Ashley Gardens - Guidelines for Residents - 2015 Greetings. The Ashley Gardens Residents Association thought it would be useful to update its Guidelines for Residents. This document outlines key information relevant to all, alongside updated principles for mutual respect and enjoyment of life in Ashley Gardens.

WHAT IS WHAT AT ASHLEY GARDENS AGRA: Ashley Gardens Residents’ Association is dedicated to the furtherance of the community interest of its members, the improvement of our Estate and surrounding neighbourhood and to representing its members (both lessees and tenants) in Ashley Gardens, to the wider community. Further information about Ashley Gardens, the AGRA Committee and our area, is available on the Ashley Gardens Residents Website at https://sites.google.com/site/agramembers/home. Below is a list of Block Representatives, as at November 2015. If you would like to join AGRA, please contact your Block Rep: Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 Block 8 Blocks 9 & 11

Pauline Summerscale, #4 Linda Simpson, #19 Bill Northfield, #41 Martin Byrnes, #56 Mary Drummond, #62 Robin Broke, #105 Victoria Berenson, #103A Alison Yeo, #103

AGFL: Ashley Gardens Freeholds Limited owns the freeholds to Ashley Gardens Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11. Flat owners (lessees) in these blocks are the shareholders of AGFL (one flat, one share). AGFL is governed by a board of directors and acts as landlord for these blocks. AGFL employs the Managing Agents, the Estate Manager, the Company Secretary, the Maintenance Specialist, the Porters and the Cleaners that look after the Estate. MANAGING AGENTS: Douglas & Gordon Ltd are responsible for the collection of ground rent and service charges, for keeping the service charge accounts and for ensuring AGFL’s compliance with legal requirements in connection with the upkeep of the estate. Douglas & Gordon, Block Management, 192-198 Vauxhall Bridge Road, SW1V 1DX Tel: 020 7963 4646. COMPANY SECRETARY: Christine Bryon manages the issue and transfer of leases and the granting of licences, as well as other formal and legal tasks related to the maintenance of the freehold company. The Company Secretary’s office is in the Estate Office in the Porter’s Lodge (marked by a brass plate) in Thirleby Road, adjoining Block 11, Tel 020-7828-5025. There is a letter box where mail can be deposited outside by the gate at street level. ESTATE MANAGER: Antony Zacharia is in charge of the upkeep and day-to-day running of the estate, including management of the staff. Applications for licenses to renovate flats or subletting should be lodged with the Estate Manager (see below, Repairs and Subletting). The Estate Manager's office is in the Estate Office in Thirleby Road, adjacent to Block 11 and the gardens. Letters for the Estate Manager may also be deposited in the letterbox by the gate. His contact details are: tel: 020 7828 5025 and Email: [email protected] .

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MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST: Peter Kiddell is responsible for day-to-day maintenance of our buildings and common parts. He can be contacted through the Estate Manager, and sometimes is available to carry out minor repairs, e.g., dripping taps. If you need to undertake major repairs, the Estate Manager may be able to suggest contractors you could contact. THE PORTERS' LODGE is in the Estate Office next to Block 11, Thirleby Road, SW1P 1HW. The Porters can be reached on tel: 020 7834 5547. In case of emergency, when the Porters are out on their regular rounds of the estate, they can be contacted on their mobile phone 07801 428 675. Letters for the Porters may be deposited in the letterbox by the gate.

Fire Regulations Occupants are ultimately responsible for their own safety and should take precautions suited to their individual needs. Familiarise yourself with your nearest escape route. The fire alarms in the common parts at Ashley Gardens are tested regularly. Make sure you can hear them. Fire Safety Advice can be obtained from the UK Fire Service who advise first and foremost that Smoke Alarms should be installed in flats and the batteries tested regularly.

In Case of Fire If you discover a fire, keep calm and call the Fire Brigade by dialing 999. If time permits, inform the Porters by telephone on 07801 428 675. If considered safe to do so, leave your flat making sure that all doors are closed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. NB: every fire is different. If smoke is dense in the stairwell, it may be safer to stay in your flat behind closed doors and await rescue. If the Block alarm in not already activated, use the break glass alarm system, which is located on each landing, to warn others in the block. DO NOT USE THE LIFTS The primary means of escape is via the main stairs to the lobby and onto the street. If you are unable to exit via the stairs, then follow the procedure for your Block detailed below. In Blocks 1,2,3,4 and 5: remain in your flat with the front door closed and, if circumstances permit, use your balcony & await rescue by the Fire Brigade. In Blocks 8 & 9: there are fire escapes on every landing above floor 3 leading upwards to the roof and via walkways to other Block roofs. If the fire escape or main stairs are blocked by smoke or fire, then remain in your flat with the front door closed and await rescue by the Fire Brigade. Ashley Gardens Residents’ Association - AGRA

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In Block 11 there is a fire escape access from every flat above the ground floor level. The escape leads down to the central light well from which there is a door leading into the block lobby. Should the fire exit or main stairs be inaccessible due to smoke or fire, remain in your flat with the front door closed and await rescue by the Fire Brigade. Please familiarise yourself with the escape routes within your Block. Flat owners should ensure that smoke alarms are installed within individual flats. For details of how this can be done free of charge, refer to: www.london-fire.gov.uk/SmokeAlarms.asp You are also encouraged to purchase a fire blanket for kitchen fires and a small extinguisher.

General Considerations The Ashley Gardens Estate attracts a range of residents. Living closely together as we do requires that we mutually respect each other’s right of peaceful, pleasant and safe living conditions. This is also relevant when our guests are visiting. Usage of the common parts, excess noise and general security matters are addressed below. Please be advised of the following: - Prams, strollers and grocery carts are not to be left out in the common parts – either in the front entry way hall or on the landings outside individual flats. At the very least, these are an obstruction to safe and secure exit in the event of an emergency. Not everyone uses the lifts and no one should have to manoeuvre around someone else’s private belongings on, or near, the stairs to get to their front door. This is particularly relevant for our guests, small children and some of our elderly neighbours. - The common parts should not to be used as a playroom for children. The stairwells and central light wells echo noise upwards and downwards more than one might expect. Further, many residents do not appreciate the stairs being taken over by kids at play. Finally, the lifts are not for use by unaccompanied young children. - Personal items such as (but not limited to) bicycles, plants and umbrella stands should not be left immediately outside your front door. If you have items which you would like to store on a long-term basis, contact the Estate Manager for ideas on alternative storage options. NB: The Estate accepts no responsibility for items lost or missing from outside your front door. - Each resident tenant has the right to live in a peaceful environment. The section below on Noise should be read carefully, for the benefit of all residents and our guests. - Please adhere to the rubbish and recycling schedules outlined herein. All tenants must respect and follow these. - Residents are strongly urged to acquire Homeowners Contents insurance, to cover any potential damages to personal property arising from accidents or leakages from adjoining flats. The Estate’s Buildings Insurance may only be taken into consideration if a flat’s ceilings, walls or wall coverings are damaged by any such ingress. The AGFL insurance policy may only be invoked if a flat sustained damages to said parts that required repairs in excess of £1,000. The claim process would be orchestrated by the Estate Manager. If the cost of damage repair is less than £1,000, the lessee

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of the flat from which the leak emanated is responsible for reimbursing the owners of the damaged property for the repair costs. - The front doors to your Block should be closed securely at all times. This is particularly important for any visiting guests, cleaners and/or builders working in your flat. See the comments below under Security for further details.

Assignment or Sub-letting Applications for licence to Sub-let or Assign a flat MUST be made to the Company Secretary when your flat is sold and every time it is sub-let to a new tenant. Security is very important to residents within our community, so restrictions are placed on the subletting of accommodation that might otherwise allow unknown individuals access to the blocks. Lessees are reminded that our leases prohibit and do not allow short lets of any description, and that includes B&Bs of any kind. The shortest let AGFL will support --and agreement to let has to be obtained via the Company Secretary --- is for six (6) months minimum, and it must be to a named individual in single (or single family) occupation. AGFL allows lets to be made to Companies placing eg, a named expatriate family expected to be there long term, but NOT for multiple occupancies ie, as a Company Boarding House. A fee will be charged for sub-letting and for assignment of the Lease. If lessees have any queries about the wording of their leases they can, in the first instance, ask the Company Secretary for comments, but lessees own solicitors can also offer advice.

Noise Your neighbours rely on your co-operation. Disturbance can be caused more easily than one might imagine! Please be considerate when moving around in your flat, listening to music, the TV or Radio and keep your voice down. This also applies to the stairwells. If you intend to undertake potentially noisy repair work, or if you are planning a party, please contact your neighbours ahead of time, and inform the Porter in advance. Hard floors: Under the terms of AGFL leases, bare hard floorings, such as wood, are not permitted. Lessees are required to keep floors covered with fully-fitted wall-to-wall carpets and thick underlay in all rooms except in the kitchen and bathrooms, which shall be properly and suitably covered. Walking on a hard floor is likely to cause a noise problem for residents who live below you. AGFL do not give consent to lay new wooden flooring. If wooden flooring already exists, the Estate Manager reserves the right to ask that the floors be fully covered with carpet and underlay if he receives complaints about noise from adjoining flats Residents should be respectful of their neighbours when children or adults are practicising musical instruments, and restrict such activities, wherever possible, to reasonable hours during the day or Ashley Gardens Residents’ Association - AGRA

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early evening. Residents should also ensure that guests be considerate of others when visiting as, for example, excesive noise after a late dinner party can ruin the night for others in nearby flats (the light wells channel and amplify noise unexpectedly well!).

If you have a problem with noise: - Ask the person(s) causing the noise to stop: Although it may sound obvious, simply talking to your neighbour may help alleviate the problem. Most people are unaware that they are causing a nuisance and if you don’t tell them, who will? - Ask the advice of your Block Representative. - Talk to the Council: If there is still a noise problem after you have approached your neighbours, contact the Westminster City Council for assistance, available via their “Street, Rubbish and Environmental Health Line”. If the noise is disturbing you right now, call their Noise Team on 020 7641 2000 (24 hours) for a response within 45 minutes. - Westminster Cathedral Hall Events: The Cathedral Hall in Ambrosden Avenue has a licence for alcoholic drink to be served at events. Drink cannot be served after 10:30pm and events must end at 11pm. The Cathedral’s policy is to let out the hall only for events that it determines are in keeping with its mission, such as wedding receptions and charity fund-raising gatherings. If a resident is disturbed by an event at the hall, he or she should immediately ring the commercial manager, John Daly. His mobile number is 07736 063 623. - Pets and Animals: Residents are prohibited from keeping pets of any kind without prior written consent from AGFL. Contact the Estate Manager for further information. NB: Residents must not feed pigeons from the flats or at street level in the vicinity of Ashley Gardens. Pigeons cause damage to the buildings, are disease carriers and must be discouraged.

NO SMOKING Smoking is prohibited by law in the common parts of all blocks, including the lifts. Please collect and dispose of your own cigarette ends if you smoke outside the building. As a courtesy to others, do not sit or stand to smoke on the entrance stairs or by the block’s front door. Also, please do not smoke outside other people's open windows.

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Estate Staff ADDRESS: Porter’s Lodge, Block 11, Thirleby Road, London SW1P 1HW. Tel: 020 7834 5547 // Mobile: 078 0142 8675 - Use when Porters are away from the Lodge.

Antony Zacharia Estate Manager

Christine Bryon Company Secretary

Andy Arfaoui Senior Porter

Piotr Koziel Afternoon/Evening Porter

Bashir Mohamed Night Porter

Phram Dura Night Porter

Peter Kiddell Estate Maintenance

Dik Narayan Porter / Cleaner

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Fahaiez Ebrahim Porter / Cleaner

Farag Moftah Cleaner

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Role of the Porters The Porters are employed by AGFL and report to the Estate Manager. The team works on a 24-hour rotating basis across the Estate, performing a range of duties, such as making regular rounds of each block to check on the general cleanliness of the common parts, interior and exterior light wells, basement areas, the external entranceways and the lighting and lift status in each block. The Porters also inspect the gardens to ensure there are no intruders and remove waste which has been thrown through the fence. They also manage the rubbish collections, receiving large packages in the Porter’s Lodge and making hand-delivery of small postal items within Ashley Gardens. While the Porters are not trained security guards, they are available to advise residents on dealing with unexpected disorderly behaviour on or around the Estate. For more details on Security matters, see below. The Porters should not be expected to take delivery of very heavy items or perishable goods, nor are they responsible for the onwards delivery of such items to individual flats. In some circumstances, if pre-approved by the Estate Manager, a Porter may be able to assist with a challenging delivery, but only if authorised by the Estate Manager.

Access to your flat in an emergency The Porters must have access to your flat in an emergency. It is strongly recommended that residents provide the Estate Manager with a spare set of keys to their flat. This set would be kept in a secure cabinet in the Porter’s Lodge and only used in an emergency, or with the resident’s prior consent. Please discuss this with the Estate Manager (Tel: 020 7828 5025) or the Senior Porter.

Always contact the porters in case of: •

Fire or smoke - contact after you exit the building

•

Leaking water - inside or outside the block

•

Problems to do with the buildings

•

Problems with lifts

•

Parcels directed for delivery to the Porters' Lodge

•

Expecting to be away

Contact details when away Alternative contact details should be given to the Senior Porter (or the Estate Manager Tel: 020 7828 5025) so that you can be reached in case of any emergency when you are away from Ashley Gardens. Inform the Senior Porter in writing if you wish for any person other than yourself to be given access to your flat in your absence.

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Repairs Applications for a licence to carry out alterations (including DIY) to flats MUST be made to the Estate Manager before work is started. A licence is required from AGFL for any work that involves alterations to the fabric of the building, or for any plumbing or electrical wiring. Depending on the scale of the works, a non-refundable fee and a refundable deposit against damages to common parts may be charged. Residents are required to contact the Estate Manager prior to works commencing. Work must be carried out between 9.00 am and 4.30 pm, Monday through Friday, only. Noisy jobs, such as drilling, tile-cutting, sawing, prolonged hammering, etc. may only commence at 9.30am and must cease at 3:00 pm. No works are permissible on weekends or Bank Holidays.

Rubbish and Recycling RUBBISH DISPOSAL IN BLACK BAGS Black Refuse Bags will be collected by the Porters from immediately outside your flat only on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening after 8 pm and must not be put out before then. Please keep your rubbish in your flat at all other times when there are no collections. Alternatively, make use of the black bins adjacent to the cathedral piazza. Non-recyclable rubbish should be put in large, strong, black plastic refuse bags, with the contents adequately sealed. The Estate does not supply these bags for you. Do not use supermarket shopping bags, as these are not designed to prevent the leakage of fluids. Indeed, for child safety purposes, they have holes in the bottom. In the event that your rubbish leaks out, you may be charged for subsequent cleaning of any spillage. Rubbish should never be left outside the block entrance or outside the basement. It constitutes a health hazard, as rubbish bags get broken open by cats or other animals and can attract feral vermin. Please make these House Rules known to all members of your household - including employees such as housekeepers and cleaners.

RECYCLING IN BLUE BAGS Blue Recycling Bags will be collected from outside your flat only on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evening after 8 pm and must not be put out before then. These blue plastic bags are available from the Porters’ office. The blue recycling bags, together with flat packed and tied cardboard boxes, should be put outside your flat door only on the appointed nights referenced above.

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Please recycle all of the following items only: -

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (hard plastic only) Glass bottles and jars Food tins, drink cans and empty aerosols Paper and cardboard Cartons and corrugated cardboard boxes (folded flat and tied with string)

Please rinse any recyclable containers before placing them in the blue bags to ensure that the rubbish is clean and does not attract vermin. Please do not overload the bags, as this raises the risk of breakage and spillage, and makes the removal job difficult for the Porters. Residents must not, under any circumstances, put non-recyclable items, e.g. waste food items, into the blue bags. Doing this will cause serious health and safety issues. More information about recycling is available from www.westminster.gov.uk.

DONT FLUSH IT - BAG IT AND BIN IT! Please appreciate that the drains are as old as the Estate (125 years). Do NOT put anything down the toilets except toilet paper. Instead of disposing of any unwanted items in toilets and drains, residents must bag them up securely and include them with the rest of your household rubbish. Your bathroom and kitchen sinks and any bathtubs should not be used to dispose of any questionable liquids, such as cooking fats, citrus pulps or paints. In the past, this has led to frequent problems with blockages and overflowing pipes as a result of inappropriate disposal of waste. Allow cooking fats to solidify before transferring them to your bin, and use kitchen towels to absorb liquid oils. Never allow paint, chemicals or solvents to be disposed of down any sink, bathroom drains or toilets, to avoid contamination of the property. Remember, repair works to the general fabric of the Estate, such as external plumbing pipes, can be costly and such expenses may be covered subsequently via our Service Charge. Residents must ensure that employees (such as cleaners and/or workmen) are aware of these requirements.

Security Occupants are ultimately responsible for the security of their own flats and for being careful to observe basic measures to safeguard the security of our common parts.

Play it safe If you encounter anyone who does not have a key to the front door or if your bell is rung by a person unknown to you, please refer them to the Porters or tell them politely that they must wait until the person they wish to visit allows them in. This is for the safety and security of all residents. In order to minimize the risk of break-ins, it is vital not to help or allow strangers to enter our buildings. Most burglaries occur because someone has managed to get in the front door of a building and then has forced entry to a flat. The front door of your building has seldom, if ever, been damaged by burglars. Ashley Gardens Residents’ Association - AGRA

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Mansion flats in this area are perceived as being populated largely by well-to-do people, and are therefore liable to be targets for burglars. A number of measures have been taken by AGFL to reinforce security, including the reinforcement of front doors to the buildings and installation of CCTV. Additionally, if you witness aggressive behaviour or unknown persons prowling around the entrance to your block, please contact the Porter in the first instance. Our Porters are not private security guards, but they are available to help question strangers. They will use their judgement so as not to endanger themselves or others. Report anything suspicious to the police (dial 999 or, if less urgent, dial 112) and to the Porter as appropriate.

Simple security measures – for the safety of all 1.

2.

Pease ensure that the entrance door to your block is closed when you enter or leave. Never allow others to enter the block unless they are known to you. Ask them instead to ring the bell for the flat they propose to visit, and explain that this is a house rule. Admit only persons known to you. When someone rings your doorbell, please check their identity via the video entry system. Please ensure that your callers exit the block after leaving your flat. This can be accomplished by pressing the second-from-top button on the intercom box to activate the entry camera.

3.

Do not allow entry to anyone claiming to be going to another flat, unless another resident has specifically pre-authorized you. When a person cannot gain access, they should report to the Porters' Lodge.

4.

Instruct everyone working for you to keep the block door closed. This applies to nannies, domestic cleaners, painters, builder, delivery and removal men etc. They should at no time prop the door open or permit anyone else to enter the block, either by using your video entry system or when they themselves are using the main door. Workmen, household removers and deliverymen are sometimes tempted to prop open the exterior door during trips between flat and van. It is your responsibility to ensure that all those employed by you are aware of, and respect, these security regulations.

5.

Make sure you have a good strong front door to your flat and that your doorframe is solid. It is recommended that the door and doorframe be reinforced by London and Birmingham Bars (not expensive, and easily installed by builders, including Mr Norman Briant, Tel. 01483 283799).

6.

Have good quality locks fitted to your flat door, preferably a Mortice Dead Lock to the British Standard BS3621 or the equivalent European Standard ENI2209 — a simple Yale lock is not sufficient.

7.

Keep your door on a chain until you have identified a caller.

8.

Secure accessible windows with locks. This is particularly important for basement and ground floor flats and those facing the light well or a balcony.

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