They are now considering rolling out their campaign to other leaseholders in the same position across the country.
Optima community association secured an additional, backdated £812,000 from the now-defunct Estates Renewal Challenge Fund, to cover 70 per cent of 116 leaseholders bills. Optima took over 2,750 homes on the Benmore, Cleveland, Clydesdale, Five Ways, Lee Bank and Woodview estates last June with the largest ever ERCF grant of £49.9m.
Optima chief executive Simon Kimberley said the association would also pay off the remaining £3,000 from leaseholders bills in cases of extreme hardship. He said: "Over the next few months we will work out a definition with the leaseholders groups."
Leaseholders Action Group vice-chair Patrick Mc Crossan, who lead the campaign against Optima, said : "Nick Raynsford was hoping we would keep this to ourselves but that would have been selfish and we are not selfish. Optima was selfish for leaving leaseholders out of the original package." He added: "We've got a national campaign on our hands. The housing Green Paper was full of stuff about transfers, but did not mention leaseholders. We have to care about the rest."
Kimberley denies that leaseholders were left out. He said: "We are very pleased we got the grant now because it removes a significant worry and burden from leaseholders. It also removes from Optima task of collecting the money from leaseholders who may not of had it."
A DETR spokesman insisted the case did not have implications for other leaseholders. He said: "There will be no further rounds of ERCF for leaseholders to apply for. This was awarded from a fund that no longer exists."
He added: "The housing minister considered that Optima had made a good case for an additional grant and awarded it."
Source
Housing Today
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