Mutual ground spaces can be a fantastic way to help developers in creating communities – they create areas where residents can come together to spend time with their peers. However, these communal spaces are often neglected by developers and residents who may not see the value that well maintained and accessible mutual areas provide to their community. What’s more, with the responsibility of communal areas now largely being the responsibility of residents and leaseholders rather than local authorities, many mutual ground spaces are falling into a state of disrepair which is causing divides across neighbourhoods that are detrimental to community spirit and can impact property values.
In this piece, Centrick will be running you through what precisely constitutes mutual ground, why community is the backbone of any neighbourhood, and how a well-structured service can provide your community with a much needed boost.
What Is Mutual Ground?
Mutual ground refers to the spaces within a development which are shared or communal. From large neighbourhood parks to small, shared grass verges, mutual ground plots come in many forms. Whereas private gardens are designated for the use of one specific household, mutual ground areas are available for use by anybody within a community. As such, mutual ground spaces can become a bone of contention among residents if they are inadequately maintained or misused, making them a very important aspect of the local community.
Why Is Community So Important?
A home is far more than just the four walls in which someone resides – your broader neighbourhood is a key contributor to a resident’s quality of life and how much they enjoy their property. Having a tight-knit community can be truly transformative to a resident’s experience by having a direct impact on their wellbeing, and connectivity with their neighbours, as well as reducing tenant turnover and void periods. This is especially important now that many of us are spending more time at home as a result of hybrid working models, with residential properties now being home offices for many members of the public. As such, residents are spending more time in their communities and surroundings – including those all-important mutual ground spaces.
How Does Mutual Ground Maintenance Help In Creating Communities?
Mutual ground spaces used to be under the remit of local authorities, whose responsibility it was to maintain these spaces and keep them presentable and safe for use. However, in recent years local authorities have relinquished this responsibility, therefore leaving the maintenance of these communal areas to developers. This not only requires time, effort and skill, but can cost money that had not previously accounted for. Furthermore, the maintenance of these communal areas can cause contention, with the reputation of the community as a whole being impacted by the poor upkeep of communal areas. This can make your development less appealing to current and prospective residents, and could even impact the value of the properties within your community.
Without these pervasive issues of communal grounds maintenance, residents are able to spend their time integrating with their community in a positive way, with the aforementioned mutual grounds spaces providing the perfect location for them to come together. Even if your mutual ground spaces are not large enough for resident gatherings, but rather constitute grass verges and small plots of land across your neighbourhood, the regular upkeep of these areas is still important as it ensures that your development does not fall into disrepair and begin to look unappealing to new and existing residents. By having your mutual ground needs covered, this removes any potential barriers for your community to participate in a thriving community.
Centrick’s Mutual Ground Service
Having seen the impact that poorly maintained communal spaces can have on communities and developments, Centrick decided to launch a comprehensive building and estate management service that not only removes the burden of mutual ground maintenance, but also provided exceptional results without the hefty management fee.
Whether your development is in need of regular grounds maintenance, specialist services such as gate automation and tree surgery, or you require a set of skilled contractors to help you deal with long and short term maintenance requests – Centrick can help. Contact our team using the form below, and we will be in touch with you shortly to answer any queries or requests.
