by David O’Connor, a director of HCEL
The people who move to the Estate are sometimes puzzled by the fact that it has both a Residents’ Association and a Company. In fact, the two entities have distinct and complementary purposes. The Residents’ Association has a social role and serves to ‘advance and protect the interests of the Residents and preserve the amenities of the district’, whereas Herbert Collins Estates Limited (HCEL) is the freehold owner of the land and deals with the legal and management aspects of the Estate.
Understandably, people tend to focus on the activities of Residents’ Association, not least because of its community activities. However, becoming a member of HCEL also has benefits. In particular, membership gives property owners a voice in how the Estate is managed and how decisions are made. The Company’s work – from overseeing land management to reviewing applications for property modifications – directly affects our neighbourhood. Members therefore play an important role in preserving the Estate’s unique heritage and character as well as in shaping its future.
Details of how to become a member of HCEL are routinely included in the Welcome Pack given to people who have just moved to the Estate. However, this is often a particularly busy time and it’s possible that deciding on membership sometimes gets ‘put on the backburner’ and then forgotten. Accordingly, if you are a property owner within the Conservation Area or Summerfield Gardens and would like to become a member of HCEL please email us at hcel@herbertcollins.co.uk.