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Congrats on estate turnaround
What a difference a few weeks can make.
At the December Barnet Council meeting, which was abruptly halted, the cabinet member for regeneration responded to our motion on the West Hendon estate stating that the 2002 pledge given to residents was no longer viable, and that the Conservative administration was not prepared to spend money on an estate due for demolition.
Eight weeks later, on March 4, council leader Mike Freer informed residents of West Hendon estate he was going to spend £2 million on replacement windows and other long outstanding repairs, and that he would also try to get the original pledge honoured by Barratts and Metropolitan.
This is a complete reversal of Mr Freer's stated position, forced on him and his administration by prolonged and, in recent weeks, intense justifiable pressure.
Ward councillors, the local MP, West Hendon Residents Association and comprehensive media coverage all heaped criticism on his administration.
So important is this outcome that the residents of West Hendon
estate have both vindication and victory after six years of complete
indifference by this Conservative administration.
The council at long last has had to accept responsibility to ensure residents are entitled to decent well-maintained homes before and
during the regeneration process. Congratulations to everyone who
participated in this worthwhile
campaign.
Councillors Julie Johnson, Agnes Slocombe and Ansuya Sodha, Labour West Hendon Ward
3:55pm Tuesday 11th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Angry1980, West Hendon on 11:05am Wed 12 Mar 08
....And how will this £2 million be generated for these works? As it has always been I expect; it will probably be passed on to the leaseholders of West Hendon Estate. By the way, works done to the estate used to be billed separately but the norm now is to add these sums to service charges and half way through the year, claim you are in arrears.
On a similar issue, I would also like to know why is it when a fire damages a tenant's flat or when vandals graffiti the communal walls, leaseholders are sent bills for this when we actually pay buildings insurance premiums. So insurance is probably claimed but at the same we are still billed. Do the math......
Whilst I may agree with the fact that the estate should never have been abandoned like this and that work needs to be done in the interim for the sake of both tenants and leaseholders, it would be unfair to force leaseholders to pay for such repairs, (given regeneration) repairs which are going to cost more to put right now than had they been carried out six years ago.
....And how will this £2 million be generated for these works? As it has always been I expect; it will probably be passed on to the leaseholders of West Hendon Estate. By the way, works done to the estate used to be billed separately but the norm now is to add these sums to service charges and half way through the year, claim you are in arrears.
On a similar issue, I would also like to know why is it when a fire damages a tenant's flat or when vandals graffiti the communal walls, leaseholders are sent bills for this when we actually pay buildings insurance premiums. So insurance is probably claimed but at the same we are still billed. Do the math......
Whilst I may agree with the fact that the estate should never have been abandoned like this and that work needs to be done in the interim for the sake of both tenants and leaseholders, it would be unfair to force leaseholders to pay for such repairs, (given regeneration) repairs which are going to cost more to put right now than had they been carried out six years ago.
Posted by: RL on 12:24pm Wed 12 Mar 08
.... I kindly refer you to the comments to your earlier post on this issue, when originally reported on the main pages. There is a simple answer, [bold]Leasehold and service charges also apply to Flats bought on the OPEN market.[/bold] You should see [bold]how much more[/bold] in service charges leaseholders have to pay in Privately Managed blocks of flats in the Hendon area.
The other issue, I will take the liberty to point out is, You had the 'Freedom Of Choice' to buy an EX-Council Flat, knowing fully all of the costs. You would also have had the [bold]FREEDOM OF CHOICE NOT TO BUY on a council estate[/bold] having done a survey or pay [italic]HUGE[/italic] charges. All of these apply to Purchasing a LEASEHOLD property on the OPEN Market, be it for BUY TO LET or make it your only home[bold] (that's not on a council estate).[/bold] You also have the FREEDOM of CHOICE that a [bold]council tenant does not have[/bold] .
So why don't you speak to Barnet Homes your Managing Agent, and or to Your Local Residents Association on WHO PAYS instead of crying over the 'Bad Bargain'
[bold]Finally, you were offered a ballot.....?[/bold]
The Reporters, the Media and the local Councillors, have done a very good job in ensuring, that the Town HAll is accountable.
.... I kindly refer you to the comments to your earlier post on this issue, when originally reported on the main pages. There is a simple answer,
Leasehold and service charges also apply to Flats bought on the OPEN market. You should see
how much more in service charges leaseholders have to pay in Privately Managed blocks of flats in the Hendon area.
The other issue, I will take the liberty to point out is, You had the 'Freedom Of Choice' to buy an EX-Council Flat, knowing fully all of the costs. You would also have had the
FREEDOM OF CHOICE NOT TO BUY on a council estate having done a survey or pay
HUGE charges. All of these apply to Purchasing a LEASEHOLD property on the OPEN Market, be it for BUY TO LET or make it your only home
(that's not on a council estate). You also have the FREEDOM of CHOICE that a
council tenant does not have .
So why don't you speak to Barnet Homes your Managing Agent, and or to Your Local Residents Association on WHO PAYS instead of crying over the 'Bad Bargain'
Finally, you were offered a ballot.....?
The Reporters, the Media and the local Councillors, have done a very good job in ensuring, that the Town HAll is accountable.
Posted by: Angry1980, West Hendon on 2:21pm Wed 12 Mar 08
What a patronising and arrogant response, just what I was expecting. You sound very familiar.
I'm not sure you fully understand the predicament leaseholders are in. I remind you that the many of these are still the people who once rented their flats from the council, and then made the bold (and stupid) step of purchasing their home from them. These people have not been able to sell their home on the open market.
The particular people I have in mind had no idea of what was in store for them in the years to come. They bought from the council in the mid 80s believing that in the future they would have been better off. Yeah right! Then the major works started on the estates, roof, intercoms and along with it, the huge demands for payments. Nobody would have bought their flat had they known that they would have been faced with economically crippling bills, and let's face it, the rich do not live on West Hendon Estate, although you and certain institutions, seem to think so.
You can keep your pretentious comments about the freedom of choice to yourself given you do not know or even care about the situation that my family and neighbours are in; poor people do not have the freedom of choice, irrespective of their tenant or leaseholder status.
And for your records, back in the 80s, a survey would not have revealed much. If I recall correctly, the survey which was recently shown to me was just a couple of sentences on the structure.
I really do not care about the service charges in privately owned areas. You cannot compare these to a council estate. A council estate should provide economical housing for low earners and if they have helped you onto the property ladder, should not burden you with ridiculous service charges and exorbitant bills for repairs and constantly threaten you with court if you are having difficulty in meeting them.
You (or whoever) may tell me that leaseholders do not and will not get billed for work done on tenants' houses but at the end of the day, we are still receiving "readjustments to spending" from years ago and bills added to service charges for works done. I could go on and on with my specific examples if you so wish. And since you (keep) suggest(ing) I am the ignorant one, please tell me where the council will source the two million pounds it promises to spend on an estate that will be pulled down.
Of course the majority of leaseholders voted in favour of regeneration. They hoped of improving their standard of living. They believed the hype and the pledges that were made, and unfortunately those promises have been broken.
Your "I told you so", and "it's your own fault, you voted for them" condescending comments are not that useful to me but please continue to mock people like us as we do not feel stupid enough already.
What a patronising and arrogant response, just what I was expecting. You sound very familiar.
I'm not sure you fully understand the predicament leaseholders are in. I remind you that the many of these are still the people who once rented their flats from the council, and then made the bold (and stupid) step of purchasing their home from them. These people have not been able to sell their home on the open market.
The particular people I have in mind had no idea of what was in store for them in the years to come. They bought from the council in the mid 80s believing that in the future they would have been better off. Yeah right! Then the major works started on the estates, roof, intercoms and along with it, the huge demands for payments. Nobody would have bought their flat had they known that they would have been faced with economically crippling bills, and let's face it, the rich do not live on West Hendon Estate, although you and certain institutions, seem to think so.
You can keep your pretentious comments about the freedom of choice to yourself given you do not know or even care about the situation that my family and neighbours are in; poor people do not have the freedom of choice, irrespective of their tenant or leaseholder status.
And for your records, back in the 80s, a survey would not have revealed much. If I recall correctly, the survey which was recently shown to me was just a couple of sentences on the structure.
I really do not care about the service charges in privately owned areas. You cannot compare these to a council estate. A council estate should provide economical housing for low earners and if they have helped you onto the property ladder, should not burden you with ridiculous service charges and exorbitant bills for repairs and constantly threaten you with court if you are having difficulty in meeting them.
You (or whoever) may tell me that leaseholders do not and will not get billed for work done on tenants' houses but at the end of the day, we are still receiving "readjustments to spending" from years ago and bills added to service charges for works done. I could go on and on with my specific examples if you so wish. And since you (keep) suggest(ing) I am the ignorant one, please tell me where the council will source the two million pounds it promises to spend on an estate that will be pulled down.
Of course the majority of leaseholders voted in favour of regeneration. They hoped of improving their standard of living. They believed the hype and the pledges that were made, and unfortunately those promises have been broken.
Your "I told you so", and "it's your own fault, you voted for them" condescending comments are not that useful to me but please continue to mock people like us as we do not feel stupid enough already.
Posted by: Rl on 10:14pm Wed 12 Mar 08
With apologies many of us feel equally stupid for swallowing all the spin and disingenuous language that came from the Affluent Town HAll and some people we considered as friends ( some of whom have since left their council employment).
[quote]They bought from the council in the mid 80s believing that in the future they would have been better off. [/quote]
It's the chance that everybody takes 'a belief' in the future that cannot be predicted, at the time of purchase
[quote]
[bold]A council estate should provide economical housing for low earners[/bold] and if they have helped you onto the property ladder,[/quote]
[bold]You are so right about state and council providing low cost housing for minimum wage earners[/bold] That they should never ever have been sold without being replaced or at least returning the Right to Buy receipts to London Borough of Barnet
Here the state helped on the property ladder [bold]at a significantly subsidised rate not the FULL MARKET value[/bold] of the property.
I am one of those who lost more than just a couple of deposits and survey fees being gazumped in the 1980s, before finding myself homeless and lucky to be getting a council flat. When Right To Buy came in, [bold]I did not run to buy on principle[/bold] but found my earnings would only get me a mortgage for a kitchen.(Note the stats on re-possesions in the late 1980s)
Most of us know how you feel right from the moment the idea of regeneration was touted in the Community Centre and the very sad future you describe, I like most people call it robbery, because people like you who did exchange tenancy for leasehold ownership, and still live in them will have to pay RENT and Service charges for the SECOND TIME on a shared ownership plan.It is also one of the reasons why there was an immediate objection and [bold]demand for Proper consultation and urban planning, not spin,[/bold] there was plenty of it from the council and their partners. £££Millions were spent on the Presentations, Tenants Advisors Consultants,(Aldbour
ne Associates) advertising etc, in and around W.Hendon,when much of that could have been used for refurbishment, at the same time, the ALMO Barnet Homes was due to be created, as it did and received Government funding.
Don't be surprised [bold]if[/bold] if all the regeneration estates were included in the ESTIMATEs provided to the Government, in order to maximise the income,(£95-98 million) knowing full well, that if Council did receive it, minimum would be spent on the RE-Generation areas, who would be there throughout the period of the DECENT HOMES STANDARD, ending year 2012. A standard that all of the homes on all the regeneration estates were entitled to.
Ask the Elected Tory Councillors whether the Employed Local Government [bold]Executive Officers, at Barnet Homes And Barnet Council the ones with the big salaries from our taxes, had never considered, that with a diminishing stock, as a result of Right To Buy, Government would not be giving them the kind of cash they hoped to get, on revised estimates.[/bold]
I still refer you back to the Council Landlord or to the Residents Association regarding who pays. We are all interested where the mioney has been for the past few years.
With apologies many of us feel equally stupid for swallowing all the spin and disingenuous language that came from the Affluent Town HAll and some people we considered as friends ( some of whom have since left their council employment).
They bought from the council in the mid 80s believing that in the future they would have been better off.
It's the chance that everybody takes 'a belief' in the future that cannot be predicted, at the time of purchase
A council estate should provide economical housing for low earners and if they have helped you onto the property ladder,
You are so right about state and council providing low cost housing for minimum wage earners That they should never ever have been sold without being replaced or at least returning the Right to Buy receipts to London Borough of Barnet
Here the state helped on the property ladder
at a significantly subsidised rate not the FULL MARKET value of the property.
I am one of those who lost more than just a couple of deposits and survey fees being gazumped in the 1980s, before finding myself homeless and lucky to be getting a council flat. When Right To Buy came in,
I did not run to buy on principle but found my earnings would only get me a mortgage for a kitchen.(Note the stats on re-possesions in the late 1980s)
Most of us know how you feel right from the moment the idea of regeneration was touted in the Community Centre and the very sad future you describe, I like most people call it robbery, because people like you who did exchange tenancy for leasehold ownership, and still live in them will have to pay RENT and Service charges for the SECOND TIME on a shared ownership plan.It is also one of the reasons why there was an immediate objection and
demand for Proper consultation and urban planning, not spin, there was plenty of it from the council and their partners. £££Millions were spent on the Presentations, Tenants Advisors Consultants,(Aldbour
ne Associates) advertising etc, in and around W.Hendon,when much of that could have been used for refurbishment, at the same time, the ALMO Barnet Homes was due to be created, as it did and received Government funding.
Don't be surprised
if if all the regeneration estates were included in the ESTIMATEs provided to the Government, in order to maximise the income,(£95-98 million) knowing full well, that if Council did receive it, minimum would be spent on the RE-Generation areas, who would be there throughout the period of the DECENT HOMES STANDARD, ending year 2012. A standard that all of the homes on all the regeneration estates were entitled to.
Ask the Elected Tory Councillors whether the Employed Local Government
Executive Officers, at Barnet Homes And Barnet Council the ones with the big salaries from our taxes, had never considered, that with a diminishing stock, as a result of Right To Buy, Government would not be giving them the kind of cash they hoped to get, on revised estimates.
I still refer you back to the Council Landlord or to the Residents Association regarding who pays. We are all interested where the mioney has been for the past few years.
Posted by: REES, w hendon on 2:21pm Wed 19 Mar 08
I WOULD IMANGE THE WESTHENDON WARD COUNCILLOR ,WOULD NOT ISPECT THE LEASE HOLDER TO HAVE TO PAY TOWARDS THES REPAIRS ,SURELY IT SHOULD BE SOLELY DOWN TO BARNET COUNCIL
I WOULD IMANGE THE WESTHENDON WARD COUNCILLOR ,WOULD NOT ISPECT THE LEASE HOLDER TO HAVE TO PAY TOWARDS THES REPAIRS ,SURELY IT SHOULD BE SOLELY DOWN TO BARNET COUNCIL
Posted by: Angry1980, West Hendon on 2:54pm Thu 20 Mar 08
If the past is anything to go by, the future looks grim.
If a council charges you to repair damage to a tenant's flat due to fire, and you pay buildings insurance as part of your (extortionate -for the non-service) service charges, [bold]shouldn't[/bold] the council claim the cost to repair the fire damage from the insurers and not the leaseholder? They [italic]probably[/italic] claim too but charge you all the same.
What they should do and what they (will) actually do are very different things Rees so we will have to wait and see who foots the bills.
If the past is anything to go by, the future looks grim.
If a council charges you to repair damage to a tenant's flat due to fire, and you pay buildings insurance as part of your (extortionate -for the non-service) service charges,
shouldn't the council claim the cost to repair the fire damage from the insurers and not the leaseholder? They
probably claim too but charge you all the same.
What they should do and what they (will) actually do are very different things Rees so we will have to wait and see who foots the bills.
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