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Message from LEASE Chair Roger Southam – March 2017

It was with great pride we held the Leaseholder conference at Etc conference venue in County Hall last month.  The first event to be hosted at the venue, it was good to see so many leaseholders turn out.  I have to confess it was frustrating to have venue teething problems, with a false fire alarm and evacuation. But it did lead to the best line of a conference, when giving health and safety announcements the conference chairman could say “in the event of a fire alarm, well you have already done that, so you know what to do!”

Of course, the leaseholder conference is growing year on year, allowing us to engage and offer first-hand access to one-to-one guidance, as well as relevant speakers.  We are able to offer the free conference for leaseholders by putting on a paid-for conference available to all.  This year we had the Housing Minister announce a substantial change in housing policy and role for LEASE.  There are new housing white papers out and the prospect of a second Housing Bill looming.  Very exciting for the Leasehold Advisory Service was the Minister’s announcement on our future.

A simple sentence signals a fundamental change in our service delivery.  Gavin Barwell stated he wanted LEASE to concentrate its service delivery on leaseholders and being on their side.  As an arm’s length public body we can only deliver the service we are required and have a remit to deliver.  I was appointed as Chairman at a time when the Government’s austerity measures were in full swing.  The remit at that time was to go through evolution to be self-funding but maintain a free service to leaseholders.  This is the course we have followed over the last couple of years.

As a result of the Housing Minister’s announcement we now have to interpolate the words and engage with DCLG to work out the funding and the true journey we are now on.  All the while we sit in the spotlight of the leaseholder engagement watching our direction and delivery.  Please be assured that the team at LEASE are always there to offer the best advisory service possible.

LEASE is governed by a board, appointed as individuals by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.