Living in Fountain Gardens
The Fountain Gardens Estate was built between 1980-82. It comprises 12 freehold houses, 30 maisonettes and 60 one- or two-bedroom apartments. Each property has its own garage and there is private parking for residents and their visitors.
There are a mix of split-level and single-level two-bedroom maisonettes, and one or two-bedroom ‘walk-up’ flats with communal hallways & stairs. Some flats have balconies, others have patios. Each property has its own garage and there is parking for visitors.
Gardens
Nick Milne ND Hort. along with his team, manage the beautiful grounds of Fountain Gardens. Nick and his team are on site every week taking care of the trees, shrubs, planting, mowing and generally ensuring the gardens remain in pristine condition and one of the highlights of the estate.
Nick reports to the Trustees, so any requests regarding the gardens should be directed to the Board via the Managing Agents.
Gardens, trees, shrubs, and plants are estate property (some protected by law) and must not be interfered with in any way by residents or visitors. Nick reports to the Trustees, so any requests regarding the gardens should be directed to the Board via the managing agents.
Service Charge
The Service Charge is collected annually based on a budget prepared for each financial year (01 February – 31 January). Walk-up flat owners pay for additional services (see below). Accounts are submitted, with explanatory notes, to each plot-holder.
The Service Charge covers:
– electricity, water, and sewage charges for common areas
– gardening, tree and shrub care and grass-cutting for amenity lands
– administrative costs, legal and accountancy fees
– external maintenance of buildings (walk-up flats)
– estate maintenance
– cleaning and maintenance of internal common areas (walk-up flats)
– external window-cleaning (walk-up flats)
– buildings insurance of walk-up flats and their garages (walk-up flats)
– contribution to reserves for repairs and replacement of amenity areas.
An annual Garage Charge is levied to cover painting of garage doors and surrounds every 4 years and annual clearing of garage gutters. Owners are responsible for all other garage maintenance (including anything which may leak and cause damage to other garages and contents).
Reserve Fund: also known as a ‘sinking fund’. This is an amount specifically earmarked in each annual budget as a contribution to reserves. The fund is set aside for anticipated major expenditure (projects such as total road resurfacing, path replacement, carpet replacement, or refurbishment) over and above routine maintenance. It also covers the external and internal redecoration carried out every 4 or 8 years in accordance with the requirements of our lease.In the absence of such a fund, plot-holders could be liable for significant charges at short notice. It is therefore prudent that such a fund is maintained, to reduce this risk.
Amenity Lands
All property owners pay, through the Service Charge, to maintain the roadways, paths, car parks and gardens.
Refuse & Recycling
Refuse for all properties is collected by RBWM every Thursday . Rubbish that is not recyclable must be put in black bags ready for collection.
Clean bottles, cans, paper, and plastics should be recycled in the black boxes or in the special recyclable bags, which can be ordered on the RBWM website.
Food waste can be put in the special caddy bins. Line your caddy with any plastic bag, preferably compostable bags, from local retailers. Cardboard (flattened) and other recyclable material can be put into the large bins by the Clock-Tower.Please do not put anything else (such as polystyrene or plastic bags) in these large bins; anything else will prevent normal collection and will incur costs shared by all property owners on the estate. Do not leave anything else by these bins as they will not be collected.
Your nearest council waste disposal sites, for large items is Stafferton Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Maidenhead.
A second option is also one in Slough Chalvey Recycling Centre.
Good Neighbours
We’re more than just a collection of homes—we’re a community. Most neighbourly issues come from simple misunderstandings, often because there aren’t clear expectations. Our residents are diverse in age, interests, and lifestyles, so what feels “reasonable” to one person might be different for another.
Living in a community means sometimes adjusting our habits so everyone can enjoy their home. Here are a few friendly guidelines to help keep Fountain Gardens a great place for all:
NOISE
No home is completely soundproof, so please be considerate. Between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am, keep TVs, music, and appliances at a low volume. D.I.Y and contractor noise must be confined to 8.00am to 5.00pm. Mon to Fri, and 8.00a.m to 1.00p.m on Sat. Neighbours should always be notified beforehand if sustained noise might be created.
CHILDREN
We love kids! But please help maintain a peaceful environment, especially in gardens and shared spaces.
PETS
Pets must always be under control. Always clean up after them—no exceptions.
Thanks for helping make Fountain Gardens a friendly, enjoyable community for everyone!
Parking
Leaseholders have their own garages, and there are car parks on the estate. Parking is only permitted in marked car park bays (they are not specific to any dwelling). It is not permitted on estate roads, nor partially or wholly on pavements or grass verges. This is to leave access for Emergency Vehicles and to avoid costly repairs which will increase your Service Charge.
Only residents and their current visitors may use the parking areas; commercial vehicles may not be parked (except during daytime by visiting contractors).
No long-term use of a parking space is permitted. Parking areas are monitored regularly; action is taken against persistent offenders and vehicles may be removed. Parking regulations are provided to each owner/resident
Leaseholder Responsibilities
As an owner (leaseholder) of a property the following are your responsibility and NOT that of OML.
This is not a full list – please consult your lease for exact requirements.
- All internal decoration within your property
- All pipes and services within your property
- All the windows and patio doors of your property including their frames and glass
- The floor surface and railings of your balconies and patio (if any) Railings are painted by OML every 4 years with external re-decoration, which includes garage doors & frames.
- Insurance of contents and third-party liability
- Maisonettes only: maintenance of gutters, downpipes, bargeboards, and verges
- Maisonettes only: insurance of maisonette and garage
To help support property values, it is important that the estate maintains uniformity of external appearance. Permission MUST be obtained in advance from OML, in writing, for any work or modification that may affect the external appearance of a property, e.g. replacement windows, doors, gas boiler flues, condensate drains, lights, wires, pipework etc., or garage doors.
No external or internal structural wall, or roof space, may be modified in any way without prior written approval by OML. Furthermore, if you are considering any alterations to your property that may require either Planning Permission or Building Regulations approval, you must notify the Managing Agent and then obtain written approval from OML before submitting the planning application.
Restrictive Covenants: In signing your lease (which is legally binding) you have accepted its terms, including the restrictive covenants. These covenants are there for the well-being and protection of all, so it is essential that you read your lease thoroughly.
As per your lease, no part of a property (including its garage) may be sub-let, nor may any property (or its garage) be used for commercial purposes. Therefore, if owners let their property, it must be let as a whole, including the garage. Tenants must have free and unrestricted use of the garage, which should be let empty of the owner’s belongings.
If your property is rented out it is your responsibility to ensure that your tenants are aware of, accept and observe the covenants, to avoid you, the landlord, being in breach of your lease. OML will not hesitate to take action in cases where covenants are breached.