Estate residents petitioning for new management

Residents of a housing estate on the grounds of a historical building in Kent say they are being charged "outrageous" management fees for "poor quality maintenance".

Ingress Park in Greenhithe was built around Ingress Abbey in the late 1990s.

Residents say their monthly payments to management firm FirstPort have increased with "unclear communication about what the charges are for, and work not being done to a high standard".

However, FirstPort insisted it took its responsibilities "seriously" and fees were "carefully calculated".

Stuart Fields, 45, one of the organisers of a group seeking to replace FirstPort as managers of the estate, says nearly 90% of the residents have signed a petition to support the move.

When he moved in in 2005, residents paid about £100 a month but it has now increased to about £280.

Fields claimed the service was "sub-standard" and communication and transparency from the firm was "very bad".

Carol Gale, a conservative councillor, who lives on the estate and also represents the area, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Residents have been contacting me about service charges and work not being done on the site properly."

By law, residents of managed estates have a right to manage them, which they can exercise by getting a petition signed by all the residents, and then either form their own company or appoint another.

Samuel Malin, who owns the 47-bed historic Ingress Park manor house, supported the residents' petition.

He also owns the Coach House, which sits on the estate, and said the fee FirstPort charge now stands at about £500 every six months.

"The customer service and the senior management are inaccessible and unhelpful," he said.

FirstPort says it takes any concerns about the development's maintenance seriously, and its on‑site team acts promptly whenever issues were raised.

A spokesperson said: "Our priority is to keep communal areas at Ingress Park safe, well-maintained and compliant while ensuring costs are transparent.

"We do not charge commission or receive referral fees from contractors who deliver maintenance, repairs, cleaning, or other services."

The spokesperson said repair works on the roof on Capability Way would start later this year.

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