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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

2024 FEES

Garden Charge-payers:
£60 initial non-refundable administration fee only.
The annual precept is collected by RBKC within the council tax, itemised on the bill as the garden charge.

New Garden Subscribers:
• The fee for the first year is currently £285 made up of the annual fee of £225 p.a. plus administration fee of £60. The key fobs run annually from April 1st to March 31st.
• For those applying after October 1st, half fees will be charged i.e. £112.50, plus an administration fee of £60 giving a total of £172.50.

Garden Subscriber Renewals:
• The fee for 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 is £225.
Annual Subscription fees are set at the AGM in January and published in February every year.

Garden Subscriber Waiting List:
• There is no fee to join the waiting list.

Replacement key fobs:
• For Lost and Broken Fobs - A non-refundable key fob replacement fee of £60.00 is payable for both Garden Charge-payers and Garden Subscribers and is intended to cover the cost of deactivating the old key fob and obtaining and activating a new key fob.
• Non-functioning key fobs will be replaced for a fee of £30.00. The non-functioning key fob must be returned after submitting the application form and paying the fee. In the event the fob can be rebooted the £30 fee will be refunded.

SUBSCRIBER RENEWALS

• There is no automatic right to renew a subscription. Currently the Garden Committee encourages renewals.
• Existing subscribers will be sent an email invitation in March each year to renew their subscription by 31st March. (Renewals cannot be processed prior to RBKC issuing the new council tax bill in March.)
• Subscribers should whitelist keys@ecsgarden.org.uk to avoid our communications going to spam.
• Subscribers who miss the renewal invitation email can return to this page to find the latest subscription fees and a link to the application form.
• We recommend Subscribers set a calendar reminder for the annual renewal application as reminder emails will not be sent and it is the Subscriber's responsibility to renew their subscription on time and not rely on the Garden Subcommittee chasing them.
• Failure to renew by 31st March will cancel subscriber status and lead to immediate key fob de-activation.
• As of 2024 we require renewals to confirm their continued eligibility at each renewal by re-submitting their photo ID and new council tax bill for the next financial year using the online application form below. For example, those renewing in March 2025 for the subscription period April 2025-March 2026 would need to submit their council tax bill for the period April 2025 to March 2026.

• All Subscribers undertake to inform the Garden Subcommittee promptly if they are no longer resident in Earls Court Square by emailing keys@ecsgarden.org.uk for instructions on how to return their key fob.
• Subscriptions are not registered to the property or the owner, but to the individual who is named on the Council Tax bill. Subscriptions are not transferrable and may not be passed on or loaned out.
• Should a lapsed subscriber later wish to reactive their subscription they should use the online application form to apply as a new subscriber and join the Waiting List

SUBSCRIBER WAITING LIST

• An eligible resident of Earls Court Square who wishes to be considered for issue of a key if and when available may request their name is added to the Waiting List.
• There is no fee to join the Waiting List.
• Applicants will be placed on the List at the date their application is made via the online application form, below.
• Applicants must fulfill the criteria for issue of a key at the date of the application with a copy of their current council tax bill which must show their name at an eligible address as well as their photo ID.
• Applicants must continuously fulfill the eligibility criteria while on the waiting list.
• The Garden Subcommittee may request evidence confirming compliance with the criteria periodically in order for applicants to remain on the waiting list.
• If a key becomes available, the person at the top of the list will be offered it and have 14 days to accept, complete the application form again, upload up-to-date documentation and effect the required payment, at the expiry of which the key will automatically be offered to the next person on the Waiting List and the original applicant struck off the Waiting List.
• Any applicant on the Waiting List undertakes to inform the Garden Subcommittee promptly if they are no longer resident in Earls Court Square or no longer wish to obtain a key by emailing keys@ecsgarden.org.uk.
• The Subcommittee does not guarantee that the Waiting List will be maintained indefinitely and may discontinue it at any time at its sole discretion.

REPLACE A LOST OR DAMAGED KEY FOB

If you lose or damage your key fob, or it stops working, complete the online application form and follow the instructions. You will need to confirm your eligibility for a key again with your current council tax bill and photo ID.

• For Lost and Broken Fobs - A non-refundable key fob replacement fee of £60.00 is payable for both Garden Charge-payers and Garden Subscribers and is intended to cover the cost of deactivating the old key fob and obtaining and activating a new key fob.
• Non-functioning key fobs will be replaced for a fee of £30.00. The non-functioning key fob must be returned after submitting the application form and paying the fee. In the event the fob can be rebooted the £30 fee will be refunded.

You will be notified when you can collect your replacement key fob.

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

The online application form should be used for ALL types of key fob applications:
• Garden charge payers applying for their first key
• Subscriber annual renewal applications
• Subscriber waiting list applications
• Existing key fob holders applying for a replacement for a lost or damaged key fob.

Please follow the instructions on the Googleform. You will need to sign in to your Google account.

All applicants will be required to supply current eligibility documents showing:
• The applicants name on a current council tax bill at an eligible address. (RBKC's portal provides convenient copies of council tax bills for download by registered council tax payers.)
• Photo ID. (Applicants are encouraged to strike out passport numbers, DOB and other sensitive data from their photo ID provided their name and photo is readable.)

Documents may be uploaded within the form. The form also provides an option to email documents to us. Upon verification of eligibility, the applicant's documents will be deleted from our system, however the applicants data entered into the form will be retained until the applicant notifies us they no longer require a key fob or are no longer eligible for a key fob.

Applicants must click 'submit' at the end of the form or we will not receive the application! After submission applicants will receive an automatic reply from Google with a copy of their application. If an automatic reply is not received after filling in the online form, after checking junk mail the applicant should return to the online form and hit submit.

By submitting the form the applicant is confirming they agree to their data being retained for the management of key registers and/or the waiting list, and that the applicant has read and agrees to abide by the garden Bye-laws.

PAYMENTS

If the applicant is required to pay an immediate fee, the application form will confirm the cost and payment information (which will also be available in the copy of your application which Google sends automatically after submission of the form).

For those applying to join the subscriber waiting list, no fee will be payable until the applicant is offered a subscription, at which point the applicant will be required to re-confirm their eligibility before we send payment instructions separately by email.

OBTAINING THE KEY FOB

Upon acceptance of of the completed application, Council Tax Statement, proof of identity and fee, applicants will be contacted to arrange collection of a key fob.

Those applying for new garden subscriptions will be added to the waiting list and only contacted when a key fob becomes available.

USING THE KEY FOB

Access to the two gates of the Garden is provided by electronic key fob.

USING THE GATES

The NORTH GATE IS NOW FULLY AUTOMATED. When activated by a keyfob on the re-positioned keyfob pads (on the gate post on entering and on the new control cabinet on leaving) the gate automatically opens, stays open for 15 seconds, then closes. The opening and closing is at a stately pace, please be patient and allow it to open and close by itself. To avoid breaking the gate mechanism PLEASE DO NOT PUSH OR PULL THE NORTH GATE.

The SOUTH GATE does not benefit from an automated opening. After activation by a keyfob please manually open the south gate. The gate will automatically close on it's own.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

Please use the gate on the northern side of the garden. This gate is fully automated and offers level access to the garden from the pavement.
There are no steps or obstacles on the pathway through the garden.

SPOT CHECKS WITHIN THE GARDEN ENCLOSURE

From time to time it may be necessary to check key fobs are being used legitimately within the garden enclosure or to identify persons breaking the garden bye laws. In such circumstances Garden Sub-Committee members reserve the right to ask garden users to confirm their key number and/or name and address.