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ABOUT US
The BGTA is the residents' association for the 10 buildings comprising the former General Hospital site, and is open to all house/flat owners and residents. You can sign up quickly and easily using our signup form..
We are a Recognised Tenants' Association under the Landlord and Tenant Act, and our objective is to maintain and improve the quality of life at the General.
As voted in at the AGM on 1 October 2023, our new committee has been confirmed. On behalf of all the residents at the General estate, we will continue to focus on our priorities and work through our key projects to enhance the living experiences of our fellow residents.
Committee Members:
David Williams (Lawrence House)
Martyn Green (The General)
Donna Cater (Flour House)
Alvan Herbert (Sugar House
Cathy Ball (Edward VII Wing)
Whilst the committee is the core of the association,
we are happy to co-opt people in for professional advice and on specific projects at any time.
You can contact any of us via hello@bgta.org.uk.
Please see the Recognised Tenants' Association page for information about all of the committee roles.
CHAIR
Steve Chapman
(The General)
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
Jay Chaudhuri
(Edward VII Wing)
SECRETARY
Nicky King
(Edward VII Wing)
TREASURER
William Ritchie
(The Lodge)
MEMBERSHIP OFFICER Diane Tod
(Edward VII Wing)
AUDITOR
Julian Ellacott
(The Lodge)
Qs As
RECOGNISED TENANTS' ASSOCIATION (RTA) Qs & As
The BGTA is a Recognised Tenants’ Association (RTA) under section 29 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This is because more than 50% of property owners on the site have joined the BGTA, thereby passing the threshold required for official recognition from the landlords.
If the BGTA has already reached the threshold for recognition, is it still worth me joining?
Although we now have RTA status, we firmly believe that every resident’s voice deserves to be heard. The more owners and residents who join, the more effectively we can take on board everyone’s views and concerns, and seek to resolve issues in a way that best serves our community.
As a member, you will also receive regular email newsletters, including coverage of local news, analysis of service charge bills, and details of upcoming meetings and social events, as well as other relevant developments.
So, if you are not already a member and would like to join, please complete our signup form.
What does RTA status mean for us?
Recognition grants a tenants’ association additional statutory powers. For example, we now have the right to be sent copies of estimates obtained by the landlord for long-term agreements or major works, to propose contractors for long-term agreements or major works, and to inspect building insurance policies.
We also have the right to be consulted on the appointment or re-appointment of a managing agent, and to hire an independent surveyor to check the condition of our buildings. The latter could help us to identify any problems and push for their resolution, as well as to work out whether current contributions through the service charge to the major works fund are sufficient to deal with the anticipated future works.
More information on RTA status and other leasehold issues can be found on the government-funded LEASE website.
Will becoming a member change the way in which I deal with C&C and Encore?
Becoming a member of the BGTA will not affect your ability to liaise directly with C&C or Encore. However, we do ask that you copy us on any issues you raise individually that may be of relevance to the wider development. It may well be the case that several residents are experiencing similar issues.
By logging any issues centrally we can build a picture of common issues across the development and prioritise their resolution. We have found that the collective voice of a tenants’ association is often more effective than individual complaints.
Is there a risk of the BGTA being biased in favour of particular building or buildings, depending on where the majority of members come from?
Absolutely not. It is very important to us that residents of all buildings feel equally welcome and represented. It is important to stress that the majority of issues we face will be common to all buildings.
How do I join the BGTA?
First of all, please join the BGTA by filling in our signup form our membership officer will then be in touch and arrange payment of the household membership subscription. You will then receive our regular newsletters, specific emails on things like service charges and heating charges, and an invitation to the next AGM.
What is the membership subscription and where does it go?
As an Association we need funds to pay for activities that we wish to undertake on residents' behalf, for example becoming members of national associations helping tenants associations like ours. We also have some admin costs such as hosting this website, room hire for meetings, and printing costs.
Over time we aim to save residents more than the cost of the membership fee, and we have already identified some items in the service charge budget which have been amended or removed, saving resident money.
Subscribing members will receive more detailed feedback from our analysis of service charges and other issues, and will be able to attend the AGM, stand for committee positions, and vote.
The subscription for 2024 is £35, payable per household (ie not by each individual resident). If you have not yet paid, please contact hello@bgta.org.uk to receive details for how to pay.
What are the roles on the BGTA Committee?
1. CHAIRPERSON – the main spokesperson representing the views of the membership of the BGTA, helping to guide the association to achieve its aims and chair the meetings of the association.
2. DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON – will support the Chair in fulfilling their role and deputise for the Chair in their absence (the person holding this role may also hold another role too).
3. SECRETARY – supports the chairperson to ensure things run smoothly, organising meetings, taking minutes, and dealing with any key paperwork.
4. TREASURER – appointed to handle the money coming into and going out of the BGTA. The single responsible contact for dealing with Encore on service charge queries.
5. MEMBERSHIP OFFICER – maintains the membership database, updating for new and departing members, dealing with membership applications and subscriptions.
6. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER – managing the monthly newsletter and supporting copy for any key statements or other communication needs.
We are keen for help from any residents with expertise in the areas of property or company law, accountancy, insurance, or other relevant disciplines to assist the taskforce.
If you would like to help with smaller projects or tasks. please also get in touch, If this sounds like something you could help us with, please do contact us via hello@bgta.org.uk.
Our Constitution
OUR CONSTITUTION
The inaugural meeting of the BGTA was held on 19th February 2020
This link below takes you to the formal documents relating to the BGTA as a Registered Tenants' Association, and will be updated after future meetings.
BGTA constitution 2022
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