Leaseholders living on a central London council estate have vented their fury as they face bills of over £100,000 each for a major works project beset by delays.
Westminster Council is consulting on refurbishing the final five tower blocks on the Garde II-listed Hallfield Estate in Bayswater.
Those who bought their flats have been told they will have to cover the costs of the non-negotiable repairs, that will include new windows, fire safety, walkway and lighting upgrades, electrical improvements, roof works and scaffolding.
Residents were on Friday handed the estimated bills for the upgrades, which stretch from more than £44,000 for one bed flats to over £100,000 for larger properties.
The payments come on top of the general service charges that are over £3,000-a-year for many residents on the estate.
Major works on the 14-block estate first began in 2012 under the borough’s previous Conservative administration and were expected to take two-and-a-half years at a total cost of £12.5million.
But more than a decade later, work is still going on and upgrades on five buildings is yet to start.
Costs have also skyrocketed, with the latest improvements estimated at over £15.2million for the remaining five towers.
Leaseholders are expected to cover the lion’s share and will face having to stump up the cash before the building work is complete.
At a meeting with Westminster Council housing chiefs on Thursday, some leaseholders branded the bills “exorbitant” and “unfair” and argued that because of delays they face significantly higher bills than blocks where work has already been completed.
One resident asked: “Most people on the Hallfield are ordinary working-class people... How do you expect us to pay these exorbitant charges?”
Another added: “Westminster [Council], not us, have neglected maintaining the Hallfield Estate. As a result, we are penalised, and we are going to have to pay. It’s not our fault. It's Westminster's fault, so let them pay the cost, not us.”
Residents on the estate have lived with singled glazed and in some cases broken windows for over a decade.
Replacing the windows makes up the largest cost of the major works.
Westminster Council said the final phase of the works, on Brecon, Bridgewater, Caernarvon, Clovelly and Exeter Houses, are due to start this winter.
Town hall staff told the meeting on Thursday that leaseholders living on the estate can spread their costs over 13 years, but charges still due after eight years will be billed with interest set at 1.5% above the Bank of England base rate.
Landlords renting out their flats will have two years to pay.
Westminster Council has said it acknowledges the issues dating back many years on the estate and is committed to doing everything it can to support residents.
The town hall argues that inflation and global events, such as the pandemic, as well as new building and fire safety regulations have resulted in delays to the project and cost increases.
Diane Volpi, from the council, said leaseholders will be consulted and have their chance to comment on the works.
She told leaseholders: “We will have as many meetings as you feel you need to have.”
