Councillor Brian Robson

c/o Liberal Democrats, FREEPOST

8 Woodham Road, SE6 2SD

cllr_brian.robson@lewisham.gov.uk
www.brianrobson.org.uk
020 8297 9327

Paul Clark
Director of Investment and Asset Management
The Crown Estate
16 New Burlington Place
LONDON
W1S 2HX

By post and e-mail

20th March, 2010

Dear Mr Clark,

The Crown Estate Housing Consultation

I am writing to respond to the Crown Estate’s consultation on your proposal to sell-off your residential
properties in London, including the properties in our Lee Green Ward. My colleagues and I would like to
register our objection to this proposal on behalf of the Crown tenants we represent and our wider
community. We also have concerns regarding the way the consultation has been carried out.

The effect on our constituents

This proposal has caused a great deal of concern to residents, who tell us they have generally been
quite happy with The Crown Estate as their landlord. Many residents have held long tenancies on their
properties, with some being the second or third generation being housed in a Crown Estate property. In
an uncertain world, residents have considered themselves fortunate to be housed by what was regarded
up to now as a secure and trusted landlord.

The Crown Estate’s Lee Green properties are part of a diverse, mixed tenure community. The way
residents have joined together to oppose this proposal illustrates the strong sense of community which
exists in the area. We have been approached independently by residents in the area who are owner
occupiers or tenants of social landlords who are very concerned about this proposal – demonstrating the
extent to which the Crown Estate properties are part of a wider community. We would not wish to see
Lee Green become a mono-tenure community where only those who can afford to purchase property
can afford to live. This proposal risks that becoming the case in the longer term.

There are 17,518 families waiting for social housing in the Borough of Lewisham. Clearly demand for
affordable and intermediate housing in the borough far outstrips supply. As such, the Crown Estate’s
properties in Lee Green are making an important contribution to housing supply in the borough – one we
would not wish to see lost. It is also clear that if residents were forced to leave their properties in Lee
Green due to rising rents or other conditions imposed by a new landlord, they would have difficulty
securing alternative affordable/intermediate housing in the area.

Whilst the consultation document gives existing residents various assurances regarding rent levels etc,
these vary according to the precise type of tenancy currently held by the resident, and the type of
tenancy that the new landlord is able to offer.

Working all-year-round for Lee Green

Printed, published and promoted on recycled paper by Lewisham Liberal Democrats, all at 8 Woodham Road, SE6.
The consultation document states that existing tenancies would continue, and that ‘no one will lose their
home as a direct result of this proposal’ (our italics). This neglects the fact that once the homes are sold,
the new landlord could take a different approach to the Crown Estate. In particular, residents on assured
shorthold tenancies (those who have moved in since 1st May 2004) have very little protection from a
landlord who wishes to evict them.

The reasons given for the proposal

These are difficult to ascertain, as the consultation document is thin on detail. In the consultation
document, The Crown Estate suggests it is considering their proposals as you are ‘not a focussed
housing provider’ and lack ‘the same scale of housing management expertise’. This argument simply
does not stand up to scrutiny. Residents are happy with the current housing management service
offered by the Crown Estate, and there is no evidence to suggest that residents of landlords who
manage more stock are happier as a result. Indeed, one could argue that a smaller residential property
holding actually delivers more, not less, focus on small estates like Lee Green, which could get
overlooked in a larger landlord’s residential holdings.

The other argument used in the consultation document is that the Crown Estate has a duty to maintain
and enhance the value of the land and properties it owns. It seems to us that residential housing like this
is actually a very secure investment, given that in the event residents are unable to pay their rent (for
example, if they become ill or unemployed), then housing benefit would be available – effectively
guaranteeing the Crown Estate’s income. This surely makes residential housing like this a much more
secure investment than some of the Crown Estates’s other investments such as commercial property.

The consultation process

We understand from documents obtained by residents as a result of Freedom of Information requests
that this proposal was being considered over a year before residents were informed. This suggests a
profound lack of openness and transparency, and raises questions over the extent to which this whole
process is pre-determined.

Secondly, we are concerned that having worked on the proposal for a year, the consultation itself is so
thin on detail. Whilst the Crown Estate has decided it will only sell to a ‘focussed housing provider’ there
is no decision on whether a social or private landlord would be preferred – a key detail which would have
profound effect on the way the landlord was regulated and thus on tenants rights and security of tenure.

In other transfers of this type, residents are balloted to determine whether they support the proposal. No
such ballot has been proposed by the Crown Estate, which is a key failing, especially given the
complicated mix of tenancy arrangements in place on the estates. Similarly, residents have not been
given access to an independent tenants advisor, which is standard practice in stock transfers from local
authorities. The Crown Estate’s failure to make these two provisions is very disappointing.

We understand that the Crown Estate’s board is responsible for making the final decision on this
proposal. We would urge them to reject it, and have copied this letter to Sir Stuart Hampson and Roger
Bright, so they are aware of our concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Brian Robson

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Lee Green Ward
On behalf of all three Lee Green Councillors and Cllr Pete Pattisson, Liberal Democrat Prospective
Parliamentary Candidate for Lewisham East.

CC Sir Stuart Hampson and Roger Bright.

Working all-year-round for Lee Green

Printed, published and promoted on recycled paper by Lewisham Liberal Democrats, all at 8 Woodham Road, SE6.