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[tunnie]

Got a very good relationship with my local solicitors, raised a number of points. Including few raised here and that I already knew, such as fee increases (how/when) how much say and such we have. Also if developer is still involved 

This one appears to be a couple of directors, rest members. The communal areas are very, very small, tiny strips of grass, a very short close ect.

[05omegav6]

Does rather rule out planting trees in the garden... can't see it being buried that deep

Got a very good relationship with my local solicitors, raised a number of points. Including few raised here and that I already knew, such as fee increases (how/when) how much say and such we have. Also if developer is still involved 

This one appears to be a couple of directors, rest members. The communal areas are very, very small, tiny strips of grass, a very short close ect.

What is more important, is that something is actually in place at least then everyone is on the same page rather than having to have a massive fight every time summat needs attending to...

[tunnie]

Does rather rule out planting trees in the garden... can't see it being buried that deep

Got a very good relationship with my local solicitors, raised a number of points. Including few raised here and that I already knew, such as fee increases (how/when) how much say and such we have. Also if developer is still involved 

This one appears to be a couple of directors, rest members. The communal areas are very, very small, tiny strips of grass, a very short close ect.

What is more important, is that something is actually in place at least then everyone is on the same page rather than having to have a massive fight every time summat needs attending to...

Yup 

It's all listed, clearly on the plans too. Lists in the contract that it's everyone in the Close's responsibility.

Looking at how everything else was done, there must have been some calculations of water flow to what size is needed to soak off.

As STMO says, I could always take a feed off as feed to wash the car 

All the houses appear to be of very high build, this was clear from inside the house. I've been through some modern new builds which are very poorly built.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Does this tank need any maintenance Tunnie? 

From what I understand it is sited under yours and your neighbours garden?  What arrangements are in place with your neighbour? or does the maintenance company look after all of the tanks on the estate? 

[TheBoy]

Also means if anyone wants to change/extend their house looks like it needs to go through management company too so get more of a say.

I think you'll find that these local agreements can often be ignored. For example, every estate in Milton Keynes had a similar agreement of no TV aerials or dishes were allowed. Actually, I think the same condition exists on my place, along with no vans etc. Even no conservatories IIRC.

Obviously everyone bar me has a silly dish bolted at headheight (what is it with Uncle R's lazy fitters?), and many, many conservatories around here, simply because its unworkable and unenforcible.


But none of that is a reason to walk away, as that will be the same anyway .  Is it a private round, and clearly marked as such? Who is liable if a pothole on your road causes damage to a non residents car? Is there anything else where normally the council would be liable, but the liability shifts to you?

[TheBoy]

This tank, it is for rainwater only? Not one of those for sewerage (NOT ceptic tank) which relies on bacteria to clean the waste and soak away? You have to be careful of those designs, as bleach and some soaps/cleaning products kill the bacteria, and kill the tank.

[aaronjb]

I thought 'attenuation tank' was just a posh word for 'soakaway'?

[Terbs]

These 'modern day' estates can be rather complex.
For instance, the estate I live on (where we hold the Wycombe meet) comprised originally of three farms. The development where I live, Manor Farm, was built first, and as Leasehold. All purchasers have to sign covenants, agreeing to things like, no outside aerials, no chickens to be kept, no noisy or dangerous animals, decorating to be every three years, etc etc.
There is a management company set up comprising home owners. They see to the estate on behalf of the Leaseholder. The leases are split into two...frontage and property/rear garden.

Most of us have brought the freehold. You can only buy the property freehold, but the frontage is what they call 'merged'. In a nutshell, you own the grass on top, but the original Leaseholder owns the ground below. And the covenants still apply. You still have to pay maintenance charges to have the grass cut, and general upkeep of the estate.

If you require to add an extension, the correct way is to submit plans, etc to the management committee for approval. If you skip this, and go straight to the council for planning permission, even if you get it, the management committee can overrule, (another covenant rule). One family in my road found out to their cost, as their proposed kitchen extension, although within the building land, would have encroutched onto the frontage. Therefore after ordering bricks etc, they all had to go.

As regards Jamie's point about aerials, people started putting dishes up around the estate. The Leaseholder then sold all remaining leases to a new Leaseholder from a company in London (the original fella actually lived on the estate, just near me.)
The New Leaseholder toured the estate, and started picking on lessee's about their aerials, and if anyone started kicking up, he tried to charge them a subsidy. He asked one householder for £40, was told to FO, so then charged £60 !!!! He even threatened to make people put their windows back to original spec. !!!
However, as I said earlier, the Estate is in three developments, and he started causing trouble with another management company, who held together, took legal advice. It all comes under such things as your human rights, to coin a phrase, and being allowed to live in peace. From what I gather, the court ruled in the management committee's favour, and its all gone quiet now.
Luckily, as the covenants and Leases are different for all three area, he has not chucked his weight around this side too much.
This is why it is so important that the legal team do thorough surveys when you buy a property.

Covenants and agreements stand today, as they did donkey's years ago.

Sorry if off the OP....but thought I needed to say a bit

[tunnie]

Firstly thanks to everyone who has replied, this is what I love about OOF you can post up about the most random thing, yet still get so much helpful advice. 

To answer a few questions:

1) There is just one tank serving all 9 plots, even though it is under my 'land' it's not mine, it says that on the title.

2) It's fresh water only, nothing ceptic, the plan clearly shows two lines from each plot. Surface Water Drainage & Foul Drainage. Surface water leads from each plot to this tank, which spans gardens of the two biggest plots. The foul lines can clearly be seen leaving the close not going near this tank.

3) There is an inspection hatch from what I can see in my garden, perhaps use a pump for free car wash water? 

4) The road is un-adopted, I cannot see any signs saying private land.

5) It's the responsibility of the Management Company to maintain the road in the close, it's very small, less than half the size of yours Jaime 

6) Terbet - Thanks for all that, I can really draw some similarities to my situation. 

7) 'attenuation tank' was just a posh word for 'soakaway'? - Yup that's how it see it too.


Now my only real concern, which was highlighted by Vache, is what if it over flows? Does it just back up along the original drainage lines or would there be an over-flow some place else? It does look quite vast, but then again rain can produce a lot of water in a short space of time.

[Broomies Mate]

One would have hoped that somebody didn't just plonk a tank of any size in the ground and hoped for the best, but it would be worth checking that correct land surveys and calculations were carried out to determine exactly how much rain water can be handled by this soak-away and that it exceeds what would be deemed as excessive rainfall for a number of days.

I would have thought that after the installation of said tank, it would have been monitored, and likely, still monitored.  See if you can get your hands on the data gathered.

Effectively, the cost of burying a 1000 litre tank would be less than a 10,000 litre tank - Obviously, with cost being an important factor, have they installed a tank which will just manage?

I'm guessing your Insurers will need information regarding this and would likely want to do their own digging, so to speak.

[Entwood]

As I understand the attenuation trap that was put in to stop local flooding nearby - not that it affects us at all - is that it is a sump, and will hold a few thousand litres which it then releases slowly into the soil ... posh soakaway yes ... but it also has a high level outlet so that in the event of really extreme weather, if the tank fills up it "overflows" in a controlled manner into the drainage system, where it may well result in the flooding it was installed to prevent, if the extreme weather continues long enough.....   if that makes any sort of sense ..

[tunnie]

As I understand the attenuation trap that was put in to stop local flooding nearby - not that it affects us at all - is that it is a sump, and will hold a few thousand litres which it then releases slowly into the soil ... posh soakaway yes ... but it also has a high level outlet so that in the event of really extreme weather, if the tank fills up it "overflows" in a controlled manner into the drainage system, where it may well result in the flooding it was installed to prevent, if the extreme weather continues long enough.....   if that makes any sort of sense ..

Thanks, it does, very much so 

According to the plans this tank does link up outside the close, so I suspect this is the over-fill. Because this this road already had full complement of houses so to speak, I'm guessing the council did not want another 9 plumed in, so this soak away was put in. However it over flows it drops down into main drains....

Slowly building list of questions to confirm all this, along with solicitor doing his searches 

[05omegav6]

Regarding TBs point about third party liability for pot hole damage/injury there should be a public liability insurance policy in place and some sort of preventative maintenance system in place for monitoring road/kerb/pavement condition

[Terbs]

Regarding TBs point about third party liability for pot hole damage/injury there should be a public liability insurance policy in place and some sort of preventative maintenance system in place for monitoring road/kerb/pavement condition

That's what was in place here till we got council adoption of roads/paths etc. All came out of maintenance fees up till then.

[tunnie]

Regarding TBs point about third party liability for pot hole damage/injury there should be a public liability insurance policy in place and some sort of preventative maintenance system in place for monitoring road/kerb/pavement condition

That's what was in place here till we got council adoption of roads/paths etc. All came out of maintenance fees up till then.

Sounds good, something else to double check