Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Selling of Council Leaseholds to a New Freeholder/Landlord
Is anyone aware of a change in the building/planning regulations that allows private development companies to sign up, for cash, council leaseholders to enable them to build up to 2 stories on top of council flats?
This works if 2/3rds of residents in any council block are leaseholders and sufficient numbers sign up effectively making the private company the freeholder (ie the landlord in place of the council).
This is happening in Haringey and there seems to be nothing the council / Homes for Haringey can do about it.
The new flats on top of the blocks are actually portacabins.
For as little as £4000 a leaseholder can sign away their rights, get a new landlord and reduce the value of every flat once portacabins go on the roof. Needless to say the council tenants have no say.
Kelland Close in Park Road N8 has already been targeted. See this BBC London News item about it.
It starts at 4min 12secs into the programme.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000l527/bbc-london-evening-n...
I wonder why Homes for Haringey has failed to notify all their leaseholders of this before its too late.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Hisky0 on
-
I'm unsure about this... The freeholder is Homes for Haringey, not the leaseholders, why did they agreetagree totto sell the lease..
-
-
There are two different processes going on at the same time here.
There is a long established process called collective enfranchisement - a type of leasehold enfranchisement, which means that if two thirds of a block of flats are leasehold, and enough leaseholders to represent a majority of the overall number of flats wish to do so, they can enter into a process to buy the freehold. This applies to private and council freeholds.
There are also recent changes to permitted development rights, meaning that it will be easier to extend existing properties including purpose built blocks of flats upwards.
What is effectively happening is that some developers are using the leasehold enfranchisement process as a "vehicle" to acquire the freehold, or development rights from the new freeholders.
Leaseholders themselves (who in some cases will actually be private landlords) can enfranchise without a developer, but ironically, there are fears that the permitted development rights will make it more expensive to do so because of the opportunity for permitted development increasing the value of the freehold.
-
Permalink Reply by Lesley Ramm on
-
Thanks. Seems so.
-
-
Had this from Catherine West MP.
Yes I am and it’s an issue I’ve already raised with Cllr Emine Ibrahim, Cabinet Member for Housing in Haringey. I’ve also submitted a formal Parliamentary Question here https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-a... and am in touch with a number of constituents. It’s concerning – I’m pleased the BBC have covered it on their news report tonight.
-
-
Your right to be concerned . No one wants two story portacabins on roofs, But, this has been happening for a long time in the private sector. A client of mine, living in Maida Vale, had a single story added to his mansion block (2 mega apartments, all floors below had 6 apartments) the developers paid for all the windows in the block to be upgraded ( think 1930s curved glass ) all common areas repainted and recarpeted and new lifts. As a leaseholder in the private block he voted for it and was well happy with the results.
It's all going to come down to the vigilance of the officers of the council planning dept. And that's a whole other thing.
-
Permalink Reply by Neil on
-
Several blocks of flats in my area have had new flats built on top and the work has improved the buildings appearance.
The builders also upgraded the windows and outside paintwork on the flats below.
It is a good way to increase housing supply and overcome the shortage of homes.
-
-
It's worth mentioning also, that some councils (I don't know about Haringey) are actually looking at upwards extensions to existing blocks of flats themselves to provide additional council housing, as part of grant funded HRA programmes. This would probably neuter later attempts by private developers to add further stories, both in planning and structural engineering terms.
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
