'Change is necessary' Central Beds Council calls for stronger protection for homeowners on privately managed estates

Residents on new estates can pay management charges in addition to council tax for roads, drainage, green spaces and play areas that remain unadopted by public authorities.

A motion calling for stronger protections for homeowners on privately managed estates was presented by Independent Leighton Linslade West councillor Russ Goodchild to a Central Bedfordshire Council.

A consultation on reducing private estate management arrangements has been organised by the government.

Councillor Goodchild said: “I move this motion because it goes to the heart of fairness, transparency and accountability for residents across our area.

“On this issue, the direction of the current government is welcome, necessary and deserving of this council’s full support. During the past 15 years, private estate management companies have moved from the exception to the norm on many new estates.

“Too many residents moving into new homes now pay estate management charges on top of council tax for services and infrastructure which should be clear, accountable and adopted to proper public standards wherever possible.

“The Competition and Markets Authority has identified serious concerns about high and unclear charges for roads, drainage and green spaces. Households paying bills often have too little control over what they’re charged, how costs are calculated, and whether the work represents value for money or if service standards are acceptable.

“Many homeowners feel trapped, unable to switch provider or challenge poor service effectively, or to secure the transparency they should expect.

“Members will recognise complaints about unadopted estate roads, unenforceable parking restrictions and around drainage, green spaces and play areas. Responsibility is blurred and residents are left navigating developers, management companies and public bodies.

“Residents obliged to pay charges should be able to understand and scrutinise them, as well as challenge unreasonable costs and hold estate managers properly to account.

“This council should support stronger protections for residents, greater transparency and estate management, infrastructure delivered to official standards, and proper recognition of the burden placed on homeowners in fast-growing areas, such as ours.”

CBC planning officers prepared a detailed response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation “at my request”, added councillor Goodchild.

Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay added: “Residents want to see improvements in the management of green spaces, roads and flood protection, and can’t really achieve that because they’re stuck in this limbo.

“My only concern is I don’t want to wait for the government to take action. I’d like to see the council looking at what can be done to improve this process for our residents.

“A report could be brought to CBC’s sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee to consider this and how well the local authority is performing.”

Council leader and Independent Potton councillor Adam Zerny acknowledged “change is necessary”, saying: “I’ve written to government ministers before and not received the answer I was hoping.

“The question we need to ask of government is whether the building lobby in the UK has become so powerful that’s it’s impossible for ministers to ever consider measures which might make things harder for housebuilders.

“There are clear measures here which could be taken by the government, such as the legal advice to homebuyers making it absolutely imperative what purchasing on a new development, which has no guarantee of adoption, will actually mean.

“I’ll talk to the Local Government Association and the County Councils Network about whether all councils potentially can work together on this.” Councillors unanimously supported the motion.