Residents bid to unseat 'terrible' estate managers

Joshua Johnson and Ashley Wilson claim they have had to pay £2,500 of unjustified FirstPort charges since moving in three years ago.

Residents are looking to remove their estate's management company as they claim they are charged "more and more for less".

Homeowners at the Springhead Parkway estate in Gravesend are collecting petition signatures opposing FirstPort, the firm responsible for the area's public spaces.

If 50% of fellow residents sign the petition they can take over management of the area themselves under the 'right to manage', according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

FirstPort said it does everything it can to keep costs low "whilst not compromising on the service we provide".

Construction on the estate of nearly 800 homes, part of the Ebbsfleet Garden City development area, started in 2007.

Developer Vistry Group currently contracts FirstPort to maintain the area's public spaces.

Joshua Johnson said "everything was ok" when he moved to the estate three years ago, but now "the maintenance of our public areas is terrible".

FirstPort "always paint a sunny picture", he added, but "there's litter and dog mess that's not being collected in the parks" and broken playground equipment "that have not been fixed for over a year now".

His partner, Ashley Wilson, said that the couple now avoid taking their young son to the park.

Residents are not happy with the "terrible" public area maintainance

The couple claim they have had to pay £2,500 of unjustified FirstPort charges since moving in, including a surprise £600 "maintenance adjustment" fee in November.

"When we called there was no explanation as to why these charges were being put forward; they were giving no evidence, and they were being quite threatening as well," Mr Johnson said.

Residents are "paying more and more money for what seems to be less work", he added.

A FirstPort spokesperson said: "The service charge is not a source of revenue for property managers. It is allocated to cover actual expenses incurred to ensure the smooth running of the property."

The MP for Gravesham, Dr Lauren Sullivan, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she supporting residents' calls to replace FirstPort, but the matter is complicated by some parts of the estate having different management firms.

She said: "FirstPort has been plaguing communities and new housing communities across the country, and I've joined together with fellow MPs to write a letter summoning them to Parliament to explain what they're doing."

Vistry Group declined to comment.