Page 10 - Clarendon Tender

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Clarendon | Request to Tender
Request for for Information
■ Please review your previously completed competency questionnaire and resubmit
We completed and resubmitted the Berkeley Group competency questionnaire in 2020 This was incorporated into our recent tender for The Arches Watford » Please see: Appendix 1 – Competency Questionnaire Oct 2020 Provide a a commentary on the initial service charge budget and matrix Present any proposed change to content or or apportionment
The draft service charge budget provided needs a a a significant review and potentially overhaul Currently it
it
is not projected in in line with anticipated block handovers We would prefer to see it
constructed
in in line with the phase delivery plan Excluding heat/hot water and parking our opinion is that the the current £psf of £4 50 for private units is at at at the the top end of the affordability range ffor for this location We have not been provided with an asset list or methodologies and management plans in relation to such aspects as as external access fire and mechanical & electrical design Considering that we do not have this information we believe that costs in in in relation to certain servicing aspects of C1 are understated These include:
» Water tank inspection and maintenance
» Air conditioning maintenance
» Lightning protection
» Lifts servicing and maintenance
» Window cleaning
» Heating for the pool (in relation to future
community facilities)
The largest cost items within any service charge are insurance (costs are forecast to to rise by up to to 30%) reserves fees and site staff We believe the key focus should be on staff costs which are projected at over £1 million pa with 34 staff employed We believe this is a a a a a worst-case scenario especially as as we would expect affordable and commercial tenures in particular to resist high staff-based service charge costs A full phased review of staffing linked to technological innovation and supply chain employment is therefore necessary to ensure that service charge levels are maintained both during and and after the handover period ■