About St James

I chose Queen Mary’s Place as I have always lived in West London so I know the area well. I liked the fact that the flat was modern and very little work needed to be done to the flat. The apartment itself was already well insulated and the features were all working properly. For communal areas we have the gym, gardens and the underground garage, which I would say are all relatively well maintained. The site is also very safe with CCTV cameras and security. I was originally nervous about the proximity to the University, but they are always in contact with tenants about the events they put on like Fresher’s Week and their Summer Ball, and I have had no issues with any noise problems.

What I love most about my flat are the views. I fell in love with the view over to Roehampton house, which was the original basis of the development. Not every flat has this view however but all the properties on the site are quite spacious and very individual. Mine is definitely very modern and nice. It is always really warm inside, what makes it great for winter as I barely need the heating on. For the summer even if it gets a bit hot inside, the ventilation system is very good. I live by myself and I am fortunate to have a full en-suite bathroom.

For the interior design of the flat, I decided to pick up on the earthy tones of the nearby Richmond park by pairing wooden furniture with wooden flooring, alongside a couple of featured walls with grey wallpaper, which are a nice offset to the white walls. I have also chosen specific artwork to compliment the earthy tones of the flat. I haven’t done any additional work to the flat so I don’t know how the process works.

I know one or two of my neighbours on the site and we do have an informal Facebook group for residents. There was previously more of a sense of community when I first moved in as there was a mini bus service that would take you to the nearby station for work, but this service was cancelled as the bus was coming to the end of its life. This caused a lot of protest from residents as it did bring more of a sense of community within the development, as it meant it was an easy way to say hello and chat to your neighbours who were on a similar commute. There have been sporadic attempts to put on a summer picnic by the building management but this year it was cancelled.

I am never too sure to rely on the estate management and the estate manager as there have been a lot of turnovers in the past and they are not always helpful. As a management company, there are sometimes challenging to deal with. For example, we have a Key fob that allows entry into the development and mine ran out of battery. I wanted to get it replaced so I rang up the management company and they quoted me £50, which seemed quite expensive. I asked residents on our Facebook group and they said I would get better deal at Timpson’s which I eventually went for instead. It seems as if the management company are not there to get you the best deals and I have had similar issues previously with having to pay extra for parking permits when we already pay a service charge.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

It feels like Roehampton and Queen’s Mary Place exist in a bubble without the convenience of the transport and amenities in Central London. For every journey you always have to end taking a bus. There is a pub down the round and a couple of convenience stores nearby. Richmond Park is lovely and is also quite close, and is great for running and exercising.
Supermarkets are a bus ride away and Putney is also accessible, with more shops and things to do.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The service charge is expensive. There are as well too many rules as for example you need a special request for having pets, no boxes for flowers are allowed in balconies, you cannot barbecue in certain areas, etc. Some people might find it quite restrictive, but personally it doesn’t bother me.

The Concierge are always polite and helpful, and do what they can to accommodate. There is a strict policy against AirBnb/short term letting.

Window cleaning is covered as part of the service charge. Leaseholders are charged on the basis but this is done quarterly, but this has in fact only been done twice or three times in two years. It is especially pertinent at this development which is surrounded by other developments and Battersea Power Station, so there is a lot of dust from the construction.

The managing agent are strict with the development aesthetic, and so consequently the only things that are allowed on balconies are ‘potted plants and good quality garden furniture’.

The ground floor of each building has a business – most notably a Sainsburys Local, Indian and Japanese restaurants, a pub and a coffee shop.

A large Waitrose is only a 5 minute walk away, Vauxhall station 10-15 minutes walk with direct buses outside the development. Once Battersea Power Station tube is finished in 2020, a northern line station will be a 5 minute walk away.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

The development has a Sainsburys Local, pub, Japanese and Indian restaurants and a coffee shop.

There is a large Waitrose 5 minutes walk away.

Vauxhall tube station is 10-12 minutes away, and when Battersea Power Station tube completes in 2020, a northern line station will be a 5 minute walk away.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The whole development is stuck with monopolised suppliers for heating and hot water and broadband.

For broadband, BT is the only well known provider available, even though you can get speeds up to 300MB.

Heating and hot water is monopolised by SSE, and the standing charges are quite extortionate.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

Great pubs and quiet enough to not feel full of tourists.
There are a few gaps in the shops but these are slowing coming to the area.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I knew exactly how much building work was being done nearby. My view will be ruined within 4 years.

There is a gym and sauna included with the development but we don’t use them.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

I like how green it is around here but I don’t like that the shops are about a 20-30 minute walk away.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

N/a

Are there any facilities you would like added, or that you have but do not use:

There is a gym and sauna included with the development but we don’t use them.