Effective Management of a Grade II Listed Riverside Development

Why is experience helpful when it comes to choosing a Managing Agent for a waterfront/riverside property?

Alongside typical management services and block & estate management aspects, waterfront / riverside properties often have more complex exterior maintenance needs and development management aspects, such as:

• River walls and flood defenses
• Public pathway maintenance responsibilities
• Private piers or pontoons
• More authorities, regulations, and consent types to liaise, comply or navigate around.

Flood management is a crucial part of riverside building maintenance: Aside from the risks of climate change, sea level and river level rises, subsidence and erosion, corrosion and wear and tear create additional flood management concerns for waterfront properties across England.

London’s Thameside properties also experience the impact of tidal waters, and buildings across the South East are experiencing alarming levels of subsidence – which gets harder to manage for waterfront properties.

An experienced agent can utilise their local expertise, as well as their ability to identify and work with relevant Authorities, to keep your development as protected from these risks or vulnerabilities as possible. Most importantly, they’ll know when it’s time to refer to the appropriate specialist to ensure your Riverfront property receives the correct advice.

 Jennings & Barrett manage a number of waterfront and riverside developments, spanning from Central London through to the Kent Coast, which helps inform our organisational and professional knowledge for managing these kinds of estates.

Lastly, it’s important to ensure that you’re adequately insured for all possible risks – we work with St Giles as a St Giles Appointed Representative, which helps ensure that our blocks receive specialist insurance that meets their needs at great value.

How might river walls and flood defences impact managing a waterfront or riverside property?

When managing a riverside or waterfront property, it is essential to ensure that you’re keeping your property as protected as possible from erosion, floods, and river water ingress. River walls and flood defences are key to these efforts.

As well as inspections of aspects such as river walks, embankments, and flood defences, you’ll need to administer long-term river wall projects and may even be responsible for maintaining public walkways, so you’ll need an agent with experience of managing relationships with Port and Waterway authorities such as the Port of London Authority or the Environment Agency, and liasing with the owners and operators of local marinas, pontoons, and other neighboring buildings where necessary.

Finding contractors who are competent and confident working in the water is likely a necessity at some point, too. They’ll need to have adequate insurance to perform these kinds of works.

If any part of your building overhangs into the water, you’ll likely require works to be performed on these at some point – so specialist surveyors, scaffolding services, and maintenance services are key contractors to have on hand. These works may require River Works Licenses, specialist consents, water access, and approvals if works may affect the river or water.

When it comes to riverside or waterfront heritage properties, this needs to be managed alongside the terms of Listed Building management needs and consent complications – which can mean that a project that seems simple, quickly becomes complex.

For the installation of flood defenses, you’ll likely need an agent experienced in Section 20 consultations as well.

Read our case study, Performing Overdue External Decorations On Iconic Waterfront Development, to see how we achieve the completion of major works for waterfront / riverside developments within our portfolio.

 

How does weather affect the management of waterfront / riverside properties?

Waterfront locations are exposed to harsher conditions – such as stronger winds, higher humidity levels, and if you’re on the coast, salt exposure – which make buildings in these locations more vulnerable.

Corrosion can rust metal fixtures – such as railings or even window hinges – at a faster rate than non-exposed buildings experience. The moisture from the water can increase the risk of indoor condensation, mildew and mold. Roofs, sidings, exterior paint and cladding takes extra beatings from wind exposure, and UV off of the water can also expedite some of those issues.

Should your building have private pontoons, piers or docks, these will also need to be adequately maintained and protected from exposure to the elements. Debris and pests can further complicate these facilities.

The presence of water – particularly tidal waters – when combined with harsher weather conditions will also affect the ability of maintenance tasks and major works to progress or complete due the health and safety implications.

Choosing a local agent can be key to managing a waterfront or riverside property – they’ll be more aware of likely risks or geographic elements that could impact your building’s structure, your residents or contractors’ safety, or complicate maintenance.