Category: Uncategorized

UPDATE: October 2025

The Board

Pressure of work and the holiday season prevented the publication of an update over the summer, but the Board has continued its work on behalf of Residents. Our first residents’ surgery took place at the end of July; directors met formally on 18th August; we have been in constant liaison with both Tideway and TCD Construction on the current phase of major works and with Tideway about general issues on the estate; Dominic has met with representatives of Boards at other mansion blocks; and work on the new website has progressed.

Previous year’s accounts / AGM

This year’s meeting for shareholders of RVG (Freehold) Ltd will be an Annual General Meeting (AGM), not an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). This change of name brings us into line with accepted corporate practice, our obligations under the Companies Act 2006 and our own Memorandum and Articles of Association. Residents who are not shareholders will also be invited to join the meeting as observers, without the right to speak unless invited or to vote. As yet, we are unable to set a date for the meeting due to the failure of our accountants to finalise last year’s financial accounts. We hope the AGM will be held in late October/early November but, until we receive the figures, we cannot set a date as there is a statutory period between publication of documentation and the AGM. The Board is reviewing all our providers’ delivery standards and changes will be made where they fall short. The lack of accounts also means that Tideway cannot yet dispatch invoices in respect of last year’s anticipated shortfall, as advised in our July update. The Board is committed to circulating informative paperwork prior to the AGM. We hope the meeting will be a forum where as many voices as possible can be heard and there is opportunity for a wide range of topics affecting residents to be considered. To ease this process, we will be asking Shareholders to give prior notification of their questions or proposal for the meeting. On the night, discussion across the floor will be managed so that as many views as possible can be heard and the largest number of topics regarding the estate can be covered. Each speaker will be allocated a limited time to speak, which will be dictated by the volume of questions or proposals received. We will also be asking the Managing Agents to withdraw for a section of the meeting to allow frank discussion.

Current year’s budget

The current year’s budget continues to be monitored monthly by the Board. Progress on costs is being made, for example new electricity contracts have been negotiated by Tideway which should have a positive impact on an area of significant cost in the past. A meeting with the financial team at Tideway will take place shortly to review various queries from the Board following a recent invoiceby-invoice scrutiny of current expenditure.

Major works

The major work on flats 100 to 111 has been completed and scaffolding struck. Works on 112-129 Riverview Gardens are in progress. We have been generally delighted with the quality of delivery by TCD Construction and their subcontractors. Quite considerable additional remedial works have had to be undertaken as evidence of significant deterioration within buildings was uncovered during the project (we will share photographs at the AGM). This deterioration was due, in part at least, to past cost-cutting measures which have proved ineffective. TCD has dovetailed these additional works with those anticipated, so the overall timeline has not been too dramatically disrupted and the cost of additional scaffolding and other setup costs has been avoided. There is, nevertheless, an unavoidable increase in the overall cost of the project which will, we hope, be covered by the various contingencies in place. We will provide a fuller update at the AGM. Major works will always have an impact on the daily lives of residents. From the considerable oversight by the Board during this phase, it appears that planning, execution, review and control are all very much better in this project than that at the other end of Riverview Gardens. Despite this, there will always be niggles. Scaffolding has been properly alarmed this time – an improvement on the previous contractors – but that means alarms have occasionally been triggered. Whilst there have been shorter periods of parking suspensions, it is frustrating to arrive home and not be able to park due to coned off areas. Building works will sometimes result in debris in people’s gardens. These are unavoidable consequences of undertaking the scope of works that these elderly buildings require. We would ask all Residents to be patient with – and polite to – contractors working here. The vast percentage of feedback has been exceptionally positive about the current company and we wouldn’t want to lose them. May we also please remind Residents, and their tenants where applicable, that they must not go out onto the scaffolding. They would not be insured in the event of an incident. Finally, the Board wishes to make clear that, whilst unintended damage to a Leaseholder’s property – for example cracked paving – will be remedied by the contractor, under no circumstances will any compensation for use of demised outside space, or inconvenience or debris as a result of works, be made. In the event that builders or scaffolders leave debris on site, please advise Tideway and they will organise for this to be remedied within a reasonable timeframe.

Minor works

We advised that the underspend on the previous major works would be utilised on minor internal decorative issues across the estate. The summer isn’t apparently a good time to try to find decorators willing to take on small projects but we hope to progress this shortly. Thank you for recommendations for handypeople that may be suitable for this type of task. Any further suggestions would be gratefully received. Going forwards, the Board would like to be able to address more of this type of work locally, rather than through major works’ contractors to achieve both cost and timescale benefits. The replacement lighting in communal hallways over the summer has obviously caused much distress and annoyance to residents. One of the Board’s more difficult tasks is to find the middle ground between those who feel one solution too bright and others who feel the alternative too dark! Previous lighting had to be changed as it was not compliant with fire regulations. Emergency lighting is required in the communal escape routes of purpose-built flats more than two storeys high and there must be a light illuminating every change of level and the final exit. The new lights installed between individual front doors on each level were far too bright, both in normal lighting mode and the green diode when the lights were off. After numerous complaints, Phillip John from Tideway came to inspect several hallways after dark to see the issue. The result was that the lights were turned off and set to illuminate only in the event of an emergency. This resulted in further comment that hallways were too dark. We have spoken with Tideway and asked them to source units suitable for this style of building that are CCT (light warmth) and lumen (light output) adjustable. Our aim is to have a warm, low level light outside each pair of flats which is triggered by movement. This has proved more difficult than one might hope but progress has now been made and we expect replacement lights to be installed within the next few weeks.

Managing Agent

Residents will be aware that Daniel Kempner has left Tideway. He has been replaced by Eoghan [pronounced Owen] Dunne. In the short period since the change, communication and response to issues appears to have improved. The Board continues to hold Tideway to account in regular meetings. As part of our ongoing review of all providers, we have sought views on agents from Boards of similar blocks.

Residents’ surgery

Given that this was held in July, we were pleased with the turnout for our first surgery. Antonia and Andreas met with residents and canvassed opinion on priorities for the estate. The scope of the porter’s duties; frequency of communal area cleaning; rubbish storage and collection; and security measures were all discussed. We are working out the best way to canvass wider input on these topics, but the surgery and much outside feedback has persuaded the Board to directly approach Richmond council to implement a one-way system in Clavering Avenue and Riverview Gardens to avoid a return to residents having to reverse significant distances as two cars cannot pass on either street if there are vehicles parked on both sides. We will keep you informed.

Rubbish and recycling

The upside of living in a community has been obvious on several occasions this year, from the summer party to the number of people gathering to help a fellow resident after a flood. There are however downsides and one of the hottest topics in the info@riverviewgardens.co.uk inbox is neighbours’ rubbish and recycling.

Rubbish: poorly secured bags left overnight for collection in the morning cause odours in communal hallways. They also entice mice and pest control is a soaring cost that we need to keep down. The Board hopes to consult on changing the rules around rubbish in the future. Prior to that, residents would appear to prefer that rubbish is put out early in the morning, rather than the previous night. If that isn’t possible, rubbish must not be left out prior to 22:00; before that time, bags should be taken to the rubbish garage. All rubbish left in hallways must be double bagged please. We are aware that some buildings have negotiated individual practices between residents. Some buildings leave rubbish outside their personal doors, in others residents take it down to the communal door. Following recommendations from our pest control contractor, the Board discourages all residents from collecting rubbish together inside the front door of each block. We will continue to consult on this practice but may have to institute a formal prohibition.

Recycling: recycling left for collection by the porter needs to be segregated please. Paper and cardboard should be in one container for collection. All other recyclables (plastic, glass, tins) should be in another. Cardboard boxes should be broken down and folded flat. Food containers must be as clean as possible. This is the case whether recycling is left for collection or taken to the recycling points. A walk around communal hallways recently showed food delivery bags containing takeaway boxes, some with portions of food still in them, none broken down, mixed together with plastic and glass drinks bottles. This causes inside communal areas to smell, attracts vermin both inside buildings and to the bins next to the play area and in the rubbish garage, and reduces space in already limited recycling containers. Our porter therefore has to empty half-eaten pizza and break down its box, and separate that from the plastic and glass in the same bag, when he takes recycling to the garage or is forced to create more space in overfull recycling bins. A significant portion of the porter’s day is spent on rubbish management. If all residents could please be considerate around rubbish and recycling, that time could be better utilised on necessary works around the estate that must currently be done by external contractors, at often sizeable cost.

Food recycling: you will have seen from the circular from the council that food recycling is being introduced in this area. We are trying to negotiate with the council to deliver the recycling caddies centrally so that flat numbers can be put on them. Given the existing issues around odour and pests, food recycling will not be collected by the porter. Residents must take their caddies to the central food recycling bin which will be sited in the garage to deter vermin. This will require a reduction in the general waste and recycling bins which makes the breaking down of cardboard recycling an even greater necessity.

Fire risk

A repeat message from the previous newsletter: e-bikes and e-scooters have become a major cause of fires and fire-related deaths across London. There has been another death this summer. Please could all residents remember that no bicycles or scooters, electric or otherwise, are to be stored – however briefly – in any internal common areas across the estate.

And finally…

We will circulate the date for the AGM via email as soon as we can and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at that meeting.

 

Please find attached the Section 20 Notice and Tender Documents regarding the upcoming external redecoration works at 100–129 Riverview Gardens.

The consultation period ends on 13th June. Once it’s complete, we’ll move ahead with appointing a contractor and will share the schedule for the works as soon as it’s confirmed.

RVG Tender & S20 documents May25

 

UPDATE: April 2025

It is now just over 100 days since new directors were appointed to the Board of Riverview Gardens (Freehold) Limited: a good time to reflect on what has been achieved. The expanded Board has continued to meet monthly, with more informal discussions on an almost daily basis. At this point, the main drive is necessarily to continue to resolve legacy issues, analyse where things have gone wrong historically and put processes in place to ensure that problems are – as much as they ever can be – avoided in the future. The managing agent must now submit full quarterly reports to the board. Representatives from Tideway will attend the Board meeting on 8th April and will report on the status of the current major works and the results of the minor (emergency remedial) works. If you have an ongoing problem with your property that you feel has not been/ is not being attended to, please let the Board know so that this can be raised at this review. The Board has taken over management of day-to-day expenditure, with additional limits on spending by the managing agent put in place and new processes to track expenses introduced. A large amount of time is also being spent managing the current building works to a positive conclusion and preparing for the next phase in the summer.

So, whilst there is still much to do, it is felt strongly that considerable progress has been made.

As the expansion of the board has brought new manpower, energy and ideas, David McBride has decided that it is time to take a well-earned rest and has resigned his directorship. David has given a number of years’ service to the estate and was pivotal in its defence when the planning application in respect of the roof spaces was submitted. The new directors thank him for a handover that has made it easier for them to get to grips with their roles and the estate. David’s departure results in a vacancy. The Board has been working well with five permanent members. An odd number allows clear majority decisions to be made; debate is lively but can be kept concise; and there are sufficient resources to address the many areas involved in an estate of this size. We need to replace David and ask every shareholder to consider putting themselves forward. If you feel that you could offer something to the estate, please do send an email to info@riverviewgardens.co.uk. We will then set up an informal chat with one of the directors.

Residents’ Association
Sadly, we have received very limited interest in setting up a formal Residents’ Association. Going forward, the Board can only make well-informed decisions if it understands the views of all those who live in Riverview Gardens. This would allow broader consensus, before money is spent, on things that affect us all. There will always be diverse opinions and not everyone will get their desired outcome every time, but at least everyone will have a voice and the Board will be better informed. If you would be willing to help establish such an Association, we urge you to contact info@riverviewgardens.co.uk.

Current major works
The major works on flats 31 to 76 are now under better control, with daily checks on standards and progress being made. Communication with the various contractors is sometimes awkward, due to the number of trades involved and the occasional discovery of new areas of concern. As a result, we still can’t advise residents of a final completion date, although we hope that all the scaffolding will be gone in time for Easter. Whilst this is frustrating to both residents and the Board, the positive is that the valuable lessons learned during the course of these works will significantly aid planning and execution for future projects.

We will keep you informed as and when a reliable final timeline is communicated to us.

Next phase major works
As advised in the last newsletter, the next phase of cyclical major works, on flats 100 to 129, will take place between May and July this year. Following close scrutiny by the Board, TMD Building Consultancy has been appointed as chartered surveyors and project managers for the project and Section 20 notices have been issued. Please do take the time to read them and make any contribution to the selection of contractors that you feel appropriate. TMD has extensive experience of the type of buildings in Riverview Gardens and the day-to-day project manager has four other mansion blocks in their portfolio. This should deliver substantial advantage. Board members have checked the specification of works in detail to ensure that those learnings
from the previous project have been incorporated or covered. We are confident that this next phase of cyclical works will progress considerably more smoothly. The Tideway team are very aware that they will be judged on the success of this project, the first major works in which they have been involved from inception.

Security
The best way to ensure security is to raise awareness of any risk. Please do therefore report anything or anyone suspicious to both the police on 999 or 101 (depending on the seriousness of the situation) and the Board at info@riverviewgardens.co.uk. If you don’t wish to involve the police for any reason, please ensure that the Board is informed so that we can use the anonymised information to appeal for additional resources. There have been recent instances of unknown people being found in communal hallways. These appear to have been delivery drivers, let in by other residents because the intended recipient wasn’t at home. However, that makes an easy route into our buildings for those with more nefarious intent. We all need to take responsibility for our own security and that of others in our buildings. If someone asks to be let in to reach another flat, please keep an eye on them and ensure that they leave again once the delivery has taken place. As a result of past decisions, money has been spent on the garden entry system (the fob and code panels and App). At a time of necessarily high service charges, the Board is loath to spend further funds reversing these works. However, we monitor security measures at every Board meeting and are always interested to hear residents’ views on security and the convenience of any systems in place to aid it. At this stage, we can confirm that, as soon as the contractors working on Block 2 strike the final section of scaffolding, the long-standing gate code will be changed. This will be communicated via email and the information put onto the website. If any of your neighbours don’t access the Internet, please advise them when you are aware of the change.

Website
The Board is continuing to work on making the website a more useful resource and hopes to upgrade both its content and security over the next 3-4 months. Login details currently remain the same: www.riverviewgardens.co.uk – password: jardin

Housekeeping
Pets
We would like to remind residents of the rules around pets as these may have been forgotten in the passage of time or may not have been made clear to tenants in properties. The lease states:

No animals or birds shall be kept on the Demised Premises either (a) without the prior written consent in writing of the Lessor nor (b) following a notice to remove them from the Demised Premises given in writing by the Lessor following written complaints of nuisance from such animal from other occupiers of the Building.

Please can all pet owners seek permission from the Board for their pets if they haven’t already done so and be mindful that we live in a shared community and ensure that your animals don’t cause annoyance to others. Dogs should be kept on leads and not allowed to roam free or foul the paths, grass or flowerbeds.

Barbeques
As the weather hopefully continues to improve, may we please remind leaseholders that, on the river side of the street, barbecues or any other outdoor cooking must only take place adjacent to or on the wall between the communal gardens and the towpath. On the non-river side of the street, barbeques should be placed close to the back hedge, as far away from the buildings as possible.

Communications pathway
The promised communications graphic, detailing where residents should direct different enquiries, issues or requests, is now displayed in hallways. These communication routes aim to avoid frustration for residents unsure whom to contact and duplication between the Board and managing agent which may slow response times if one party believes that the other will be dealing with a matter. In future, the Board aims to respond to all emails to info@riverviewgardens.co.uk within 48 hours.

Garden party
Caroline Silver-Lewis has raised the suggestion of a summer garden party for residents to allow us all to get to better know our neighbours in the further reaches of the estate. Previous events have been very enjoyable. These occasions do require a bit of organisation however and Caroline would be very grateful for some informal support with arrangements. If you can lend a hand, please message her via the WhatsApp group or on 07850 443 551. Once Caroline and her group have decided on a suitable date, details will be circulated in a future newsletter.

 

UPDATE: February 2025

The board of Riverview Gardens (Freehold) Limited continues to meet monthly. Between meetings, an enormous amount of personal time has been put into trying to address the issues and concerns that we all share as residents.  Our Board members are all permanent residents and volunteer their time freely to the benefit of all. They serve the interests of Leaseholders who are all themselves members of the Company.

Residents and Leaseholders were promised transparency on estate matters via these newsletters and the board is determined to keep to that promise.  It is unfortunate that transparency doesn’t always result in positive reading. The newly expanded board has learned much from the experience of the past four months; progress is now being made and there is cause for optimism.  Directors are also in contact with their opposite numbers on the Castelnau Mansions’ board and hope to benefit from their longer-established knowledge and practice.  It is our Board’s aim to oversee an estate that is maintained to the standards that residents are entitled to expect, at a reasonable cost.  Where the Board can learn from others, it will do so.  It remains interested in hearing from anyone who feels that they could bring something to the administration of the estate.

Residents’ Association

Whilst the voicing of frustration on the WhatsApp group and in person to Board members is understandable, it doesn’t make for the most effective method of communicating issues.  It is also not universal in its coverage as not all residents are, or wish to be, part of the group.  We reiterate our hope that a formal Residents’ Association can be established to allow all residents to have a voice. This would allow shared frustrations and positive suggestions to be discussed and communicated to the Board.  If you would be willing to help establish such an Association, we urge you to contact info@riverviewgardens.co.uk.

Update on works

1. Current major works

It is clear to all that these have been significantly delayed and that this is a source of understandable frustration to all residents and particularly those living in flats 37 to 76, as can be testified to by two Board members living in the block.

Some background may be helpful.  These major works were originally due to be undertaken during Quadrant’s period of management.  As a result of that company’s very poor general delivery, it was felt by the then Board that they should not be trusted to deliver such a project.  To progress the already delayed works, and as Fredericks Hearl and Gray (FHG) and Minerva had done a good job in respect of previous works on the estate, FHG was engaged to draw up a specification and Minerva was recommended for inclusion in a formal tender process to complete the works. When Tideway was appointed new managing agent, they inherited these relationships and, after a formal Section 20 tender process, FHG was appointed as project managers with Minerva as the contractor, having been the lowest bidder.

As a result of the worsening state of disrepair, the major works project was scheduled for the first possible opportunity. With the benefit of hindsight, this was an error as the weather has delayed progress significantly.

When the contract was awarded, the Board were unaware that there had been significant changes at both firms and, as has become clear, they were not in the position to be able to deliver a project to the same standard as previously achieved. Scaffolding was erected before the contractor had staff available to commence work. However, although exasperating, it is important to note that this delay, caused by the contractors themselves, has had no detrimental effect on the cost of the project.

Once progress was eventually made, unexpected issues with the fabric of the building were discovered.  Damage to window frames was considerably greater than envisaged and the deterioration of some balconies has required structural engineers’ inspections and remedial works which have delayed progress further.

The lack of previous relationship and the lack of detailed control measures in the project contract have made life difficult for both Board members and the Tideway team whose responsibility it has been to manage the project at high level.  Board members, especially Orla Collins and Dominic Hughes who have responsibility for projects and external relationships, continue to put constant pressure onto the managing agent and FHG/Minerva directly. Orla has been up the scaffolding to review progress in person several times.

Discernible progress is now being made and the contractors are making a decent job of the project.  The first stack of scaffolding will be struck within the next 10 days.

It is absolutely true to say that errors were made in the preparation of this project by the Board; that Tideway have had problems in exerting operational control; and that FHG and Minerva fell short of the Board’s expectations in several respects early in the project.  Communication between the different groups involved and residents has been poor throughout.

On the positive side, with lessons well-learned and the new Board in place, these difficulties are unlikely to be repeated.

2. Next phase major works

The next phase of cyclical major works will be on flats 100 to 129.  A Section 20 notice is already being prepared and will be circulated shortly. The works are expected to take place between May and July this year.  Surveyors and project managers have been interviewed jointly by the Board and Tideway and will be appointed during the coming week. Standards of work will be laid out in detail in the contract and both the contract and tender processes will be closely monitored by the Board. Control measures will be put in place that will include weekly site inspections by Tideway and by Board members.

All this means that Tideway can be properly judged on a clean sheet project, on which they will have been involved from the outset.  This will enable the Board to make an informed judgement on their suitability as managing agent for our estate in good time prior to the end of the current contract period.  The board will continue to seek advice from other similar estates and review alternative providers to ensure best overall value for residents in terms of both delivery and price.

3. Minor works

With the exception of flats 100 to 129 – because it was decided that, given the scope of works necessary, these should be incorporated into the next phase of major works as detailed above – the minor works have now been completed to what is believed to be a satisfactory standard.  The board would like to thank Orla particularly for her determination in this respect, again climbing up scaffolding on one occasion!

Orla and the Board’s job was made more difficult than necessary during these works.  The contractor walked off site at one point due to what their workers regarded as undue interference, and even rudeness, by a small number of residents.  We understand the frustration caused by the delay undertaking these works, poor communication on timescales and the apparent lack of progress and anger about security issues.  We will continue to drive improvements.  However, it is vital that residents use the proper channels to report issues rather than taking direct action with contractors.  If we lose a contractor mid-project, the result is further delay and damage to the reputation of the estate. It is much easier to control a project that may not be going well if communications are channelled correctly so the right people know about an issue.  The communication pathway graphic from the last newsletter will be put up in all communal hallways shortly.  Please do use it.

As a reminder here, contact emails are as follows:

Tideway: rvg@tidewayproperty.co.uk

The Riverview Gardens (Freehold) board: info@riverviewgardens.co.uk

We are aware that some residents are still concerned about damp following completion of these minor works.  Damp can take a considerable period to resolve, particularly so in the recent weather conditions.  We ask residents to be patient and to contact either Tideway or the board if the issue persists into the warmer and drier weather.

Fire safety

Following the fire door survey commissioned by Tideway, only a small number of front doors to individual flats are compliant with 30 minutes’ fire resistance standards recommended by the London Fire Brigade and required, in some circumstances, by law.

The replacement of individual doors would be the responsibility of individual leaseholders.  In order not to inflict any unnecessary cost, the board has commissioned a legal opinion to ascertain definitively what is required in our buildings.  Please be assured that no action will be taken unless it is a legislative necessity.  If doors do need to be updated or upgraded, the board will consult with leaseholders to ensure best value and uniform appearance.

Parking

Board members share other residents’ annoyance with the new parking arrangements in Riverview Gardens.  The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames undertook a consultation in this regard in the summer of 2024.  All residents should have received a letter directly from the council.  The initial statement detailed an increase of the B1 zone.  However, later in the document was a diagram showing new bicycle and expanded motorbike parking areas.  More critically, all parking spaces in the road between RVG and Clavering Avenue, where the bins garage is sited, were shown as being changed to dual-use Pay to Park/Residents’ spaces.  The result was a net reduction in overall spaces as well as a reduction in spaces for the exclusive use of residents.  Some residents complained to the council at the time but the summer holidays tend to be a good time to limit feedback.

The Board intends to make representations to the council on behalf of the estate but urges all concerned residents to contact Richmond directly to request a reinstatement of exclusive residents’ places and a reduction in the size of the motorcycle bay.  You can do this by emailing parkingpolicy@richmond.gov.uk.  The more voices, the more likely it is that we will be heard.

Security

Again, the more that is reported, the more support we will receive to rid our street of the petty, and not so petty, crime that is proliferating.  Please report everything, including suspicious individuals hanging around.  It is preferable to report this to both the police on 999 or 101 (depending on the seriousness of the situation) and the Board at info@riverviewgardens.co.uk.  If you don’t wish to involve the police for any reason, please do ensure that the Board are informed so that we can use the anonymised information to appeal for additional resources.

 

Please note that over the coming weeks, the gates leading into the garden areas on the riverside of the road will be repaired, and the locks will be replaced with a combination lock as opposed to a key. The code for the gates is: 2709