Additions Guide
Members should always check with Elmbridge Borough Council whether any addition requires planning permission before they proceed.
Should Elmbridge Borough Council ever refuse planning permission for an addition, TRSL will revisit it and alter the Style Guide accordingly. It is advisable to obtain a lawful development certificate for any addition that does not require planning permission, so you have this on record.
The following information is for guidance only and you should always run any additions by the TRSL committee.
TRSL reserves the right to vary what is approved should anything become an issue or negatively affect the Estate or Residents.
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Satelites and aerials
Each block on the estate has a shared aerial system that supplies each house with a digital tv signal through a coaxial aerial.
There is no need to install your own aerial or satellite dish system — it is not permitted.
The system is maintained by TRSL up to the point of entry into your home. If you are experiencing issues please get in touch with TRSL. 9/10 time a reset on home equipment is needed.
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CCTV Cameras and Alarm Boxes
TRSL would prefer alarm boxes and CCTV Cameras are not installed to keep to the original look of Templemere. If required, they should be as small as possible and chosen with some thought for the appearance with all associated cabling run internally where possible.
They should be chosen and located to replicate where other houses have located these so there is uniformity of look and positioning.
A maximum of one alarm box and/or camera should be installed on the front and rear elevations of houses.
Cameras must not be directed to look into any other property’s back garden or through windows and may only be directed to look at the back garden of the property it is fitted to and/or at communal parts of the Estate.
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Post Boxes
TRSL would prefer post boxes are not installed to keep the original look of Templemere and for letter boxes to be installed in line with the style guide, but, if required, they should be as small as possible and chosen with some thought for the appearance.
They should be chosen and located to replicate where other houses have located these so there is uniformity of look and positioning.
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Car charging points visible from communal areas
Car charging points
are not approved by TRSL and should not be installed on an external house wall or garage wall or garden wall or fence where they will be visible from communal areas.
(Please also note that no Estate parking spaces can be reserved for anyone resident’s sole use).
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Electric Sockets Visible from communal areas
Electric sockets visible from communal areas are not approved by TRSL and should not be installed.
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Air-conditioning Units and Heat Pumps visible from communal areas
Air-conditioning and heat pump units
visible from communal areas are not approved by TRSL and should not be installed.
Please note that when installing these in an area where they will not be visible, consideration must be given to any noise generated by these units and neighbours must not be disturbed and lose any enjoyment of their house and/or back gardens due to noise.
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Brick removal
If you need to knock out some bricks to fit a boiler flue then please keep them and pass on to TRSL for future use.
If you need to replace poorly repaired brickwork or holes from old flues then please contact TRSL who are currently working to find a modern replacement.
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Extensions Including Conservatories
Extensions of any type, including conservatories and porches, are not approved by TRSL and should not be erected.
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Hanging Baskets visible from communal areas
Hanging baskets
visible from communal areas are not approved by TRSL and should not be erected.
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Pipes, Boiler Flues and Vents
The preferred location for pipes, boiler flues and vents approved by TRSL is the rear elevation or the first-floor roof with all associated cabling, ducts and pipes run internally where possible.
When installed against walls they
should be black and as discrete as possible. They should not be located on front or side elevations or ground floor flat roofs
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Roof Alterations, Additions and Extensions
Alterations, additions or extensions to roofs of any type are not approved by TRSL and should not be made.
General Information
All works to houses and garages not detailed under TRSL obligations in the Management Guide is the responsibility of owners. The following notes are for information purposes only.
Downpipes
Ownership of communal downpipes on houses or garages passed to the owners of the property they are located on when freeholds were purchased. It is the responsibility the owners of the properties whose roofs drain to these downpipes to unblock, maintain and repair them and neighbours must agree, and carry out these works between them.
Drains (surface water & foul)
All surface water drains into soakaways located throughout the Estate. There is a plan that follows showing the original location of all drains and soakaways and a larger version is available on the Templemere website.
Drains and Soakaways under Private Back Gardens
All L1 (4-bed) and T2Y (3-bed) properties were originally connected to these soakaways. Some of these soakaways are shared by two or more properties and some just serve one property. Ownership of all communal soakaways passed to the owners of the land they are located under when freeholds were purchased. It is the responsibility of the owners of the properties who are connected to these soakaways to unblock, maintain and repair them. If works are ever required to replace pipes under a neighbour’s land, this work must be agreed with the neighbour whose land it runs under. If works are required to the soakaways themselves, those neighbours connected to the soakaway in question must agree and carry out these works between them. Where a road water gully is also connected to one of these soakaways, TRSL will contribute an equal share from the grounds fund towards the cost of repair.
Drains and soakaway under TRSL Owned Land
All T2Y (3-bed) and some L1 (4-bed) properties were originally connected to these soakaways. Soakaways under TRSL land remained in the ownership of TRSL after freeholds were purchased, but as they mostly do not benefit the land that is owned by TRSL and benefit the owners of the properties connected to them, the owners of the connected properties need to organise and cover the cost of any maintenance and repair work needed to them. Some of these soakaways are shared by two or more properties and some just serve one property. It is the responsibility the owners of the properties who are connected to these soakaways to unblock them. If works are ever required to replace pipes running under TRSL land or repairs are required to the soakaways themselves, those owners connected to the soakaway in question will need to, between them, agree these works with TRSL and cover the cost of the works in full, to include making the ground good afterwards. Where a road water gully is also connected to one of these soakaways, TRSL will contribute an equal share from the grounds fund towards the cost of repair.
Foul Drains (sewers) in back gardens and under communal parts of the Estate
TRSL are not responsible for any of these drains. It is down to individual owners to maintain and unblock any drains where they are not shared within property boundaries. Thames Water are then responsible for drains outside property boundaries or where they are shared in back gardens.
Blockages and problems can be reported directly to Thames Water by any resident. Details can be found at this web link:https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/report-a-problem#/view-and-report-problems
Garage Electrics (communal parts in blocks)
TRSL maintain the shared cables up to the meter or fuse within garages, which is deemed as communal. Everything after the meter or fuse is the garage owner’s responsibility to maintain and repair. Please see the Management Guide for further details.
Garden Walls
The half-brick (100mm thickness) walls in private gardens and in the communal areas are at a height that is considerably higher than would be allowed under current building regulations. While the height and stagger of the walls can give an appearance of a robust construction, these walls are not suitable for any loadbearing and TRSL strongly advises against fixing anything to them or hanging anything from/over them.
TRSL will arrange regular inspections of the estate walls that they are responsible for and the sides of any walls that face onto TRSL owned land that are the responsibility of Members to maintain. TRSL will carry out any repairs required to estate walls and Members will need to carry out any repairs required to walls they are responsible as soon as possible. Please note that TRSL will only inspect the condition of the parts of Members’ walls that are visible from TRSL owned land and this does not mean these walls are safe if the inspection report does not highlight that works are required. Members must fully and independently satisfy themselves that the garden walls they are responsible for are safe.
The following has been reproduced from the Planning Portal website and contains some information about garden wall safety. This page can be found at the following web address, where you will be able to open the links detailed:
TRSL must also highlight this sentence from the Building Regulations: “Such walls are amongst the most common forms of masonry to suffer collapse, and they are unfortunately one of the most common causes of death by falling masonry.” For any Resident that is not aware, a couple of Templemere garden walls have collapsed in the past and one collapse resulted in the tragic death of a child living at Templemere. For more info, please see Templemere Style Guide PDF attachment.
House/Garage Maintenance: TRSL’s Obligations
Please see the Templemere Handbook for information about works to houses and garages that are down to TRSL:
· Communal Aerials and Reception Systems
· Gutter/Flat Roof Clearing
· Painting of Houses and Garages
· uPVC Cleaning
· Window cleaning