Helen Gladstone Maisonettes

In 2017, the freehold of the Helen Gladstone Maisonettes was transferred from Southwark Council to a company.
May residents have us approached about this, and we want to try to answer some questions on this page.

What happened?

On 15 February 2017, the freehold on which 210-221 Helen Gladstone House are located was transferred from the London Borough of Southwark to Helen Gladstone House ltd, Marlborough House C/O Crabtree Pm Limited, 298 Regents Park Road, London, England, N3 2UU (registered company number 08733393).

Why did this happen?

The Housing Act 1980 allows tenants in a council-owned property to purchase this property, given they satisfy some requirements.
Eleven of the thirteen properties became privately owned under the so-called right-to-buy scheme. Once the majority of leaseholds in a council property are privately owned, the leaseholders may jointly apply to purchase the freehold.

Where was this decision made?

The decision was made by the First-tier tribunal property chamber, 10 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7LR by judge I Mohabir and Mr D Jagger.
Mr Fain represented Southwark Council, while Mr Heather represented the limited company formed by the leaseholders on 25 April 2016.

Why is this unusual?

The decision appears unusual in that in addition to the 13 leasehold properties on the freehold, the freehold also included areas that were not previously leased out by Southwark Council. These include in particular:
– The first floor storage room (which was previously used by Virgin Media to supply services)
– The boiler room (which continues to supply hot water an heating for Helen Gladstone Tower)
– The communal garden adjacent to the gardens of the ground floor properties (which was previously used as outside space by residents of Helen Gladstone Tower)

I live in the Tower, and my heating / hot water is not working

Southwark Council continues to maintain the boiler for Helen Gladstone tower, and has been granted access to the boiler room as part of the title. However, this only extends to May 2029, by which time alternative arrangements for residents of the tower should be in place.

What happens to the remaining council properties on the freehold?

The council properties are leased to Southwark council for 999 years, so will remain available to Southwark council for social housing. However, the tenants of those properties may choose to exercise their right-to-buy.

Who is responsible for the upkeep of the freehold

Helen Gladstone ltd. are solely responsible for maintaining the upkeep of the freehold, which includes the cleaning of the communal areas, lighting, tending the communal garden, and waste clearance.

I have a problem. Who do I contact?

If you are a tenant of Southwark council, contact Southwark council. With regards to the privately let properties, we don’t currently have any information.

How much did it cost?

The freehold was sold for £66,757