Tenants who are embroiled in a row over “excessive” repair bills will be able to benefit from a fairer repayment scheme.

Leaseholders in the Grange Estate, East Finchley and the Colney Hatch Estate, Muswell Hill, Barnet, are being ordered to pay up to £35,000 after their buildings were neglected by Barnet Homes.

The charges would have left many forced to pay roughly £500 a month as the sum needed to be cleared within two years.

This prompted widespread fury among tenants, who feared they would have to sell their homes because they could not afford the repayments.

However at a meeting of Barnet Council's housing committee at Hendon Town Hall tonight, councillors are expected to approve a less costly alternative.

The report says: “The recommendations aim to alleviate the financial burdens of these leaseholder charges, improve customer relations and reduce the need for service charge debt recovery action using legal redress and the occurrence of bad debts.”

Times Series:

The proposal comes less than a month after the Times Series ran a story expressing the concern of those who live in the Grange Estate.

It also comes despite the fact that the ruling Conservative group voted against a Labour motion calling for this a few weeks ago.

Last year, Barnet Homes drafted a document which proposed a 25-year repayment scheme.

The social landlord added it onto the housing committee’s work programme – but these were pulled from the October 27 agenda by the chairman, Councillor Tom Davey.

Labour councillor Adam Langleben, who has been campaigning on behalf of the residents, said: “Expecting people to pay hundreds of pounds a month on top of their bills was unfair and completely unreasonable.

“This is good news for many leaseholders across Barnet.”

Cllr Tom Davey, chairman of the housing committee, welcomed the plans.

He said: “We want to help our leaseholders and think that we have now found a viable and funded solution.

“We have to act responsibly to leaseholders, other beneficiaries of the HRA and the taxpayer. This is why we could not support Labour’s attempts at an uncosted and unfunded give-away.

“I am pleased, though, that we can now further the measures in place to help leaseholders meet the cost of these essential works and that the significant extensions to the interest free periods will make things more manageable.”