Labour councillors are hoping to resurrect plans to create a “fairer” system for leaseholders forced to pay £10,000 in repair bills months before their homes are bulldozed.

People living on the West Hendon Estate have been asked to pay the money up to six years before they are due to leave their homes, even though the works would have a 25 year life span.

However, developers Barratt, in charge of the regeneration, have offered to meet the cost of the repair works for the 36 leaseholders in the first phase who have been given compulsory purchase orders.

To help ease the pressure on those in second and third phases, Barnet Borough Council’s ruling Conservative group has proposed a 12 year repayment scheme, with payments ceasing on their last day in the property.

But the opposition Labour group, as well as those living on the estate, criticised this compromise as they say it will mean leaseholders wiill end up paying double.

As a result, Barnet Homes drafted a document which proposed a 25-year repayment scheme, so nobody is left out of pocket.

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.

At the time, Cllr Davey did not respond to the Times Series requests for an explanation as to why these papers were withdrawn.

The papers relating to this scheme have now been made public after a Freedom of Information request by Labour Councillor for West Hendon, Adam Langleben.

He said: “It’s a sinister act. The leaseholders on the West Hendon Estate have been treated awfully. They’ve been waiting for regeneration for over a decade.

“Just when it’s happening they’re being hit by a £10,000 bill. This proposal was a fair one, it should have gone to committee and it’s sad for the residents that they didn’t.”

The Labour group are now hoping to send the papers to full council or a committee meeting over the next few months.

Meanwhile, Barnet Borough Council has offered to buy back the properties in West Hendon bought under the right to buy scheme.

The authority says this means those who bought their homes before 2003, when the regeneration scheme was announced, will be able to buy shared equity properties when the estate is rebuilt.

To qualify the homes must have been used as a principle residence for 36 months in the last five years.

This will allow leaseholders to buy 50 per cent or more of a new home, with the other half being owned by housing association Metropolitan.

They will then get the same percentage of the sale price should they choose to sell their home in the future.

People choosing to go down this route will be able to move into properties that would have been for private sale in the current phase of the new development.

Leaseholders will also receive statutory disturbance payments to compensate them for the actual costs of moving.

Cllr Richard Cornelius, leader of Barnet Council, said: “I can understand that leaseholders have been concerned about what the future holds for them.

“But the publication of details of the shared equity offer and the revised offers to buy their homes should reassure them that they will have the opportunity to move into a great new home in a transformed West Hendon.

“Leaseholders will benefit in the long run from the new homes being built to a much higher standard than the current estate, along with all of the new facilities that regeneration will bring.”