History
The Estate was developed during the 1930s with most of the houses being sold in the following three decades. Most of the sale transfers contained rent charges reserved in favour of East Dean Downlands Ltd (the original Estate Company) in the order of £3/£5 per plot; (with higher amounts for more recent properties). These amounts were for the express purpose of maintaining the roads until they were taken over by the local authority. In fact none of the roads has ever been adopted. The rent charges and remedies have now all been assigned to EDDR.
The 2025 annual fee of £125 is comparable to adjusting the initial charge (set over half a century ago) for the changing value of money over time.
(Pic: Looking down Deneside 1945-1950: thanks to the History Group)
Below is a brief chronology of the legal events impacting EDDR to date:-
1930s - the original Estate Company, East Dean Downlands Ltd, was formed; it was responsible for the concept and early development of what is now the East Dean Downlands Estate
1963 - following the acquisition of the business of the original Estate Company by Leighton Group of Companies, Fairways (a subsidiary of Leighton) effectively became the Estate Company. Over time, its covenanted income of around £5/pa per household was insufficient to carry out road maintenance works, and the roads fell into disrepair
1981 – Eastdean Downlands Ltd (the original Estate Company formed in the 1930s) was dissolved and any property and rights were deemed to be bona vacantia and vested in the Crown
1984 – due to the efforts of the residents, East Dean Downlands (Roads) Ltd was formed to maintain the Estate roads (see footnote)
1986 - under an agreement with Fairways/Leighton Group, EDDR became the Managing Agents of the Estate Company and was entitled to receive monies payable to the original Estate Company and to spend that money on road maintenance
1994 - a legal conveyance was entered into between Leighton/Fairways/EDDR assigning all current and future rent charges and remedies to EDDR
1995 - a further conveyance was entered into between HM Treasury/EDDR assigning any charges due in respect of the dissolved Eastdean Downlands Ltd (the original Estate Company) to EDDR
2014 - Fairways and some other companies within the Leighton Group are dissolved and no longer exist
Footnote: per the Memorandum Of Association, the prime objective of EDDR is:- ‘To acquire, hold, manage, maintain, administer and deal with the common roads and verges adjacent and belonging thereto ….. on land ….. known as the East Dean Downlands Estate ….. ‘