Flats £30k repair bills 'a shock' say leaseholders

Leaseholders on an estate in Woking say they are facing bills of tens of thousands of pounds from their freeholder, Woking Borough Council, because of a major refurbishment project.

As well as the removal of cladding on buildings at the Lakeview estate in Horsell, there are due to be works at 14 medium-rise blocks, including new wall insulation and roof renewals.

Some homeowners have told BBC Radio Surrey they will struggle to afford the estimated payments, with one man saying he will need to pay £30,000 for the work.

The Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Ann-Marie Barker, said the size of contributions would vary and people would only pay when works to individual blocks were completed.

Some cladding has already been removed, after the council received a regulatory notice in December 2023 about fire safety work needed for its housing stock, including at Lakeview.

Following a tendering process, a contractor was selected to carry out the full refurbishment at 250 properties, affecting 85 individual leaseholders who have a duty to pay for major works.

A consultation with the leaseholders about the possible costs they will be liable for ended on 24 August.

Rashid, not his real name, who owns the lease on a property at Lakeview, says he has been sent a letter estimating he will need to pay more than £30,000 over a five year period, working out at just over £500 a month, which he said "was a bit of a shock".

"Who can afford £500 extra after paying everything else?" he said.

"You know, we already have high inflation [and pay for] food and mortgages on top of that... for work which is probably not needed, in my opinion.

"I think it's it's very unfair for the residents."

He says he is also worried about the potential impact on the sales of any properties.

Leaseholder Azhar Hussain, says people are barely making ends meet with one mortgage and the size of the payment is "ridiculous".

"I don't think anyone can afford that," he says.

One woman, who did not want to be named, says she has four young children as well health problems which means she is not able to work.

"My concern is that how am I going to cope?

"This is another worry on top of everything else I'm worrying about," she said.

Woking Borough Council says the programme's assumed start date is January 2027, if certain planning conditions are met, with construction expected to happen on a block-by-block basis over the following 30 to 36 months.

Barker said the council understood the costs were "significant for leaseholders" and recognised the concerns raised.

She says the council "considers these works necessary to ensure the ongoing safety, compliance and habitability of the buildings".

The leader added: "We have already agreed not to recharge leaseholders for costs associated with cladding removal and wall replacement works, however, under the terms of leases and relevant legislation, other qualifying major works can be recharged," she said.

The council's executive committee is due to meet on 16 September, and will consider what additional support may be available, including possible repayment plans.

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