Emily Thornberry is asking leaseholders to contact her about the huge bills they have been facing so she can pass the information on to the Government to get action taken on the problem.
Many leaseholders are currently facing large bills to bring their homes up to the Decent Homes Standard. There are a range of measures the Council has available to help relieve this pressure, though concerns have been raised that the Council is failing to use its powers to reduce the burden on leaseholders.
Emily said:
"The Council are full of excuses, and they are not doing enough to help leaseholders. I've been speaking to Government Ministers and they've agreed to look at the particular difficulties faced by leaseholders in Islington. I will continue to push for a fair deal for leaseholders and I'm asking people to get in touch with me so I can put their cases forward."
Government Minister Baroness Andrews wrote to Islington Council in January following concerns over the level of charges that some leaseholders were being asked to pay in the borough. She set out the full range of options that the Council could take to relieve pressure on leaseholders.
The Minister is now conducting a review to investigate how to make sure that more relief is given to leaseholders by the Council. Emily recently had a private meeting with her to discuss the particular difficulties of leaseholders in Islington, and she secured an agreement that the Government's review will specifically address the cases of leaseholders in Islington.
Emily has been in touch with leaseholders who have written to her to update them on the actions she has been taking to make sure they get a fair deal. Emily also sent them a copy of the clear advice that the Government sent to Islington Council setting out options for relieving the financial pressure on them.
Emily would like to hear back from all leaseholders about their difficulties so she can pass the information on to the Government Ministers. In particular, she is interested to hear about: the size of your bill; what options you were given for payment; and how well you have been kept informed or been treated - with any other comments very welcome too.
Please write to Emily Thornberry at House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or emilythornberrymp@parliament.uk by April 14th to have your say.
