Noise
Please be considerate. The development blocks are virtually surrounded by other large buildings. Sound does not escape – it bounces around, like in an amphitheatre. Normal conversations can be heard across courtyards in the summer with doors and windows open. At night, sounds always seem louder.
All leases state that no sound coming from within your flat (including voices and music/tv/computer games audio) should not be heard outside of it (either from within your block or outside of it) between 11 pm and 7 am
Of course, you are allowed to enjoy yourselves, but remember that you must not prevent your neighbours from having “quiet enjoyment of their properties at all times”, i.e. daytime hours as well as evenings.
Noisy Works
If you have workmen coming in to do noisy work – laying flooring, refitting kitchen etc, please let your neighbours know ahead of time through the WhatsApp groups. A lot of people work from home now and trying to have an online meeting if someone is drilling next to you is very difficult. Allow people to plan their days around your works as much as possible. Remember noise travels sideways too.
If you rent out your property your sub-tenants must not do, nor omit to do, anything which may be or become a statutory nuisance or cause annoyance or inconvenience to any other owner or occupier of another flat at the development.
For the noise to count as a statutory nuisance, it must do one of the following:
- unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises; for example, it may prevent you from sleeping at night, watching TV or having a conversation
- injure health or be likely to injure health
Southwark Council Noise and Nuisance Team
If neighbours are not being fair, Southwark Council Noise and Nuisance Team on 0207 525 5777 will attend.
General guidance on noise nuisance can be found here.
https://www.southwark.gov.uk/noise-and-antisocial-behaviour/noise-and-nuisance
Communal Internal Areas
Automatic Opening Vents (AOV's)
These are automatic Opening Vents (AOV) for fire safety. When smoke is detected these vents open automatically to clear the area of dangerous smoke.
Smoke is the greatest threat in a fire. A fire can fill 10,000 Sq metres within minutes. 5 breaths of thick smoke is all it can take to lose consciousness.
Every landing has an AOV.
If there is a fire, the smoke detector will open all these windows in the block automatically. This is to allow smoke to get out so you can escape more safely
The Smoke detectors in the corridors and the AOVs are tested monthly
Do not try to open them manually.
If you do, then certainly, do not try to close them again – you would most likely break them. But do let us know if this happens.
Do not try to open these windows yourself. You could break them.
Lifts
There is an emergency phone inside the lift in the rare event of anyone being trapped in the lift.
If the lifts suddenly go out of order, please wait for 5-10 minutes as sometimes they re-set themselves. If still out of order, report to the call the managing agents and they will send a lift engineer.
If there is a real emergency problem out of hours, then call PIP on 01708 373999
Important
Do not hold the lift doors open with bags or boxes, especially when moving in or moving out, as the lift will go out of order.
Please refer to the following PDF document for Car park spaces details
Communal Areas External
Please refer to the following PDF document for outside spaces
General Request for use of the gardens and outside areas
Please read the following PDF document on use of gardens and external communal areas
Smoking is not permitted in any of the communal areas inside the buildings– i.e. corridors, landings, stairwells, entrances or car parks. This includes vaping.
Do not open the landing windows in order to smoke.
Smoking is also not permitted in any of the communal areas outside i.e. courtyards, driveways, with the exception of the designated area (see below)).
- You are responsible for ensuring any visitors or workmen do not smoke in any of these areas
- Please be mindful of other people if you are smoking on the balcony as this your secondary smoke may be harmful to neighbouring residents.
- Please make sure you supply appropriate ashtrays and do not throw cigarette ends over the balconies, into courtyards or into the flower beds (in summer this is a particular fire risk)
- You are permitted to smoke inside your flat, provided your letting agent/landlord has not forbidden it (see your rental agreement). Note that smoking of cigars, pipes or marijuana may have separate specific rules from your landlord.
- There is a designated smoking area with a wooden bench at the back of the development opposite the gates of the upper main car park (-1).
Gardening
If you would like to help with any aspect of the gardening – from dead-heading to transplanting – please let us know. We would love some help, as we do not have outside contractors any more But please do not plant anything of your own in the communal garden without asking first.
We also have a small area for children to learn about plants by growing small flowers , herbs or vegetables.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in any of the communal areas inside the buildings– i.e. corridors, landings, stairwells, entrances or car parks. This includes vaping.
Do not open the landing windows in order to smoke.
Smoking is also not permitted in any of the communal areas outside i.e.courtyards, driveways, or car parks with the exception of the designated area (see below).
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- You are responsible for ensuring any visitors or workmen do not smoke in any of these areas
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- Please be mindful of other people if you are smoking on the balcony as your secondary smoke may be harmful to neighbouring residents.
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- Please make sure you supply appropriate ashtrays and do not throw cigarette ends over the balconies, into courtyards or into the flower beds (in summer this is a particular fire risk)
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- You are permitted to smoke inside your flat, provided your letting agent/landlord has not forbidden it (see your rental agreement). Note that smoking of cigars, pipes or marijuana may have separate specific rules from your landlord.
There is a designated smoking area with a wooden bench at the back of the development opposite the gates of the upper main car park (-1).
Utility meters
The gas meter is usually inside your flat inside one of the kitchen cupboards. (for Kittiwake, the gas meters are in the car park – email us to get a key).
The electricity meter is usually in the hallway cupboard outside your flat. Each meter will have the flat number written underneath it.
To open the cupboard you will need a T-Key. You can get from hardware stores or cost about £3.00 from Amazon
Please remember to lock the door after use. It is a Fire door
Smart Meters
As part of the installation, the utility provider’s engineer will need access to the basement electricity room (to switch off your flat’s power). This room is locked and only accessible by BCML.
Our caretaker is usually on site Monday-Friday, 7.30 am-3.30 pm and he can be given keys to provide access to the electricity room if you arrange this with us in advance – so get in touch and we can arrange to assist.
There may be some variations to the hours and days mentioned above, so you need to make an appointment with both BCML berwickcourtdirectors@gmail.com and with your utility company, in order for the installation to succeed without a hiccup (the utility company will leave if they can’t get access to the cupboard and you may be charged for a failed visit).
If you call Warwick Estates only on the day of your appointment, or once the engineer has arrived at your flat, it’s quite possible that you won’t be able to access the room if no one is available on site.
Water Meters
We do not measure nor charge for water usage in individual flats. The water charges for the development are currently included in the Service Charge.
Do not try to turn off the water from the hallway cupboards as these shut the water off for the whole block.
Keys and Fobs
You may have the following keys:
- One Suite door key to open both entrance and flat doors
- One flat door Key
- Mailbox Keys
- Cycle Cage keys
- Car Park fobs
There may be an additional door key to your flat as some a secondary lock
Note: All Master Keys and standard flat door keys are security keys and cannot be cut at high street outlets
Each block, with the exception of Swallow Court and Drake Court (see below) has one Master Key which opens your block entrance door and your flat door.
If you lose your key or need another key cut, a request must be made in writing/email to the Letting Agent/ Managing Agents to authorise and pass a Works Order to our accredited locksmiths to obtain the key(s) – this will be at your expense.
If your key is lost or stolen you must notify BCML and the Managing Agents/your Letting Agent immediately.
For Drake Court: this block has a separate main entrance door key and flat door key. The same process applies as above, that you need to contact your Letting Agent or the Managing Agents
For Swallow Court: this block does not have an entrance lobby, so there are only individual front door keys.
Car Park Fobs
Leaseholders who sell their flats must pass the carpark fobs to the new owners. You cannot keep your carpark space if you are no longer an owner of a flat. The carpark space is part of your flat’s lease and therefore must be passed on at the sale.
Leaseholders who rent their flat must let tenants have a car park fob and access to the allocated space. In that event, please ensure that the letting agent and BCML directors are aware of who has fobs (a security issue)
Tenants must return any car park fobs to their letting agent along with all other keys.
If you lose a car park fob or want to purchase a new one, please contact our managing agents
Locksmiths / Locks
Your block entrance door key and your flat door key are ‘secure keys’ and need to be authorised by the managing agents. They will then authorise Worrals, our locksmith contractor to release these. You will need the code number on the key e.g. WODV 123
Monday-Friday (working hours)
G Worralls & Son – http://www.gworralls.com They do a lot of work around the development, including replacing mailbox keys.
Based 5 minutes away on Great Suffolk Street.
Out of hours Locksmith
Fortress Lock & Safe Co. (recommended by Worralls) +44 (0)20 8674 6657
http://www.fortresslock.co.uk/
N.B. If you want a new door key cut, you must contact the managing agents to authorise, as these are secure keys.
Television
Communal Aerial / Digital Television / Sky TV
Each block shares a communal aerial, serviced by Community Vision. There are aerial sockets in your lounge and the bedrooms.
If there are any problems with receiving subscription TV, e.g. SKY, please contact your television provider but if the problem is associated with the aerial please contact the managing agent and/or Community Vision.
To obtain SKY you need to pay an annual rental/maintenance fee to Community Vision. Call them before SKY so as to make sure you have an active inlet feed. Unfortunately there is no “get around”: when Bellway built the block they entered into a contract with Community Vision giving them exclusive rights to provide digital TV, so SKY cannot install a separate dish. There is only one aerial socket per room – this can limit SKY+ taping etc if it requires two inlet feeds. There is discussion on the internet about using signal splitters as a workaround. If you have had any success with these, please let us know. Contact Community Vision for assistance as they can often use the bedroom feed to give you two inlets in the lounge. However, they will charge you for this work. See http://communityvision.co.uk/residents-help/sky-faqs/
Cleaning
BCML oversees the maintenance of the communal areas (paid for via service charge). This includes things as cleaning, repairs to communal parts etc),
You are responsible for the cleaning inside your flat and also for cleaning the outside of your front door
BCML has a cleaner for the communal internal areas of the development. i.e. entrances, corridors, lifts, staircase, fire doors and landing windows. Her remit is to clean the entrances and lifts of each block every day. Then each block in rotation will be cleaned top to bottom at least once in every two-week period
Reporting a Problem
If you are a tenant: the first place to report it to is your letting agents. They may contact your leaseholder for advice or authorisation for a contractor to visit. They or your landlord may contact the managing agents to arrange a contractor to visit.
If you are a leaseholder, the first place to report it to the managing agents. They will advise if this problem is your responsibility of if they need to arrange for a contractor to visit. Always If there is a problem inside your flat you should report it to your agent (letting agent for tenants; managing agents for leaseholders.
Our managing agents have a Live Chat service which is faster than phoning.