UK’s Commonhold Council on home ownership laws has not met ‘for over a year’
An expert committee set up to advise ministers on how to change Britain’s archaic home ownership laws has not met for over a year, the Guardian can reveal, as campaigners warn the issue is slipping down the government’s agenda.
The Commonhold Council – a panel of 11 people from the property industry, the legal profession and academia – was convened in 2021 as ministers promised sweeping reforms to the leasehold system.
Last week Rachel Maclean, the housing minister, reassured MPs during a Commons debate that the council met “regularly” and was working closely with ministers. Information released to the campaigner Martin Keegan under the Freedom of Information Act however shows it has not met since last April – something one member of the panel blamed on successive changes in government.
The Guardian revealed in May that Michael Gove had watered down his promise to abolish the “feudal” leasehold system, as he was under pressure from Downing Street. Now campaigners warn the lack of meetings by the Council is another sign ministers are rowing back from the bold reform agenda they outlined earlier this year.
Harry Scoffin, the founder of the anti-leasehold campaign group Commonhold Now, said: “At a time when the Tories’ electoral offering to millennial voters is coming under immense scrutiny, it is disappointing to learn that the government’s flagship home ownership body, the Commonhold Council, hasn’t met in over a year.
“The Conservative party urgently needs to revisit its commonhold policy programme as part of its wider housing package for voters under the age of 40.”
Martin Boyd, the chair of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and one of the members of the council, said: “A number of meetings have been cancelled due to many
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