This was published on 21st May 2026 and represents what was known at the time, as described. It was shared at the first meeting on that date, held at The Black Horse with 17 people in attendance after advertising the meeting via social media sites of Tithebarn Residents Association.
This page is to act as a briefing paper regarding what is known (and unknown) about the Redhayes Management Company (RMC). It is written by Marc Coton and represents his incomplete understanding (and without any legal experience) and therefore can not be relied upon in any way! Updates and corrections are welcome and probably necessary….
RMC is a registered company with the UK Government, with a start date of 1st June 2018. The objectives are to manage and administer the ‘Managed Areas’ – that is any area within the boundary that is not owned by a resident. This includes grass areas, borders, swales, the country park etc. To achieve this the company sets and collects service charges. It can therefore employ the people needed to maintain the Managed Areas and all management and admin relating to it.
Their Articles of Association are publicly available and an exciting 42 page read! My understanding of it is:
- There is a board of directors that comprises various employees of the developers for the Minerva site, including Barratt David Wilson (BDW), Cavanna, Persimmon and Eagle One (the company that was set up by the developers to co-ordinate the new estates).
- The intention is to hand over all directorships to residents within the area defined in the articles, referred to as sites A-E.
- Plot A: Minerva (Barratts David Wilson Homes)Plot B & C: Equinox I (Cavanna)Plot D: Equinox II (Cavanna)Plot E: Bailey Place and Ashworth Place phase I (Persimmons)
- Sites A-E contain 580 dwellings and each plot owner becomes a Residential Member of the RMC, and has a single vote.
- The handover happens after what is referred to as a Transfer Event. This date is set by the developers and hasn’t yet happened (as of May 2026)
- RMC needs to have Annual General Meetings; agendas and minutes; formally nominated Chair, Secretary and Treasurer; publicly visible list of directors; procedures for voting on matters, submit accounts to Companies House; have public liability insurance and anything/everything else that goes with being a legal entity.
- RMC are able to appoint a Managing Agent of their choice. As of June 2018 this was FirstPort. However the developers that comprise the Directors have fallen out with FirstPort and in Jan 2026 they sought to replace them by inviting other Agents to tender for the contract.
- Whichever Agent is appointed by the current directors, after the Transfer Event then new board of directors will be free to appoint whichever Agent they want, subject to following the terms of notice required for the current Agent.
- After the Transfer Event, the annual service charge is payable by all 580 residents and the Board of Directors sets the amount charged and decides how the income is spent in order to achieve what it wants to do.
- The Country Park will probably be transferred before other green spaces. There is a separate fee for the park and the other green Spaces.
- The liability inferred upon Resident Members of is limited to £1.
Timeline
The timeline called What is happening about our Management Company? details what has happened so far. Below is a summary.
Why don’t the Parish Council take this on for us?
Despite having a ‘general power of competence’ BPC have specifically claimed they do not have the power to intervene in the management company issue for us. What is certain from our protracted dealings with them is that the current parish councillors (mostly Broadclyst village centric) and risk-averse don’t have the appetite to do so, despite our assertions that they have a moral duty to resolve this issue with us.
Why don’t East Devon District Council at least take on the Country Park?
EDDC have proved to be much more engaging in regard to taking on the large country park management formally and currently look after it. Sadly they won’t take it on. EDDC will cease to exist in its current form after the 2027 local government reorganisation. The shape of the merger won’t be known until mid July 26.
If we pay for the upkeep of the Country Park, can we lock it and keep it to ourselves?
The short answer is no. Even though it will be just the 580 properties that contribute to the upkeep, repair and public liability insurance for the space the land comes with specific uses attached and this includes it being open for public use for free.
Do we have to use First Port?
Absolutely not. First Port are being replaced by the developers who sit as the board of Directors because they have fallen out with First Port (perhaps due to the bad publicity of being attached to a company with such a poor reputation). They will appoint another company to take on the Management Agency and when a new board of directors of residents is appointed they will be able to choose their own Agent themselves.
Can the residents force the date of the Transfer Event?
No, it doesn’t seem so. It remains with the current Board Of Directors to decide when they leave their roles and trigger the Transfer Event. Once they do so we will want our own Board of Directors in waiting and ready to take over, hence the need to meet and decide how to proceed.
When will the Service Charge first be due and how much will it be?
Once the residents form the Board of Directors then the developers will cease to pay for maintenance of the communal properties and the responsibility will rest with the Redhayes Management Company. At this point it will need to start charging in order to begin affording to fulfill its responsibilities. The Board of Directors, on behalf of the Resident Members, will be able to set the amount they deem appropriate to fulfil their obligations.
What can be done about the incomplete works around the estate? Do these become RMC responsibility?
Lists of required remedial action have been compiled by locals over the last few years and shared with everyone concerned. The developers have a responsibility to complete the works around the estate to the standard agreed in the planning permissions. However, EDDC are responsible for ensuring these yet they are weak due to underfunding and incapacity to enforce these through legal action. Therefore the developers seem to treat all additional work as an act of goodwill rather than their legal obligation, and they are difficult to engage with about this. It is inevitable therefore that we will inherit problems that we will have to pick up the costs for despite it not being our fault. Several private individuals have worked very hard to minimise this but not all issues will have been resolved.
What happens next?
The meeting of the Residents Association will be used to bring together those interested in the running of RMC and form a set of directors in waiting. Although not strictly anything to do with TRA, it seems a suitable forum to bring residents together, at least in the first instance.
