WALTHAM FOREST: Legal wrangle forces council home work rethink

4:29pm Tuesday 18th November 2008

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THOUSANDS of residents must continue to live in sub-standard council homes after a legal wrangle forced a rethink on improvement work.

Ascham Homes admits it will have to make changes to the way it implements the Decent Homes programme after a landmark ruling by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT) said it had misled thousands of leaseholders.

In a letter to residents the company admitted essential work to bring thousands of homes up to a basic standard will be “rescheduled”.

This is likely to result in Ascham Homes falling further behind a target set by the Government.

The arms length management organisation plans to appeal the LVT's decision but admits the outcome will not be known for at least a year.

The company says it will not issue any new invoices to leaseholders until the legal process has been conculded.

This has left many residents who have purchased former council-owned properties unsure whether they will have to pay bills of up to £30,000 for work many say is unnecessary.

The LVT said Ascham Homes had failed to let leaseholders know about the estimated costs of work being carried out after letters were sent with the wrong information.

Ascham Homes were criticised for failing to consult leaseholders properly until November 2007, despite knowing about the situation in 2005.

Melanie Briggs, a leaseholder in Stocksfield Road, Walthamstow, said: "I find it somewhat depressing that yet more public money is being plundered to appeal the LVT decision.

"Ascham Homes admitted back in September that they have carried out no surveys at all, and yet they still seem determined to financially cripple leaseholders throughout the borough despite the fact the economy has significantly worsened since July, when we first raised these concerns."

Another Walthamstow leaseholder, Michael McGough, added: “Ascham Homes has spent a lot of money already on what I believe are unnecessary repairs.

"They just seem to drive work through regardless. I do worry how I am going to pay for work I don't think needs doing. Now I have to wait for at least a year to find out whether I will have to pay."

Ascham Homes were awarded two stars by the Audit Commission two years ago and was given £90 million of taxpayers’ money to bring all council homes up to standard by 2010.

A recent cabinet report highlighted council concern and disappointment about the LVT ruling and the failure to meet decent homes targets.

An Ascham Homes spokeswoman said: “We are committed to improving the quality of housing and services provided to tenants in Waltham Forest, and ensuring their homes are decent is a vital part of that commitment.”