Villagers hit with unexpected maintenance charges

Zoey Holland, an affected residents from Homelands Estate in Bishop's Cleeve

Villagers living on a housing estate for almost a decade say they are being asked to pay an unexpected maintenance charge.

Residents of the Homelands Estate at Bishop’s Cleeve in Tewkesbury were shocked to get bills through the post last month from Gateway Group.

The estate was built in four phases but residents who live in phases three and four are now being asked to pay £300 to help maintain a nearby open space.

Nick Bryant from Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “When purchasing a property, a buyer’s solicitor routinely checks the terms and conditions and advise buyers of any charges that they may be liable for after the purchase."

Some residents claim they were told they would not be charged maintenance fees, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Affected resident Zoey Holland said: "We are literally paying for the skatepark".

Others say that open space was “tacked on” to the Transfer of Part of Registered Title, also known as Form TP1, which they signed.

Some of the open space in the Homelands Estate

Ms Holland said the charges are not for the maintenance or upkeep of the streets but the play park and skate park.

She added: "If they were going to come and clear the kerbs of weeds and do all the areas that are planted full of weeds, replace the dead trees and tender everything I wouldn’t have a problem."

A spokesperson for Vistry Group, who covered all maintenance costs until Gateway took over, said: “All information regarding management charges was shared with conveyancing solicitors as a matter of course.

"The solicitors were then responsible for passing this to their clients."

Gateway has not responded to a request for comment.