There are three key organisations that are working together to effectively manage the development and grow the community on the Bellway at Channels site:
Channels (Chelmsford) Management Company Ltd is the Residents Management Company (RMC), Remus is the RMC Managing Agent and the Channels Residents Community Group (CRCG) is the local residents association. It is important to understand the differences between the organisations, what their functions are and how they interact.
Residents Management Company (RMC)
The RMC is a limited company, set up as part of planning conditions, to manage the Channels Phase 1/2 land following completion of the development by Bellway. At this point legal ownership of the land transfers from Bellway to the RMC and a Board of Directors (appointed residents) is tasked with discharging a number of legally binding obligations as set out in the company Articles of Association.
As residents (and tenants via their Housing Associations) are members of the RMC, the land effectively belongs to everyone that lives on the development. It is therefore resident’s responsibility to ensure the land is appropriately used and maintained in accordance with planning conditions.
RMC Managing Agent
The RMC Managing Agent is an expert 3rd party that is appointed by the RMC to support RMC Directors in discharging their legal obligations. The Managing Agent, via a contract with the RMC, will work to a robust Service Specification and RMC Directors will be responsible for ensuring that performance is of an acceptable standard.
Whilst Directors retain legal accountability, it is common for an expert 3rd party to undertake general administration and to manage delivery of the Service Specification where RMC Directors may not have direct relevant operational experience or qualifications.
The RMC Managing Agent is directly responsible to the RMC and whilst it will have delegated authority and autonomy in many areas, all material decisions ultimately need to be approved and signed off by RMC Directors.
The RMC Managing Agent will often support administration of the RMC (as it is a limited company) including acting as Company Secretary, arranging AGMs or EGMs, maintaining company records, preparation of accounts and the filing all necessary statutory returns.
The Community Group
The Channels Residents Community Group (CRCG) is a non-profit organisation run by volunteer residents, for and on behalf of the local community, who want to make a difference to where they live. This may include the desire to improve estates & amenities, create a safer neighbourhood, host local events and generally build a greater sense of community cohesion.
The CRCG will need to work very closely with both the RMC and the RMC Managing Agent to ensure that all local views, concerns and plans are appropriately considered. The CRCG gives a voice to the local community and will have strong links with other stakeholders such as the Parish Council however whilst it can question and challenge the RMC Directors, it has no power to instruct either the RMC or the RMC Managing Agent.
You can find the Mission Statement, Aims & Constitution of the CRCG here.
Working Together
As noted above, the three organisations will need to work closely together for the overall benefit of the local community. By way of an example, the CRCG may determine, through local community discussion and feedback, that additional dog waste bins are required across the development.
The CRCG would, on behalf of residents, submit a request/proposal to the RMC. As the cost of purchasing, installing, maintaining and emptying additional bins would be a charge against the RMC budget, RMC Directors will need to determine whether this would be the best use of available funds or whether the resident’s service charge may have to be increased to cover the additional costs.
If RMC Directors take a decision to support the requested course of action, the RMC Managing Agent would be tasked with ensuring that new bins are installed, maintained and that appropriate collections occur. The RMC Managing Agent would also update and amend the service charge (if necessary) to reflect the future increase in costs.
The RMC and CRCG would then jointly monitor that the intended outcome is as expected and the RMC would be responsible for taking any remedial action required if the RMC Managing Agent had not performed as required.
Channels (Chelmsford) Management Company Ltd 