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The Cedar Chase Residents’ Society was set up by Span when the estate was built. Eric Lyons was always keen to point out that Span built communities as well as houses, and it has certainly worked here. There are not many housing estates where most residents know everyone who lives there, but Cedar Chase is one of them.

The Residents’ Society is a limited company – technically a Friendly Society – and every house owns one share. The Society in turn owns all of the communal areas: front gardens, paths and woodlands. There are strong covenants between the Society and the householders, setting out the rights and responsibilities of each, and the legal structure is governed by a Scheme of Management approved by the High Court.

The main duties of the society are:

  1. Maintain the gardens, woodlands, and communal areas.
  2. Paint the outside of the houses on a regular schedule.
  3. Clean the windows every month.
  4. Maintain the estate lighting and communal TV aerial.
  5. Prevent inappropriate changes to the appearance of the estate.
  6. Collect maintenance fees and maintain a sinking fund.

In addition the Society acts as a focal point for the social life of the estate by:

  1. Publishing a newsletter for residents
  2. Organising a summer Ox Roast
  3. Maintaining a block membership of the Hitcham and Taplow Society

The main duties of householders are:

  1. To pay the maintenance charge
  2. To maintain the house and garage in good condition
  3. Not to change the external appearance of the house or garage without explicit permission from the Society