Pre-Action Protocol Letters
from PDC Property Debt Collection Ltd
I'm currently assisting a number of Badbury Park residents who have received Pre-Action Protocol Letters from PDC Property Debt Collection Ltd regarding alleged late payment of estate management charges.
In one recent case, the timeline raised several questions:
📅 30 April 2026 – Statement of Account and an Overdue Reminder were both issued on the same day.
📅 18 May 2026 – A Final Notice was issued and a £65 Late Payment Administration Fee was added.
The TP1 Transfer Deed appears to allow 28 days after a written demandbefore contractual consequences arise, so this raises questions about whether the process followed complies with the Fifth Schedule.
There are also questions about the contractual basis for the £65 fee and whether all of the calculations and documents required by the TP1 were provided with the demand.
If you've received a similar letter, you're not alone. Each case depends on its own facts, but it's important to understand your rights under your Transfer Deed before responding.
Email: coatebadburypark@gmail.com
Website: e-voice.org.uk/badburypark
Management Company
Management Agent Remus
Residents are understandably concerned that they are effectively being charged twice — paying both the parish council precept, from which many feel they receive limited direct benefit, and separate estate fees for the maintenance of public open spaces.
It was positive to read that the management agent, Remus, has contracted Swindon South Parish Council (SSPC) to empty the litter bins on Badbury Park. Hopefully this arrangement will be delivered at a lower cost than the previously quoted £10,000 from the new landscaping company.
It is also worth noting that SSPC already cuts the grass verges on adopted roads on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, and will now also be responsible for emptying litter bins. In addition, there are plans for SSPC to take over management of the two allotments.
Given SSPC’s growing role on Badbury Park, residents may reasonably ask whether it would now make sense for the parish council to also take responsibility for the two play areas currently managed by the management company. Likewise, as SSPC already has staff and mowing equipment working on the development, it would seem logical to consider whether they could also maintain all public open space grassed areas more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Remus Residents Meeting 24 March 2026
Residents Views
Hi Jo
- 1. Playground near school
- I believe the playground that was installed was never fit for purpose with poor quality and poorly chosen equipment which has inevitably broken/ become difficult to maintain. I believe the developer should be rectifying this. There needs to be more equipment suitable for under 10s and particularly the age 5-8 age group who are the most ardent users.
- The playground is frequently left unsafe . Recently the metal bits of the temporary metal fence around the removed roundabout were falling off leaving metal stakes all over the ground.
- There is no soft landing near the weird circular climbing item. The ground is frequently muddy leaving the play item covered in mud and making it more unsafe.
- if I report an issue I get no acknowledgement or update from Remus.
- What is the process and SLA for when we raise an issue.
- an example where the development plan is not working in practice. This green path just means it cannot be used for 9 months of year and 6 weeks when it can be used, the school is closed. It would significantly help walking to school if this path was an all weather path and that can be used all year.
- Homington Avenue is dangerous to cross especially with children and buggies. The speed and the parking means there is no safe crossing anywhere.
- do persimmon pay rent to put their large advertising signs on land managed by the management company and is it enough to justify it?
- Who will be responsible for the removal of signs and rectifying damage to the ground?
- Are there plans to subsidise the management charge by accepting other advertising signs? Do these need planning permission?
- Another example where the development plan is not working for residents.
- This has left an open space without any valuable use.
- I would like to see barriers put up to stop children running from this green area out onto Homington Avenue and some small play equipment added similar to the willow house, snail and sheep that are between Ashcombe and Ilford Close. My boy loves these items and they add character to the estate. Maybe we could add some different animals here to create an animal search challenge.
- I highly suspect the same applies to the green area at the bend of Homington Avenue and also the one near Bushton Close.
- an example where the development plan has no logic. Stops where logically no one would wait has shelters. Other really popular stops have no shelters (eg coate village and Rainscombe Road).
- There is no path or hard standing next to Rainscombe Road bus stop meaninh people have to step onto slippy mud in inclement weather.
- when appoint them? What support will be provided as based on current experience I would not expect many takers!
- several paths and roads within the estate have cracks and ridges and slopes. This feels like it should be resolved by the developer. If in areas already adopted then I would challenge the adoption quality process which appeared to exclude residents refusing to even share the list of defects.
- there are items which I would not expect to come under a management arrangement and are not listed as items but appear to not have clear ownership, this is unacceptable as a risk to the residents and needs to be sorted.
- another example of where the development plan does not work in practical terms. Having the bins so close to the benches can make the benches unusable due to smell, insects etc attracted by the bins.
- some of these worry me. I don’t like my 5 year old getting too close to them. Eg the one on Biddestone Avenue near Lordswood bus stop.
- What risk assessment has been done? Some of the water areas have warning signs, some don’t and only 1-2 have life rings, why the inconsistency? Are the life rings sited at the riskiest water courses or is it just random? (It looks random).
- this feels like a design flaw as it seems as if the wood is rotting away from the metal supports
- This is the third one that has broken in a few years.
- we still have dead trees around the estate. The handover did not seem to take this into account or replaced them with poor quality trees with no plan to water them.
- it would be nice to have more colour on the development with daffodils or other bright flowers.