Royal Eden Docks Residents Association Constitution

1. Name

The name of the Organisation shall be the Royal Eden Docks Residents' Association (hereinafter referred to as "the Association").

2. Objectives

The objectives of the Association shall be:

• To represent the interests of all residents and leaseholders across the development on matters relating to maintenance, safety, security, environment, and communal amenities.
• To foster a strong, safe, and inclusive community spirit and to challenge anti-social behaviour, discrimination, or harassment within the estate.
• To secure formal recognition as a Recognized Tenants' Association (RTA) under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
• To achieve full transparency, fairness, and value for money regarding all service charges, estate contributions, and management fees.
• To maintain a constructive, professional dialogue with all managing agents, freeholders, superior landlords, and housing associations associated with the development.

3. Membership

Membership shall be open to all residents and leaseholders over the age of 18 across the 8 blocks of the development, split into two tiers:

3.1. Full Members (Voting): Open to any individual who owns a long leasehold interest (including outright owners and shared ownership leaseholders) in a property within the development and who contributes to the variable estate/building service charges.

3.2. Associate Members (Non-Voting for Statutory RTA Matters): Open to any social housing tenant or private rented sector tenant currently residing in the development. Associate Members are fully entitled to attend meetings, participate in community discussions, use the Association's tracking tools, and join sub-committees.

3.3. Ceasing Membership: Membership shall cease if a person moves out of the development, transfers their leasehold interest, or resigns in writing to the Secretary.

3.4. Code of Conduct: All members must conduct themselves in a respectful, constructive manner in all Association forums, meetings, and digital platforms. Harassment, abusive language, defamatory statements, or discriminatory behavior toward neighbors, committee members, or estate staff will not be tolerated.

3.5. Expulsion of Members: The Executive Committee reserves the right to suspend or expel any member who seriously breaches the Code of Conduct or acts in a manner directly contrary to the interests of the Association. Expulsion requires a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee. The individual concerned must be given 14 days' written notice of the charges and the right to submit a written appeal to be reviewed at the next general meeting.

4. The Committee

4.1. The Executive Committee: The Association shall be governed by an Executive Committee consisting of a Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer (The Officers), plus up to eight "Block Captains" representing the individual cores.

4.2. Powers: The Executive Committee shall manage the day-to-day business of the Association, maintain the website/tracker, and act as the official channel of communication with landlords and managing agents.

4.3. Independence: No employee, agent, or direct relative of the freeholder or the master management company may serve as an Officer of the Committee.

4.4. Removal of Committee Officers: Any member of the Executive Committee may be removed from office prior to an AGM if a vote of "No Confidence" is passed by a two-thirds majority of the remaining Committee members, or by a majority vote of Full Members via a Special General Meeting or Written Resolution.

5. Meetings & Democratic Decisions

5.1. Annual General Meeting (AGM): An AGM shall be held once every calendar year to review accounts, report on the year's achievements, and elect the Committee. At least 14 days' written notice must be given to all members.

5.2. Special General Meetings (SGM): An SGM may be called by the Committee or by a written request signed by at least 10% of Full Members.

5.3. Asynchronous Voting & Written Resolutions: Recognizing the logistical challenge of physical attendance, any vote - including the adoption of this Constitution, the election of Officers, or formal resolutions - may be conducted asynchronously via a Written Resolution administered digitally via the Association's website or physical forms over a designated window of no less than 14 days.

6. Voting Rights

6.1. General Matters: On general community matters, both Full and Associate members hold equal voting rights (one vote per household).

6.2. Statutory & Service Charge Matters: For matters requiring formal statutory exercise under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (such as RTA recognition, Section 20 consultations, or auditing service charges), voting is strictly restricted to Full Members (Leaseholders/Shared Owners), limited to one vote per qualifying property.

6.3. Quorum: The quorum for any general meeting or written resolution process shall be at least 10% of the relevant membership tier.

7. Finances

7.1. Banking: All monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the objectives of the Association and for no other purpose. Funds shall be held in a dedicated bank account in the name of the Association.

7.2. Controls: The account shall require the authorization of at least two designated Officers for any expenditure exceeding £50.

7.3. Transparency: The Treasurer shall maintain clear financial records and present a simple financial statement at the AGM.

7.4. Membership Subscriptions: The Association has no current plans or intention to introduce a membership fee, and shall not charge one at the time of adoption of this Constitution. Should a subscription ever become necessary in future, it may only be introduced as a genuine last resort, and only via a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of Full Members at an AGM, SGM, or Written Resolution, with no less than 30 days' notice of the proposal given to all members in advance.

8. Data Protection

The Association shall process all member data in strict accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

8.1. Centralized Access: Member records shall be held in a single centralized repository accessible only to designated Committee Officers, and shall never be stored on personal devices or personal email accounts.

8.2. Auditable Access: All access to or export of the membership data shall be recorded in an audit log visible to every Officer, and every export shall trigger an automatic notification to all other Officers.

8.3. Purpose Limitation: Member data shall be used solely to verify resident support for formal recognition under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and for no personal, political, or commercial purpose.

8.4. Time-Limited Retention: If the Association has not achieved formal recognition within 12 months of this Constitution's adoption, all member data shall be permanently deleted.

9. Amendments and Dissolution

9.1. Amendments: This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the Full Members via a General Meeting or Written Resolution.

9.2. Dissolution: The Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority vote of the Full Members. Any remaining assets or funds held after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be donated to a local charity chosen by the membership.

Adopted on this date: [Insert Date]
Signed on behalf of the Association:

_______________________ (Chair)
_______________________ (Secretary)