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'They're not getting answers' - Stafford MP quizzes housing estate maintenance company CEO in Parliament

Stafford’s MP has taken residents’ concerns about maintenance of two housing estates in the town to the management company’s boss.

By Kerry Ashdown
Published

Leigh Ingham was among a group of MPs who highlighted issues including poor communication with residents at a session in Parliament with Trinity’s Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Smith this month.

Ms Ingham is part of a group of MPs campaigning for better services for residents living in properties with leasehold arrangements. She is also advocating nationally for changes to the leasehold system to give people more control of their homes.

Mp Leigh Ingham, Seated Left, At The Parliamentary Session. Image courtesy of Leigh Ingham's office
Mp Leigh Ingham, Seated Left, At The Parliamentary Session. Image courtesy of Leigh Ingham's office

Trinity manages estates including Marston Grange and Sheridan Grange in Stafford. Sheridan Grange resident Catherine Strong said issues there had included slow responses to residents’ concerns and a high turnover of estate managers.

“We moved in December 2014 and for the first three years it was a still building site and Taylor Wimpey were managing the grounds”, she said. “At that point we had a local guy doing it, who was brilliant.

“We’ve had Trinity ever since. We’re paying more and more in fees each year but we don’t see a great return on our premium.

“It’s an old estate with mature trees and they keep the grass cut, but they don’t manage the woodland bit particularly well – it’s a very basic service. When you try and contact them about a specific issue it takes ages to come back to you.

“They have a high turnover of property managers and we never see them. We had one that was starting to listen to us, but then she left.”

Mp Leigh Ingham Speaking To Marston Grange Residents At A Coffee Morning. Image courtesy of Leigh Ingham's office
Mp Leigh Ingham Speaking To Marston Grange Residents At A Coffee Morning. Image courtesy of Leigh Ingham's office

Speaking after the Parliamentary session, Ms Ingham said it had gone well. “I felt that (Mr Smith) was really there to listen – he was in problem-solving mode.

“For too many leaseholders, their experience of owning a home has fallen short. They’re not getting answers to emails and communication is really poor.

“I want to see accountability from the CEO, that’s why we have brought him to Parliament. I am part of the Labour for Leaseholders group and we want to work across the country to make sure residents are getting the service they are paying for.”

A Trinity spokesperson said: “Trinity were pleased to attend a meeting with a number of MPs last week for open discussions regarding national topics of service charge costs, transparency and management. The meeting provided the opportunity for us to hear first hand the matters which had been raised to the MPs.

“We are in support of the Government’s efforts to reform leasehold and freehold property management and are looking forward to keeping MPs updated on the plans we have to make changes within our organisation to meet customers needs more consistently in the future.

“In regard to the particular developments referenced in Staffordshire, the local property team have already began meeting with representatives on behalf of the residents at one development to help tailor our services for their specific needs and will be meeting customers at another before the end of the month. If any of Trinity’s customers should have specific concerns or questions related to the management of their development we would encourage them to contact us directly.”