Welcome
Welcome to the Waterways. We hope you settle into your new home quickly and that you will enjoy living here. If you have not lived on a development like the Waterways before, this section of this site is a useful introduction of how the development is managed and maintained.
The Good Neighbour Guide
The Waterways was built by Berkeley Homes between 2000 and 2004 on a former industrial site in North Oxford between the Hook Meadow to the north, the Trap Grounds to the south, the Woodstock Road to the east and the railway lines to the west. The lake near the top of Elizabeth Jennings Way is a former clay pit used by the brick works which occupied the site in Victorian times. The reason for the stone “spark-plug” sculpture near the lake is that for 82 years Osberton Radiators made parts here for Morris Oxford cars and also, during the Second World War, the factory diversified to make radiators and other parts for the Spitfire and other aircraft. It subsequently became a Unipart factory which closed just before the estate was built.
Since 2002 The Waterways has become one of the most sought-after new estates in Oxford. During that time the Waterways Management Committee has worked closely with its managing agents and with the housing association greensquareaccord to establish high standards in appearance, cleanliness and maintenance across the estate, and to make sure that The Waterways remains a harmonious place where we can all enjoy living.
This section of the Welcome guide highlights certain key things everyone, owners and tenants alike, may and may not, do. Most of these points boil down to being considerate towards others but we thought it was a good idea to clarify them. If you sub-let a house or apartment it is important that you make your tenants aware of the conditions of the Lease or Transfer document and any regulations that the Waterways Management Company has made or may make from time to time.
1 Parking and road safety
Access for emergency vehicles at all times is of primary concern. However, inconsiderate and unsafe parking of vehicles can block or restrict access. Please ensure you are parked considerately at all times. The police are sometimes called to tow away badly parked vehicles.
Parking spaces are at a premium. Because many garages have been turned into living rooms there are now fewer places to park than in 2002.
Residents are permitted to park only fully taxed and licensed private vehicles (and no other type of vehicle or equipment) within the space(s) allocated to their property. The public roads within the estate are also available for parking, subject to Oxfordshire City Council parking permits.
The allocated parking bay(s) will be shown in your Lease or Transfer and should have been confirmed by your solicitor or letting agent as part of their service. Owners: please ensure your tenants are aware of their allocated parking space(s).
Please also ensure you park safely – not on yellow lines, roundabouts, close to corners or entrances, or where access or passage for other vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists would be blocked.
Encourage visitors to park safely too, in an appropriate space.
The speed limit on the estate is 20mph. This is especially important given the number of children on the estate. Please respect this limit.
Please go around all roundabouts, especially the one at the bottom of Elizabeth Jennings Way. Cars cutting corners have been responsible for several near accidents here.
The main roads and bridges on the estate are the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council. Other service roads, parking areas and landscaped grounds are the responsibility of either the WMC or GreenSquareAccord.
2 Refuse, litter and use of bin stores
There is a regular schedule for refuse collection as advised by Oxford City Council. The current collection day is Friday but this can vary over public holidays. Sign up for notification of any changes to the collection schedule at Oxford City Council – My Bin Day
Apartment block residents should use the bin stores provided; these are for the sole use of apartment block residents. Please do not store refuse in the store itself outside your bins.
For the benefit of all residents – and the environment – please use the bins correctly as failure to do so will result in notices being served by the local authority. Instructions on what to put in each bin are shown on signs installed in each refuse area. Failure to recycle appropriately will result in fines being issued to property occupiers.
To avoid unnecessary overfilling of the recycling containers, please ensure that boxes and packaging materials are flattened and compressed as much as possible.
If you are disposing of food or sanitary waste please double-bag the refuse as this will prevent strong odours building up in the bin stores, which is not pleasant for other users!
The small food waste bins have a locking handle. Please use this as foxes are very good at getting them open.
Section 18, Restrictive Covenants no 10, states that wheelie bins should be stored at the rear of houses, in gardens or garages and should not be left at the front of houses, in porches or parking spaces. Bins that are visible are unsightly and have been shown to have a negative impact on the value of properties. The WMC enforces this condition.
House owners with individual wheelie bins should avoid putting rubbish out earlier than the evening before collection, as the risk of vermin is substantially increased the longer it is left out. Bins should be taken back out of sight promptly after the rubbish collection. If you are going to be away please arrange for a neighbour to remove your bin after collection.
Please dispose of litter in the bins provided by the lake and on the green by the canal or take it home with you. If you smoke outside your apartment block please dispose of your cigarette butts at home and not immediately outside the apartment.
If disposing of bulky items please call the council to collect – they will make two free collections a year (up to 3 items per visit). Tel: 01865 249 811. Please don’t just leave items in the bin store for others to deal with!
If you have any further questions, please visit the Oxford City Council recycling and waste website.
3 Communal Areas
The passageways between houses on the estate should not be used for storage as this may block access.
4 Barbecues and other social events
The Waterways is a sociable estate but this does not extend to permitting barbecues, candles or other naked flames in any apartment areas, especially on balconies as they clearly constitute a serious fire risk to you and your neighbours.
Barbecues and other social gatherings can however take place in the communal areas on the estate, particularly on the main communal area by the canal, known as the Green and on the grass by the lake. Permission needs to be sought from the WMC via FirstPort if you are planning the use of any installations such as loudspeakers and bouncy castles in these areas which may affect the peace and quiet of neighbours.
Please be sensible when using these areas. Take your rubbish away with you and under no circumstances damage the grass. Do not use other communal areas as your personal space or for social events.
5 Noise
Owners and tenants are required to take all reasonable precautions to avoid noise nuisance. Leases usually require that noise outside and within any dwelling must be kept to a minimum between the hours of 11:00pm and 08:00am. This especially relates to the use of power tools, televisions and music. Please avoid letting doors slam between these hours.
When entertaining, please consider your neighbours and ensure that your guests enter and leave the building with the minimum disturbance and that they park appropriately.
WMC Leases and Transfers and GreenSquareAccord tenancy agreements contain clauses requiring the owner to be responsible for the conduct of all persons occupying their property, especially with regard to noise during unsociable hours.
The most effective way to deal with anti-social behaviour relating to noise or other disturbance should be initially to raise the issue with the neighbour in a reasonable manner to try to solve the problem amicably. If you are unable to solve the problem through direct intervention in this way you may contact the Noise Complaints Department at the Council Tel: 01865 249 811.
6 Children
People are of course happy to see children playing around the estate provided they behave reasonably. Please make sure:
Children are sensible about traffic.
They don’t play ball games where likely to cause annoyance (e.g. close to cars, windows and planted areas).
They don’t damage any of the planted sections.
They keep well away from the lake and the water courses that run through the estate, as these can be dangerous. Children should always be supervised in these areas.
Do consider taking or sending your children to the Play Areas in Stone Meadow and Ryder Close. These are maintained by the City Council and so available for all of us to use.
7 Wildlife on The Waterways
For a modern estate The Waterways is surprisingly rich in wildlife. We have Port Meadow and the nature reserve of Burgess Field to our west. Furthermore the railway lines on the west side of the estate provide a permanent corridor for wildlife.
Linking Hook Meadow in the north to the Trap Grounds in the south is our own wildlife corridor between Frenchay Road and Stone Meadow. There is a small stream running through it which drains the surface water from the whole estate on both sides of the canal, as well as from parts of the Woodstock and Banbury Roads, into the Trap Grounds, as part of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System. Also the Oxford Canal runs through the middle of the estate and provides a haven for wildlife, as well as a pleasant walk along the tow path, north to Wolvercote and beyond and south to the city centre.
A variety of animals can be seen on and around the estate including badgers, water voles, otters, foxes, muntjac deer and hedgehogs.
Many birds visit and some nest here now the planting is more dense and mature. Herons have been spotted over the lake and the canal and tawny owls and cuckoos are occasionally heard calling just to the northern end of the estate by Hook Meadow. The rare water rail bird is occasionally seen pottering by our stream, and reed warblers warble in the reeds there in summer. Kingfishers are regularly seen as a blue flash above the stream in the wildlife corridor.
We discourage the feeding of wildlife on the estate as there is plenty of food in the natural habitats. Certainly, do not leave food on the ground for ducks or other birds. This spoils the grass areas and attracts vermin including rats!
The wildlife corridor is deliberately not lit at night to preserve the integrity of the habitat. Therefore after dark (and in icy weather) cyclists and pedestrians should not use the bridges and paths in this area as a short cut but use the main roads instead.
8 Water hazards on The Waterways
The various water features are an important part of the character and attractiveness of The Waterways. We have the lake off Elizabeth Jennings Way, the Oxford Canal, the watercourse that runs from the lake towards the canal behind Clearwater Place and Ryder Close, and the stream in the wildlife corridor down to the Trap Grounds.
All these water features, from the very deep to the very shallow, can present safety hazards, especially for children and the unwary. No one should ever enter any of the water features and if there is an incident in which someone (or their pet) has entered the water and gets into difficulty then the emergency services should be called immediately. Next to the lake and the canal there are life belts at intervals, set back away from the water’s edge. It is important that children are warned of the dangers of these water features and are supervised when playing in these areas.
You are strongly advised to keep away from the edge of the water features. The lake, in particular, is very deep and not designed to provide safe places to stand or sit at the water’s edge. The lake and its shores should be treated as potentially very hazardous.
As signs make clear, fishing is not allowed and taking fish from the lake is considered to be poaching, which is a criminal offence (Section 32 Theft Act).
9 Dogs
Please clean up after your dogs and keep them on a lead within the development. If you do not clean up you may be fined by the Oxford City Council dog warden.
10 Cycles and cycle stores
Bike racks and locked stores are provided across the estate and should be used to park bikes. Do not leave bikes in apartment hallways, communal areas or locked to railings. Bike stores are not meant for motor bike storage but can be used temporarily if there is sufficient space and other residents do not object.
If you are moving or going away for an extended period, please do not abandon your bikes but take them with you or dispose of them responsibly. The WMC undertakes regular “culls” of abandoned bikes in its area of responsibility and, after adequate warning, removes and disposes of those considered to be no longer in use.
11 Extensions and other changes to properties on The Waterways
If you are living in your own property and considering extending it or changing its outward appearance you should contact Oxford City Council Planning Department to check whether or not you need planning permission.
Freehold house owners are entitled to undertake works within their own curtilages, subject to the appropriate regulations. However, the WMC has produced guidelines for potential developments to indicate the sort of extensions and improvements that it considers suitable in order to maintain the integrity and character of the estate. It has also produced character assessments of the areas within its remit according to the template produced by the City Council, and these assessments are intended to help owners and the City Council’s planners to assess planning applications and their possible impact on the nature of the estate.
House owners contemplating improvements and changes are encouraged to look at these documents to gauge what might be acceptable in terms of maintaining the character of the estate. The character assessments and the development guidelines are available via the WMC section.
If you are a leasehold property owner you should be aware that in accordance with clause (6.9) of the Lease, FirstPort Property Management, as Managing Agents for the WMC, should be advised of any proposed alterations to leasehold properties. The Lease requires that consent be obtained from the WMC and the freeholder prior to work being carried out. Such consent is usually issued in the form of a letter licence, although a formal licence may be required depending on the extent of the works. An administration charge is made for the issue of consents and licences.
Property owners are also advised to take out separate insurance for the duration of the works to cover accidental damage caused by their contractor to the common areas or neighbouring flats.
Owners of all properties should have respect for their neighbours when undertaking work themselves or through contractors.
Skips should be positioned where they cause least disruption.
Communal carpets should be covered during work and cleaned at completion.
Work should not be carried out at unreasonable hours (before 8am and after 6pm)
Work should only be carried out at weekends with agreement of neighbours.
Lifts should not be overloaded with bulky or heavy items.
Additionally it is a common – and welcome – courtesy to inform neighbours well in advance of future work, particularly of any potentially disruptive or noisy work and to ask if week-end working is acceptable.
12 Complaints Procedure
If you are an owner of a WMC property on The Waterways and you have a complaint about the management of the estate, you can send it to FirstPort Property Services (details in section 3). If your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved by FirstPort, you can contact the WMC directly, at feedback.wmc@gmail.com.
GreenSquareAccord residents should contact GreenSquareAccord
Legal and other issues for WMC leasehold apartments and freehold houses
As you will know, there are certain legal obligations in the Lease you signed up to when you bought your leasehold property on The Waterways. Some of these are as follows:
1 Communal areas
The stairs and hallways of the apartment blocks should NOT be used for the storage of any items, including bikes and buggies, however temporarily. Such storage can cause inconvenience to other residents and impede access for the emergency services. In the unfortunate event of a fire the building’s insurance may be invalidated if items were found to be stored in communal areas.
Similarly bicycles should be stored in the external bike racks or in the cycle sheds provided. Carrying of bicycles into apartment buildings often causes damage to both wall and floor finishes and accelerates the deterioration of the common areas.
2 Pets
Please be aware that The Schedule – Regulations no 8 of the Leases for all apartment properties states that pets can only be kept with the consent of WMC and WMC has agreed that no animals are allowed unless they are assistance dogs (e.g. a guide or hearing dog).
3 Satellite Dishes, washing and balconies
Leasehold property owners should be aware that The Schedule – Regulations no 4 of the Lease prohibits residents from installing an aerial, satellite dish or any other similar reception device on the buildings.
Balconies, including the painting of railings, are the responsibility of the WMC. Residents are not permitted to hang washing on their balconies or window sills. The WMC has given permission for pots, window boxes (hanging inside railings but not outside), tables and chairs, and other appropriate ornaments (but not barbecues, candles or other naked flames), to be placed on balconies but not window sills. This is on the understanding that owners/occupiers are responsible for ensuring that all health and safety issues are addressed and that no damage is done to balconies. The WMC reserves the right to refuse permission for anything that it considers inappropriate to be placed on a balcony.
Please be aware that any satellite dish erected in breach of this covenant will be removed and the individual owner charged for the associated costs of removal.
4 Floor Coverings
Leasehold apartment owners should be aware that The Schedule – Regulations no 7 of the Lease states that floors MUST be covered with carpet and underlay, or such other effective sound deadening floor covering material as may be approved by the Management Company, to all rooms with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom which should have suitable covering. The installation of wooden floors is not allowed and owners can be asked to remove unauthorised flooring.
5 Sale and sub-letting of apartments (including airbnb)
With regard to leasehold properties on the Development, Clauses (6.20) (6.21) (6.22) (6.26) of the Lease set out the requirements governing sales. Failure to comply with these covenants is a breach of the Lease and will inevitably delay final completion of sale or tenancy.
Leasehold apartment owners wishing to sell their properties should make written application to the WMC’s managing agent, FirstPort Property Services’ Luton office. The Lease provides that consent cannot be unreasonably withheld and you will be informed of any objections. An administrative charge is made for the appropriate consents.
The WMC has decided that there should be a minimum period for sub-letting of 6 months.
Shorter-term lettings of apartments, including via letting agents or organisations such as airbnb, are not allowed. Such short-term lettings would also breach clause 6.10 of the Lease which does not allow an apartment to be used for running a trade or business and stipulates that it should be used and occupied as a private residential flat in the occupation of one family only. These lettings could also invalidate the block’s insurance. They would also be considered to be in breach of clause 6.11 of the Lease which does not allow an apartment to be used in any way that may cause annoyance, damage, nuisance or inconvenience to others in the block or on the estate.
The same conditions apply to the letting of rooms within an apartment to a number of separate individuals which constitutes a home in multiple occupation (HMO) and this is not allowed.
Where terms of a Lease are judged to be broken, the WMC will consider appropriate action to enforce the terms of the Lease and may re-charge leaseholders for any costs involved.
Owners of leasehold apartments who sub-let should regularly check that their tenants are not breaking the terms of the lease in any way, particularly through sub-letting.
6 Buildings Insurance
If you are the owner of a leasehold apartment and need to make a claim on your buildings insurance please contact FirstPort’s Luton office (contact details in section 3) and they will be pleased to advise you further.
Freehold houses
7 Sale and lettings of WMC freehold houses
With regard to the freehold properties on the estate, the Transfer by which you have purchased your property sets out any restrictions governing the sale of your property.
Failure to comply with these covenants is a breach of the Transfer and may delay final completion of any subsequent sale. The service charge liability remains with the last registered owner until proper notice is received. Please note that consent will not be issued if any outstanding payments are due.
Vendors’ Solicitors should contact the FirstPort Property Services Transfer department should they have any queries regarding this matter (help@FirstPort.co.uk).
In terms of lettings, the minimum period is 6 months. Also the Transfer stipulates that houses should not be used for any other purpose other than as a private dwellinghouse in the occupation of one household only. Therefore short-term lets of whole houses such as via airbnb or the letting of rooms to separate individuals which constitutes a home in multiple occupation (HMO) are not allowed. Where terms of a Transfer are judged to be broken, the WMC will consider appropriate action to enforce the terms of the Transfer and may re-charge owners for any costs involved.
Owners of freehold houses who sub-let should regularly check that their tenants are not breaking the terms of the Transfer in any way, particularly through sub-letting.
Local information
If you’re new to the area, check out our Local Services and Information section for all you need to know. From restaurants to a plumber you can trust, we’ve got the inside knowledge.