CONTENTS – 1 Reminder Newlon meeting Tues 1st Feb Zoom – 2 Phasing update – 3 Buy-back etc policies – 4 Lease extensions – 5 Keith Murray update – 6 Independent Residents Group
As always you can contact us through barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
- Key Meeting With Newlon for NB Leaseholders only
This Tuesday Feb 1st 2022, Zoom – the most important meeting with Newlon for us. This workshop is only for New Barnsbury leaseholders, and may be our only chance to put our questions to Newlon/Mount Anvil as a group. URGENT – REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND THE MEETING. CLICK HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RlRVq8-cS2ObVPBI6Epmew
2. Phasing Update
Newlon sent out the latest workshop 11 print-outs in the post last week. They include updated phasing information and dates. This is not set in stone, but gives more detail on the whole estate. The documents are also available here.
3. Buy-Backs etc Policies Reminder
How will decanting work? What’s the deal for non-resident leaseholders? Can I get an early buy-back? How can I buy into the new flats? Newlon’s policy documents on the redevelopment answer these questions. They are available via links at the bottom of this page: https://betterbarnsbury.org.uk/offer-document/
IMPORTANT – Read these documents BEFORE the meeting with Newlon on Tuesday. We need to focus our questions on what’s missing, and challenge the aspects we don’t like. We want to make the best of the time and not just ask Qs that are answered in the documents.
NOTE – these documents are only what Newlon WANTS to happen. As a leaseholder, every negotiation with Newlon must be done individually. Newlon does not get to control both sides of the process. Newlon cannot override leasehold law. This is not a compulsory purchase, it is a 2-sided negotiation between you (the lawful holder of the lease) and Newlon (who seek to purchase the lease from you through a voluntary agreement).
You do not have to agree to anything at this stage, especially when you haven’t had specialist individual advice yet. Keith Murray (see more below) suggests that even if you are in an early Phase, you DO NOT have to agree to ANYTHING at this point. He suggests writing a letter to Newlon, stating that you have received the latest information from them with the terms they are offering, and that you do not agree to any of the terms at this stage, nor will you until you have received the appropriate independent professional advice.
4. URGENT Lease extensions
As we advised last year, you must find your lease NOW and calculate the time remaining. In English leasehold law, if your remaining lease length drops too low, this will affect the value of your flat. When you are bought out by Newlon, the market valuation will be used and the length of lease will be factored in to this. A short lease will reduce the amount your flat will be worth. Our website has useful links for you to find out more: https://barnsburyleaseholders.org/useful-links/
We CANNOT extend leases as a group, since everyone’s flat/lease/time remaining is different. You need to take action on this yourself. Any RICS surveyor who does valuations and any solicitor who does lease extensions can help you. It is not a specialist job. There is a significant cost to extending a lease, and you need to seek individual advice on whether it is worth extending in your particular situation.
5. Keith Murray update
Keith Murray www.keithmurrayconsultants.com/ is a specialist Compulsory Purchase Valuer / Surveyor who we have been in touch since the ballot result in 2021. He has given us some valuable info, and last May we raised £2,500 from leaseholders group members to fund an initial report from him based on the Offer Document, three sample leases, and the draft Residents’ Charter. None of these funds have been spent, and Rep Annie is holding them securely until it’s clear what is being paid for and how.
Keith has said that the landlord usually funds independent specialist advice from people such as him to leaseholders in these large redevelopment projects. He applied to Newlon months ago, with the expectation that they would fund his report and individual advice from him, and I could refund the member donations.
Unfortunately, I recently received this from Keith Murray:
“I have at long last had a response from Newlon although it is not particularly satisfactory.
As you will see when you review the exchange below, the attitude of the former Housing Services Director was that provided Newlon makes people fair offers then that is sufficient. However as I have put now to the current Head of the Barnsbury programme, whilst that may be sufficient for Newlon, it does not mean that those affected by Newlon’s proposals can be equally satisfied that they are getting a fair deal.
I therefore suggest that we await Angela Nevin’s response to my email before considering what to do next.
But if in the meantime Newlon decides to approach individuals, it might be helpful if any such individual was to respond to Newlon in similar terms, i.e. to the effect that in order to be satisfied that Newlon’s offer is indeed fair it is necessary for that particular homeowner to take appropriate advice – and independent advice rather than relying upon the word of Newlon!”
This is very frustrating. I have emailed Keith to ask him whether we can proceed with our self-funded report, now that we have Newlon’s more detailed policy docs on their proposed buy-back terms.
In the meantime, if you are in Phase 1 and Newlon contact you to begin negotiations, you can simply say you need appropriate independent professional advice before you agree to anything Newlon is proposing.
6. Independent Residents Group
The new Barnsbury Estate Residents Group, which is tenant/leaseholder-led and run, meets monthly. Please come to the meetings, lots of people are attending and it is an important forum for putting group pressure on Newlon. The Leaseholder Reps are involved in this, but the Residents Group send out their own agenda/minutes etc. These will be available on a website which is under construction. In the meantime please do join the mailing list by emailing Emma Preston-Dunlop: community.Services@newlon.org.uk
Barnsbury Estate Leaseholders Group 
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