local authority:   Dartford Borough Council

Blackwood Co-operative Housing Society consists of a mix of 62 rented, leasehold, and freehold flats and houses and is one of four housing co-operatives on the Phoenix Place Estate in the heart of Dartford. It consists of one tower block of 36 flats (6 bedsits, 18 one bed two person flats and 12 two bed three person flats), 16 two bed four person houses and 8 three bed five person houses all surrounded by large green communal open spaces.

Blackwood Co-operative was one of CDS Co-operatives’s earliest developments completed in April 1978. Fully managed by CDS, we are hoping to encourage tenant participation within the co-operative to revive the committee.

All the properties are fully double glazed, most of the rented properties have new fitted kitchens, all other kitchens are being replaced under a rolling planned maintenance programme. The rented houses have recently had their central heating systems upgraded. The block of flats has a recently refurbished lift and the added security of a door entry phone system as well as CCTV of the main entrance area. The CCTV is tuned to each resident’s TV so they know who is at the main entrance area at any time. The flats have a communal tumble dryer located on each floor, refuse chutes for small items of rubbish and a main refuse area outside. There is unallocated communal parking for the flats and all houses have their own driveways with the three bed five person houses having an integrated garage. There are a limited number of garages available for tenants in the flats to rent at an additional cost each month. There is currently a waiting list and anyone wishing to rent a garage or be placed on the waiting list should contact the co-operative support officer for Dartford or the Help Desk for further information.

The flats pay a service charge to cover:

• gardening and maintenance of grounds
• communal lighting on the estate
• management of services
• cleaning, lighting and maintenance of common areas of flats
• maintenance of lights
• upkeep of door entry-phone system
• upkeep of communal tumble drying facility

The houses pay a service charge to cover:

• gardening and maintenance of grounds
• communal lighting on the estate
• management of services

Dartford train station is within ten minutes walk and the area is accessible by a good bus network link to the town centre, Bluewater and beyond. Supermarkets, the Priory and Orchard Shopping Centres and Orchard Theatre are within five minutes walking distance from the scheme. Dartford Police Station is based in Instone Road, two to three minutes away, and the nearest hospital is Darent Valley Hospital.

There are a number of infant and junior schools within close proximity including Oakfield Infant and Junior Schools. Dartford Technology College, a secondary school for girls with a mixed sixth form college can be found within walking distance of the scheme.

Blackwood Co-operative Housing Society has a mix of tenancies: assured tenancy agreements, issued to all new tenants after 15 January 1989 (gives security of tenure as local authority tenants with the exception of the ‘right to buy’), or secured tenancy agreements, issued to all tenants on or before 15 January 1989, (gives security of tenure as local authority tenants including the right to buy).

The initial leases drawn up for properties in the co-operative were for 99 years, duration from April 1973. All subsequent leases are for 125 years duration. The leasehold properties all pay an annual service charge to cover the cost of services and the freehold properties all pay a rent charge to cover mainly the communal gardening and management of services.

Allocations to this scheme are strictly via Darthomes who have 100% nomination rights to scheme. Anyone wishing to transfer to or away from this scheme should be registered on Dartford Council’s common housing register and apply for any vacant properties under the new choice based lettings scheme that came into effect in the Borough in April 2005.