Siobhan Baillie MP

Campaign to Abolish Hunts Grove Management Company

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The Parish Council contacted Siobhan Baillie MP back in October 2021 to discuss issues important to our residents and seek help in moving things forward. The summer had seen a culmination of issues at Hunts Grove due to complete neglect of village maintenance for the previous two years by the developer Crest Nicholson and lack of delivery of promised amenities such as playing fields, allotments, and community building. This had led the Parish Council to highlight the issues with the local media and BBC.

What angers residents is the lack of local control to sort out the maintenance issues, coupled with the fact that the majority of residents have been forced also to pay hundreds of pounds to a management company that is providing no services on site. Therefore residents are paying council tax however the parish or district council (under the current arrangements) have no powers to handle the maintenance of the site, plus the issue of "double taxation" by paying the management company as well. The situation has become intolerable. Residents campaigned to form their own Parish Council and now want to take back control.

We asked Siobhan to assist us in bringing together the key stakeholders and signatories to the existing legal agreements so that we might discuss the maintenance strategy put forward by the Parish. In addition, we asked that she check the progress of new legislation proposed by the Government and if an opportunity arises to add the Hunts Grove situation to the debate on "rights of freeholders on private estates" in parliament. This is because the Hunts Grove situation is not unique, it is repeated across the country at hundreds of new-build sites, something campaigners refer to as "the fleecehold scandal", due to the fact that homebuyers believe they are buying a freehold property, however, what they actually are buying is a property with a significant "hold", due to the liability to pay unlimited sums each year to third-party management companies.

Siobhan and her parliamentary office team have been immensely helpful and Hunts Grove Parish would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation.

Progress So Far

  • Siobhan Baillie MP wrote to all stakeholders in October 2021 suggesting topics for a proposed meeting in November. Signatories to the legal agreements are the landowner Colethrop Farm Limited, Stroud District Council, and Crest Nicholson;
  • A meeting date (for a Zoom teleconference) was set for November, however, Crest Nicholson stated that they couldn't make a meeting in November;
  • An alternative meeting date was set in collaboration with (and to suit) Crest Nicholson for 21st December 2021;
  • Siobhan Baillie MP wrote to Government (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) to ask for an update on the timing for proposed new legislation to introduce protections for "freeholders on private estates";
  • Minister of State, Lord Greenhalgh, responded in writing on November 10th, 2021. The response is also copied in the documents section below;
  • The meeting of stakeholders proceeded on 21st December 2021, hosted by Siobhan. Crest Nicholson did not attend and stated they had technical difficulties joining the call. Significant progress was made though.
    • The landowner, Colethrop Farm Limited, said they "would be delighted" for the Parish Council to step in to manage and maintain the public open spaces and amenities. Their legal advisor was also present on the call and offered full support;
    • Stroud District Council expressed their full support of the Parish strategy;
  • As of January 2022, Siobhan's office is attempting to schedule another stakeholder meeting for Crest Nicholson to join the discussions;

Documents and Links

Please find below a list of documents and relevant links:

 

Read more about the national campaign to introduce legislation at the homeowner's rights network website.

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