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#Fleecehold #FakeFreehold #UnadoptedEstates

Interesting. So let’s mark this from 2024 onwards. Labour came into government promising planning reform, more housebuilding and action on the growing problems associated with #fleecehold #Fakefreeholds #unadoptedestates … private estate management. The problem is that much of the political obsession with housing numbers is driven by growth targets and GDP figures, while many of the long-term consequences are pushed aside. At the same time, serious questions remain about flooding, public facing infrastructure and accountability. When will Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 finally be implemented? And what about the countless developments already built under the current system? More and more public infrastructure, including SuDS, public open spaces and other assets required by planning permissions, is ending up under private management arrangements rather than public ownership. Residents are paying council tax, yet increasingly find themselves paying again through “estate charges”. If Labour is going to push large-scale developments through while dismissing concerns as coming from “blockers”, then Labour should also accept responsibility for the consequences. That means roads that cannot cope, pressure on schools and GP services, flood risk and the continued use of private management arrangements where councils choose not to adopt public facing infrastructure and residents are left paying private companies indefinitely. People are told they are buying freehold homes, then discover they are funding public open spaces, drainage systems (SuDS), play areas and other infrastructure through estate charges on top of council tax. The local authorities get paid. The developers get paid. The management companies get paid. … But it’s the residents get the bill. Labour promised change. Residents will judge them on whether they deliver it. You cannot keep approving thousands of homes, leave public facing infrastructure in private hands and then dismiss legitimate concerns when people start asking who benefits from it all. From where many of us are standing, it looks like Government is bending over for developers, investors and growth targets while expecting residents to just put up and shut up. #fleecehold #fakefreeholds #unadoptedestates #section106 gov.uk/government/news/pm-me…

We would also urge greater attention to the growing issue of “fleecehold” housing estates, where residents on new-build developments pay full council tax whilst also being charged “private estate management fees” for roads, paths drainage (SuDS), play parks, public open spaces and other public-facing infrastructure as part of the planning process for everyone to benefit from the development being agreed. More councils and developers have moved towards “private management/maintenance” arrangements instead of public adoption. In practice this leaves many residents paying twice for infrastructure that serves the wider public, but without the same accountability, protections or democratic oversight people would normally expect. This #fleecehold model needs to end, including retrospective action where possible. Residents should not be paying full council tax whilst also paying private estate charges for roads, drainage, parks and open spaces that were required through planning and are used by the wider public. There needs to be stronger consumer protection and proper public adoption or accountable long-term management of public infrastructure and open space. #fleecehold #fakefreeholds #PublicLandPublicGood #unadoptedestates #estatecharges #housing #planning #localgovernment #newbuilds #conditionalfreehold #StopTheRotAdoptTheLot #section106 #flooding @AndyBurnhamGM