My Liberal Democrat councillor colleagues on Haringey Council are doing a great job on holding the Labour administration to account. Suspend your disbelief for a moment – Labour Haringey have decided that leaseholders should pay in advance for major works. If you are a Haringey leaseholder – you will be seeing pigs flying at this moment.

Would you want to pay Haringey Council in advance for anything? This is carte blanch for shoddy work and botched repairs. Nobody in their right mind would pay the full amount before the work is even started. Talk about a leaseholder rip-off.

Prior to the new scheme leaseholders would pay for major work after completion, however under the new scheme Homes for Haringey will be allowed to pressure leaseholders to pay before work has started. Leaseholders who refuse to pay the full amount upfront will be charged on average £325 more.

And I would just like to add that I have seen a breakdown of leaseholder charges brought to me by a leaseholder that she had managed to get. The breakdown seems to show the same job being done several times – and charged for.

Thank goodness our councillors have succeeded in forcing a review of Labour’s decision to change the way leaseholders are charged for work to their properties.