‘Help to Sell’: Hammersmith & Fulham council plans to buy high rise flats from owners who can’t sell following the Grenfell tragedy

Fire risk fears: privately owned flats in council tower blocks across London have become more difficult to sell since the Grenfell Tower disaster. One council is stepping in to help beleaguered sellers
Ruth Bloomfield18 October 2017

A central London council is drawing up multi-million pound rescue plans to support owners of flats in tower blocks who can’t sell their homes in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council reports that buyers, who were previously keen to snap up ex local authority homes, are now afraid of the fire risks in older towers, leaving former tenants who bought their flats under Right to Buy unable to move.

The council is the first in London to raise the issue, which will undoubtedly affect other local authorities.

The council has £28.4 million earmarked for increasing the borough’s supply of affordable housing, raised through earlier council house sales.

It now plans to use some of the money to buy tower-block flats.

A report due to be rubber stamped by council officers this week says that as well as increasing its supply of affordable housing “this is also an opportunity for the council to help its leaseholders of properties in high rise blocks who are struggling to sell on the open market due to the impact of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

It goes on: “Officers will make a targeted approach to leaseholders who have purchased their property under the right to buy and who are selling their homes on the open market … The purchase of these homes will ultimately allow the transfer of households currently housed in temporary accommodation into permanent council accommodation.”

​Wayland Ward Smith, of Carter Jonas in Fulham, said he was sure the council was correct in its assessment of the situation for leaseholders trying to sell flats in towers.

“I think that there is every reason to believe it, especially in a down market where typically the lower quality stock falls lower and harder anyway.”

Reuben Young, head of policy & communications at campaign group PricedOut, said it would be preferable for the council to build rather than buy property. “Where possible Right to Buy receipts should be used to build the new homes we desperately need.”

“But as a last resort, bringing private homes into the social sector is a good way to ensure more families housed in expensive, disruptive temporary accommodation are instead housed securely and affordably.”

“Ensuring tower blocks are fire safe must be done irrespective of who is living in them,” he said.