Leasehold Reform Bill a missed opportunity

The Liberal Democrats have branded the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rents) Bill a missed opportunity after amendments to look at greater financial support for leaseholders facing cladding issues were rejected. The proposed legislation, which has its third reading in the House of Lords today, was subject to a range of amendments at its second reading - including an amendment from Liberal Democrat peer Kath Pinnock. Her amendment aimed to ensure the bill looked at what could be done to better support leaseholders being left facing huge bills for fire remediation work to remove dangerous cladding. However the amendment was defeated after Conservative peers marshalled behind the Government, leaving the bill to advance without it. Commenting on the advancement of the bill, Liberal Democrat Lords Housing and Communities Spokesperson Baroness Kath Pinnock said: “The Government has managed the remarkable feat of making a bill about leasehold reform fail to live up to their own promises to leaseholders. “In its current form, the bill does nothing to help the thousands of leaseholders who are facing eye-watering bills of several thousands of pounds to remove dangerous and unsafe cladding. “The current situation cannot go on. The Government must commit to doing more to ensure leaseholders get the financial support they need and deserve.”