Calls to stop people waiting decades for estates to be adopted
Emma Foody, Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament from Cramlington and Killingworth, has continued calls to speed up the adoption of new build estates, questioning the Housing Minister in Parliament today.
Ms Foody has long campaigned to address the issue of unadopted estates, unfair estate management fees, and a lack of infrastructure on new build estates. Since being elected, she has surveyed every new build/unadopted estate across her Cramlington and Killingworth, with over 500 residents sharing their experience.
Her latest question follows on from Ms Foody securing a debate in October on estate adoption in the North East and her co-sponsoring the Housing Estates Bill, which seeks to address these issues, giving greater protections and assurances to people living on unadopted estates.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Foody highlighted the experience of residents on Earsdon View in Shiremoor, stating that “People have lived on Earsdon View in my constituency for nearly 15 years and yet the estate remains unadopted due to ongoing issues with the landowner, Northumberland Estates and developer Bellway, securing the sewer adoption.
“I continue to press all parties but how can we ensure that people aren’t left decades, many paying management fees, whilst developers and others parties fail to bring estates to adoptable standards?”
The Minister responded stating “I thank my Hon. friend for that question. She’s been a doughty champion of leaseholders and residential freeholders in her constituency. We have got to bring in those consumer protections that are on the statute book already and commence those.
“As I’ve made clear, we are determined to end the injustice of freehold entirely. [The Government] will consult later this year on legislative and policy options, to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements.”
Following the question, Ms Foody added
“I have heard from hundreds of people across my area on their experience on an unadopted estate and sadly the situation on Earsdon View is not uncommon. Too many people are left years, even decades, with unfinished roads and pavements, unkept communal areas or incomplete infrastructure whilst developers, third-parties and council wrangle over who is responsible for bringing them up to the required standards.
“People are often paying management fees on top of their council tax yet receiving a worse service. I am pleased that the Minister has again confirmed that the government will end the fleecehold scandal and I will continue to support action on this”.