the full cost of maintaining, improving and managing the public open space, the Parish Council has worked to negotiate another option, where by it can also contribute to and influence how the public open space is maintained and managed.
The Approach
The Management Companies that are in place will maintain the Public Open Space but the ownership of the public open space land is transferred to the Parish Council.
As landowners, the Parish Council is be able to elect up to three Parish Councillors to be Directors on the Management Company, the remainder 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.
What does this mean for homeowners?
This approach means that homeowners and members of the Management Company, will pay an annual sum to the Management Company, collected on its behalf by Managing Agents.
The appointment of the Parish Council as Directors of the Management Company will allow for the Parish Council, if agreed, to:
- Make a financial contribution towards the maintenance of the public open space, thereby reducing the annual sum payable by homeowners.
- Add new provisions like play equipment, benches and bins (with the agreement of the Management Company) without an increase in the annual sum payable by homeowners.
- Influence on how the Management Company operates and the decisions made in relation to maintenance of the Public Open Space.
On 1st July 2025, the public open space, illustrated in the plan below, was transferred to the Parish Council. Alongside this Saxons Block Management were appointed as the Managing Agent for the Management Companies. Saxons are responsible for collecting the service charge from homeowners, managing the accounts, obtaining quotes and commissioning contractors to carry out management and maintenance of the public open space, inspections, insurance etc. As the Managing Agents, Saxons work on the direction of the Management Company Directors and Members as the Management Company is resident led.
Saxons have written to all homes in the Development outlining their role initially, sending the first bill and then the second bill.
To help answer any queries that homeowners may have, Saxons have also circulated a Question and Answer document, available here: Monkton Heathfield – Q & A
If you have any queries regarding the Management Company and its operations, please contact Saxons Block Management: [email protected]
If you have queries regarding the Parish Councils role in managing the public open spaces, please contact: [email protected]
