MP Neil O’Brien has called on both Harborough District and Oadby and Wigston Borough Councils to end the misery endured by thousands of local homeowners forced to pay expensive maintenance charges for their new-build estates.
New homeowners are often surprised when they receive a large bill in the post for maintenance charges for the estate where they have just moved. For many, this bill will be the first they know about the charges they have to pay. These charges cover the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the open space land owned by the housing developer. However, in most cases, the developer outsources the maintenance work to third-party companies, often resulting in poor service, such as overflowing bins, uncut grass, and uncleaned graffiti. For those reasons, this model has been dubbed ‘fleecehold’.
Both councils have a policy of not adopting these areas of open space, instead leaving the responsibility for their maintenance to the developers. Although council officials are considering various options to change that policy, they still refuse to entertain an option where the council will automatically adopt all these areas. Harborough, Oadby and Wigston's MP is now seeking to change that.
He commented: “When you have a problem with poorly maintained paths, litter, or overflowing bins, you can contact your councillor. They are accountable and can be voted out if you are unhappy with how things are run. If you live on a new-build estate, there is no accountability. If unsatisfied, the only avenue available is to complain to the management company, whose head office is often miles away.
“My mailbox has been full of letters and emails from residents who have moved to their dream home, only for that dream to turn into a nightmare when things start to go wrong, and they are faced with disinterested management companies who charge an excessive amount for shoddy work. Residents tell me that they feel like they are paying two lots of council tax: one to the local council for the upkeep of public open spaces and another for the maintenance of their estate. I have also heard accounts from residents of charges going up massively, year after year.
“Towards the end of the last Parliament, I lobbied the Government hard to end the fleecehold model. We passed legislation that stops some of the worse abuses and had agreed the government would add further reforms to the new law. But because of the election sadly, we were timed out, although the campaign to end this scam built up much momentum. I will continue to lobby the new Government on this, but it may take several years for any changes at the national level to occur.
“However, local councils can fix this locally too - they can decide right now to end the misery suffered by many residents in our area: to end its policy of non-adoption.
“If the council wanted to, it could automatically adopt all open spaces following the completion of a new estate. This would immediately end the poor maintenance practices undertaken by unaccountable companies who charge mega money. The council could use its current review to end this unfairness once and for all.
“I have written to the leaders of both councils to ask them to end the fleecehold nightmare for thousands of residents. I am hoping this is one subject we can find cross party agreement on.”
