Irish builder Sean Mulryan, 66, (right) turned Ballymore into a multi-million concern, now run by his son John, 38. This week it has been criticised in Parliament over cladding and build safety scandal, and now leaseholders tell the FT of soaring service charges
Leaseholders who purchased flats from Irish developer Ballymore have finally rebelled and spoken publicly about run-away service charges – even though doing so has trashed the likelihood of anyone buying them.
Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall, called the debate, warning government that costs of fire safety interim measures are ruining lives
One MP after another attempted to warn government this morning of the disastrous and unsupportable fire safety costs falling on leaseholders up and down the country.
Bankruptcies and homelessness will inevitably follow, MPs said citing numerous named sites as examples.
The debate on interim costs in the cladding disaster was called by Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall.
Parliamentary veteran Clive Betts, Labour MP for Sheffield Attercliffe, chairs the Communities Select Committee, expressed his exasperation with government over the cladding disaster while taking evidence yesterday from housing minister Lord (Stephen) Greenhalgh and MHCLG officials
Liam Spender is a Trustee of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and a leaseholder personally affected by cladding. Liam is a Senior Associate at Velitor Law. The views in this article are personal.
By Liam Spender
Yesterday the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee heard from Lord Stephen Greenhalgh and Richard Goodman.
Lord Greenhalgh, the housing minister responsible for cladding, appeared before the Communities Select Committee – but it was left none the wiser over the government’s proposed £50 a month forced loans to leaseholders in sites that have cladding but are lower than 18 metres.
Lord Greenhalgh told MPs from all parties: “This financing scheme is not with the individual leaseholder. It does not affect their credit rating. It is held at the building level and a contribution of the leaseholder is no more than £50 a month.
Martin Boyd (centre), between LKP patron Sir Peter Bottomley and Labour MP Hilary Benn, returns as chair of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
Martin Boyd has been re-appointed chairman of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership having resigned last December.
He did so after the civil service released documents that appeared to give credence to preposterous allegations by Wanda Goldwag, the interim chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service, during an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed performance by her at a formal meeting at Portcullis House, the MPs’ offices.
