• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
Donate

Leasehold Knowledge Management Logo

Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold reform

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
  • Advice
  • News
    • Find everything …
    • About Peverel group
    • APPG
    • ARMA
    • Bellway
    • Benjamin Mire
    • Brixton Hill Court
    • Canary Riverside
    • Charter Quay
    • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
    • Cladding scandal
    • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
    • Commonhold
    • Communities Select Committee
    • Conveyancing Association
    • Countrywide
    • MHCLG
    • E&J Capital Partners
    • Exit fees
    • FirstPort
    • Fleecehold
    • Forfeiture
    • FPRA
    • Gleeson Homes
    • Ground rent scandal
    • Hanover
    • House managers flat
    • House of Lords
    • Housing associations
    • Informal lease extension
    • Insurance
    • IRPM
    • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
    • John Christodoulou
    • Justin Bates
    • Justin Madders MP
    • Law Commission
    • LEASE
    • Liam Spender
    • Local authority leasehold
    • London Assembly
    • Louie Burns
    • Martin Paine
    • McCarthy and Stone
    • Moskovitz / Gurvits
    • Mulberry Mews
    • National Leasehold Campaign
    • Oakland Court
    • Park Homes
    • Parliament
    • Persimmon
    • Peverel
    • Philip Rainey QC
    • Plantation Wharf
    • Press
    • Property tribunal
    • Prostitutes
    • Quadrangle House
    • Redrow
    • Retirement
    • Richard Davidoff
    • RICS
    • Right To Manage Federation
    • Roger Southam
    • Rooftop development
    • RTM
    • Sean Powell
    • SFO
    • Shared ownership
    • Sinclair Gardens Investments
    • Sir Ed Davey
    • Sir Peter Bottomley
    • St George’s Wharf
    • Subletting
    • Taylor Wimpey
    • Tchenguiz
    • Warwick Estates
    • West India Quay
    • William Waldorf Astor
    • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
  • [Custom]
Menu
  • Advice
  • News
      • Find everything …
      • About Peverel group
      • APPG
      • ARMA
      • Bellway
      • Benjamin Mire
      • Brixton Hill Court
      • Canary Riverside
      • Charter Quay
      • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
      • Cladding scandal
      • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
      • Commonhold
      • Communities Select Committee
      • Conveyancing Association
      • Countrywide
      • MHCLG
      • E&J Capital Partners
      • Exit fees
      • FirstPort
      • Fleecehold
      • Forfeiture
      • FPRA
      • Gleeson Homes
      • Ground rent scandal
      • Hanover
      • House managers flat
      • House of Lords
      • Housing associations
      • Informal lease extension
      • Insurance
      • IRPM
      • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
      • John Christodoulou
      • Justin Bates
      • Justin Madders MP
      • Law Commission
      • LEASE
      • Liam Spender
      • Local authority leasehold
      • London Assembly
      • Louie Burns
      • Martin Paine
      • McCarthy and Stone
      • Moskovitz / Gurvits
      • Mulberry Mews
      • National Leasehold Campaign
      • Oakland Court
      • Park Homes
      • Parliament
      • Persimmon
      • Peverel
      • Philip Rainey QC
      • Plantation Wharf
      • Press
      • Property tribunal
      • Prostitutes
      • Quadrangle House
      • Redrow
      • Retirement
      • Richard Davidoff
      • RICS
      • Right To Manage Federation
      • Roger Southam
      • Rooftop development
      • RTM
      • Sean Powell
      • SFO
      • Shared ownership
      • Sinclair Gardens Investments
      • Sir Ed Davey
      • Sir Peter Bottomley
      • St George’s Wharf
      • Subletting
      • Taylor Wimpey
      • Tchenguiz
      • Warwick Estates
      • West India Quay
      • William Waldorf Astor
      • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
You are here: Home / News / DCLG urged to inform leaseholders over Grenfell cladding bills … and stop snubbing LKP

DCLG urged to inform leaseholders over Grenfell cladding bills … and stop snubbing LKP

December 1, 2017 //  by Sebastian O'Kelly

The Reflexion flats above the Blenheim Centre in Hounslow, west London, have 16 fire marshals 24/7 at £165,000 a month. To the great credit of Legal and General – which recognises a massive reputational risk when it sees one – it is picking up the bill and paying to remove Grenfell cladding

The issue of DCLG civil servants declining to pass on details of flats with Grenfell Tower cladding to LKP has been raised in the Commons.

Although LKP has given information of private blocks of flats with the cladding, the civil service don’t feel any obligation to do the same … even though freeholders are lining up to dump the bills on flat owners.

Today Sir Peter Bottomley said:

“My impression is that DCLG officials seem to have been too often happy to exclude LKP and to put barriers between leaseholders and those who might help.

“DCLG should, with members of ARMA, suggest to leaseholders that they can contact LKP: it could be to their advantage or at least reduce their disadvantage.”

Huge bills are being racked up by freeholders and the managing agents that they employ for fire marshals, even before the cost of removing the cladding is addressed.

At the 334-flat Reflexion / Blenheim Centre site in Hounslow 16 fire marshals are employed 24/7 at a cost of £165,000 a month.

Blenheim Centre flat owners to be spared £20,000-30,000 each on Grenfell cladding bill, Legal & General tells LKP

Until LKP extracted the concession from Legal & General that it would pay the entire cost, it was unclear who would ultimately pay.

Leaseholders at Heysmoor Heights have been told to expect bills of £18,000 each, and a demand for £2,200 has been made, LKP is told

Leaseholders at both Citiscape, Croydon, and Heysmoor Heights, in Toxteth in Liverpool, have been served bills of £5,000 and £2,200 respectively – although FirstPort at the former has withdrawn the demand until a tribunal ruling eastablishes liability.

Yesterday Sir Peter Bottomley raised the issue in the Commons with Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom.

“I want the Government to make a statement on how they are going to involve leaseholders in the discussions on high-rise buildings with cladding.

“DCLG is having meetings with the managing agents and others, but leaseholders, who may be isolated, are not being brought in and not being brought together.”

Citiscape in Croydon is expecting bills of £750,000, and FirstPort wants a ruling from the property tribunal on liability before spending more money

Today he wrote:

“It is urgent for leaseholders in high blocks with fire risks, costs of fire watching and the costs of buildings works to

“1/ Avoid being burdened by questionable or unnecessary costs of fire watching;

“2/ Gain from each other’s experiences and by exchanging advice; and

“3/ Be able to make easy contract with impartial expert advisers, including the charity LKP, the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.

“My impression is that DCLG officials seem to have been too often happy to exclude LKP and to put barriers between leaseholders and those who might help.”

Croydon leaseholders at Citiscape face £750,000 bill to remove Grenfell Tower cladding

Related posts:

Will Heysmoor Heights leaseholders lose their homes to anonymous offshore freeholder if they cannot pay Grenfell bills? Grenfell cladding leaseholders form campaign group Blenheim Centre flat owners to be spared £20,000-30,000 each on Grenfell cladding bill, Legal & General tells LKP Croydon leaseholders at Citiscape face £750,000 bill to remove Grenfell Tower cladding ‘Gargantuan’ Grenfell cladding bills from Astor and Tchenguiz on sites such as New Festival Quarter, The Times reveals today

Category: Latest News, News, ParliamentTag: Andrea Leadsom MP, Blenheim Centre, Citiscape, DCLG, Grenfell cladding, Heysmoor Heights, Sir Peter Bottomley

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @LKPleasehold

Mentions

Anthony Essien (34) APPG (37) ARMA (87) Bellway (30) Benjamin Mire (32) Cladding scandal (71) Clive Betts MP (31) CMA (44) Commonhold (52) Competition and Markets Authority (39) Countryside Properties plc (33) FirstPort (39) Grenfell cladding (56) Ground rents (54) Harry Scoffin (150) James Brokenshire MP (31) Jim Fitzpatrick (35) Jim Fitzpatrick MP (30) Justin Bates (40) Justin Madders MP (64) Katie Kendrick (37) Law Commission (60) LEASE (66) Leasehold Advisory Service (62) Leasehold houses (32) Long Harbour (47) Martin Boyd (80) McCarthy and Stone (39) National Leasehold Campaign (38) Persimmon (49) Peverel (61) Property tribunal (49) Redrow (30) Retirement (37) Robert Jenrick (33) Roger Southam (47) Sajid Javid (38) Sebastian O’Kelly (55) Sir Peter Bottomley (200) Taylor Wimpey (106) Tchenguiz (33) The Guardian (33) The Times (31) Vincent Tchenguiz (42) Waking watch contracts (40)
Previous Post: « DCLG shakes up leasehold team … but what about Southam, LEASE and the Mundy case, asks Bottomley
Next Post: Taylor Wimpey passed management at Surbiton Plaza II to commercial operator ‘to save customers the administrative burden’ (of being in charge of their own money) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris

    December 2, 2017 at 1:03 am

    The landlord own the land and building. As the title implies its lease, so landlords should foot the bill. This is not maintenance or service. The authorities are complicit in allowing these shoddy practices therefore have some responsibility in paying the costs.

    • Brad

      December 4, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      Good point.

      Leasehold are not owners but tenants that can be evicted until they have to pay to fix a freeholders interest. Then they become owners.

  2. ollie

    December 2, 2017 at 2:09 am

    I think the cost of repair should be claimed against the buildings insurance.policy.

  3. Michael Epstein

    December 2, 2017 at 6:33 am

    No matter what the circumstances, when it comes to money it is always the innocent leaseholders that end up paying?
    Like Ollie and Chris, i agree the owner of the building should be liable and it should be subject to an insurance claim. Perhaps the claim ultimately should be against those that passed the cladding as safe?
    I am pleased that Firstport has finally decided to await a tribunal ruling before imposing charges on leaseholders(though why they sent out demands for payment before seeking a ruling must be open to speculation?) That said, a few blocks managed by Firstport having cladding replaced (paid for by leaseholders) would be a nice little earner for a company that has just been fined £420,000 for breaches of Health & Safety legislation exposed in the fatal fire at Gibson Court.
    It would be of interest to know the views of ARHM or ARMA as to who should pay for replacement cladding?
    Perhaps Samantha Gibson of ARHM and Firstport or Sue Petri of ARMA and Firstport may have an opinion?

Above Footer

Advising leaseholders. Avoiding disasters.
Stopping forfeiture. Exposing abuses. Urging reform.

We depend on individuals for the majority of our funding.

Support Us and Donate

LKP Managing Agents

Become an LKP Managing Agent

Common Ground
Adam Church
Blocnet property management2

Stay in Touch

To achieve victory in the leasehold game where you are playing against professionals and with rules that they know all too well - stay informed with the LKP newsletter.
Sign Up for Newsletter

Professional Directory

The following advertisements are from firms that seek business from leaseholders.
Click on the logos for company profiles.

Footer

About LKP

  • What is LKP
  • Privacy and data

Categories

  • News
  • Cladding scandal
  • Commonhold
  • Law Commission
  • Fleecehold
  • Parliament
  • Press
  • APPG

Contact

Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
Open Data Institute
5th Floor
Kings Place
London N1 9AG

sok@leaseholdknowledge.com

Copyright © 2023 Leasehold Knowledge Partnership | All rights reserved
Leasehold Knowledge Partnership Limited (company number: 08999652) is a company limited by guarantee that is a registered charity (number: 1162584) with the Charities Commission.
LKP website is hosted at www.34sp.com
Website by Callia Web