Thousands of leaseholders in the Hendon constituency are currently trapped in homes which have no value and are unsaleable. This is due to unresolved combustible cladding work and the need for an EWS1 form.
Many freeholders have tried to pass on the costs of replacing combustible cladding to leaseholders. I do not believe this is right and I have been pressing the Government for more nearly three years in the House of Commons and formally in writing that leaseholders should not have to bear the costs of a situation which is not of their making.
As a result of my representations and those of other MPs, the Secretary of State for Housing has said: “it is unacceptable for leaseholders to have to worry about the cost of fixing historic safety defects in their buildings that they didn’t cause.” However, many freeholders are still trying to pass on the costs to leaseholders.
The requirement by mortgage lenders for an EWS1 form for nearly all properties in blocks of multiple dwellings, whether or not they have combustible cladding and are over 18 metres in height, is further trapping leaseholders in unsaleable properties.
I am therefore stepping up my actions to press the Government (a) to take the necessary action to complete outstanding remedial cladding work and fix historic fire safety issues at no cost to leaseholders and (b) to work with mortgage lenders regarding the requirement for an External Wall System (EWS1) form.
I am backing the McPartland-Smith amendment to the Fire Safety Bill which seeks to put into law that remediation costs should not be passed to leaseholders.
I have also asked residents of the Hendon constituency to sign a petition which I intend to present to the Secretary of State for Housing. I had planned to do this in person in the House of Commons but national restrictions have made this impossible and I will now be presenting it remotely. My thanks to everyone who has signed which will help me demonstrate the urgent need for these matters to be resolved.
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PETITION FOR URGENT ACTION ON COMBUSTIBLE CLADDING AND THE EWS1 FORM
TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
The Petition of residents of the Hendon constituency,
Declares that leasehold properties in blocks of multiple dwellings have become valueless and unsaleable as a result of unsafe cladding and the introduction of the External Wall System form (EWS1); furthermore, that freeholders and managing agents are requiring leaseholders to pay the costs of remedial cladding work and associated fire safety precautions and that the EWS1 form is being required by mortgage lenders for all properties in blocks of multiple dwellings irrespective of size and whether there is combustible material.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take immediate action to put in place a means by which all remedial cladding work on all properties is undertaken within the next twelve months at no cost to leaseholders and that they, the Government, work with the building industry and mortgage lenders to ensure that processing the EWS1 form is speeded up and that the form is only required for its original purpose which was buildings where the highest floor is 18m or more above ground level or where specified concerns exist.
And the petitioners remain, etc