Summary of Observations from QLTA letter dated 2 March 2026
Notice of Intention to Enter into a Qualifying Long-Term Agreement for which public notice is required under Schedule 2 of the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) (England) Regulations 2003.
Repairs Framework - Summary of Observations from the letter dated 2 March 2026.
The following shows the written observations raised by leaseholders or shared owners followed by our response.
1. Thank you for your email and for providing the details of the proposed long-term agreement. Having reviewed the information provided, we confirm that we agree to the proposal as outlined in your notice
No response required.
2. I act for the purchaser of the above property. We are mid-way through conveyancing and the seller has disclosed the attached notice received by them. As part of my job to ensure that my client makes an informed decision on their purchase, I would be grateful if you could help us with the below questions: Are the works in relation to this property costed at this stage? When do you anticipate that they will be costed?
Thank you for your email.
Capital works are not planned for the immediate future for your block.
Please note that this was in response to a query raised about a specific block and the response is about that block only.
3. I am writing to request further clarification on the section 20 Consultation and proposed building works affecting my block. Do you have an idea of what work is planned to be carried out, which dates this is likely to commence, and approximate costs? This block was built 3 years ago so I am assuming it should be minimal work but please can you clarify. We work from home so an idea of the disruption that is likely would also be helpful. I have read through the online consultation responses and the letter and given that it has been sent to all Oxford city council leaseholders, it's very unclear how this will affect us. It mentions payment plan options, but doesn't include what these are. Similarly, if we were to leave/sell before the end of the works, who is liable to pay the bill? It would also be useful to understand how many other leaseholders will be liable for charges in 40 Harefields and whether these charges will also apply to the council owned properties given that this block is mixed. We purchased our flat through shared ownership at the end of November and would have expected that something like this would have been mentioned to us during that process. The letter says that works commence from April so I would appreciate a swift response.
During the sales process your solicitors were advised that there were no capital works planned and that this was based on information at that point.
They were sent the attached form which is called an LPE1 form and you can see this information in section 4.8.1.
I hope that that was passed on to you by them at that time.
Capital works are not planned for the immediate future for your block.
Please note that this was in response to a query raised about a specific block and the response is about that block only.
4. Following the recent Section 20 notice correspondence please could you advise what are the proposed works that the notice relates to and when these are likely to happen. Please could you also advise what are the likely costs per leaseholder and when these costs are likely to be invoiced - a guide figure would suffice.
Thank you for your email.
External decorations have been scheduled for these properties subject to validation.
Further to your question on costs, may I please refer you to section 5 of our letter. The costs are yet to be determined if this work goes ahead and leaseholders would be consulted on this matter.
Please note that this was in response to a query raised about a specific block and the response is about that block only.
5. I am writing to find out whether my lease contains a clause allowing a contribution towards a sinking fund or not. I also wonder if this is a good time to upgrade the insulation - possibly install external wall insulation as you are replacing double glazing? However, not combustible Grenfell House style insulation or cladding. Also, whether a cost benefit analysis has been done for installing solar panels on the roofs of all the blocks around the block and creating a community energy scheme? I believe that there are government grants for these schemes.
Thank you for your email following the QLTA Repairs Framework letter that you received.
I can confirm that your lease does not have a sinking fund.
The windows, doors, roof work is due for 2027/28 and work on the walls is due for 2033.
We have referred your query about energy efficiency measures to our Energy and Sustainability Team, as these types of works are not covered in the capital works programme. We will come back to you once that team has responded.
Please note that this was in response to a query raised about a specific block and the response is about that block only.
6. Further to our telephone conversation at the end of last month I would be most grateful for an update on your anticipated time schedule for this framework following the end of the consultation period. In particular, my interest is in the block as we discussed. Should you find it more convenient to telephone rather than compose a long email, my mobile is (number omitted for confidentiality). I would also be grateful for any further information you may have available on the buying and selling process by the Council.
I am following up on your telephone call with my colleague James Watkins about major works to be carried out to your property in block 28-50 Kendall Crescent.
Your block is scheduled to have internal and external decorations to the common parts in the current year 26/27.
Also, you requested information about buying/selling and if you click on the link below this has information about the sales process and our buyback programme:
Please note that this was in response to a query raised about a specific block and the response is about that block only.
7. Dear Mr Benjamin,I have just received the information pack on the Long-Term agreement, I was unaware of this agreement. Can you please let me know if Trill Mill Court will be part of any update and if you have any estimate of the cost for each lease holder.
Thank you for your email.
It will be easier if I ring you and provide you with more of an explanation about the proposal in the letter.
I am free tomorrow and Thursday and can ring you in the evening between 6 and 7 if that is helpful.
Please let me know what works for you and what the best phone number to contact you on is.
8. Dear Mr Watkins, Thank you for sending the Stage 2 QLTA consultation letter dated 17/02/2025, which I received on 24/02/2026. The letter asks leaseholders to submit written observations by 31/03/2026.
I would like to understand how this consultation is considered valid when the letter is dated over a year ago. The consultation period was originally supposed to be 30 days, but the letter did not clearly explain what the written observations should focus on. Could you please clarify whether the observations should relate to the proposed framework agreement itself, the physical condition of the property, or the Council’s wider proposals?
Response to 8.1.
Thank you for pointing this out and you will be aware that we sent another letter which superseded this with the correct date and have extended the period of time for comments.
Any comments that were initially provided were still considered as part of this consultation.
9. As part of the Stage 1 consultation, I asked about the specific works planned for my block. Your repair observations (Question 10) clearly state that no works are currently being considered for the 2026/27 Capital Works Programme. Please confirm whether this position remains unchanged.
This position remains unchanged.
10. I also noted from Questions 15 to 18 in your written observations that major works within the first five years of a lease should be disclosed before purchase. However, if no major works were disclosed and works are later carried out within that five-year period, how are the charges calculated, audited, and apportioned? For example, are the costs redistributed among other leaseholders, or how is this managed in practice?
Observation 15 to 18 were specifically about the Right to Buy. Prior to a tenant purchasing under the Right to Buy they are issued with an offer notice.
Specifically for those properties which will become leasehold, that officer letter includes:
- Five year forecast of maintenance and repair work to the block in which the property is situated
- Five year forecast of improvements to the block in which the property is situated
The landlord may not charge more during the initial period more than the stated amounts plus inflation.
If the forecasted cost was not included in the offer letter, and works took place during that initial period then they would not be charged.
The full costs of the work to the block will still apply but the apportionments that would be applied to any other leaseholders would be calculated as if that unit was contributing. Therefore, they would NOT be making up any shortfall
Statutory consultation would apply if any costs of work would be more than £250.00 but as stated above the apportionments applied to any leaseholders would be calculated as if that unit was contributing. Therefore, they would not be making up any shortfall.
11. In relation to Question 25 of the Stage 1 consultation, you stated that the Capital Works Programme has been developed following stock condition surveys. However, based on my own experience, the Council has attempted to recharge leaseholders twice for the same emergency works, and after further enquiries it was admitted that this was an error. In addition, leaseholders were charged for works carried out in different postcodes, where ODS invoiced the Council and the details were not properly checked before charges were passed on. What measures are being put in place to mitigate such errors, improve transparency, and ensure that leaseholders are not incorrectly charged?
Where there are any errors with service charges, these can be brought to our attention, be investigated, and if found to be wrong corrected. You can do this by contacting us directly, or using the complaints system.
12. Regarding Question 28, I believe this relates to my earlier query. I have already raised this issue with the Council since 2022 and it remains unresolved. As a result, the matter has been escalated. I am not willing to repeat this process without meaningful engagement. Although this may be a block-specific issue, I believe similar concerns may affect other blocks, and I would therefore expect the Council to respond more fully.
As you have stated, the issue that you are in dispute about is subject to an investigation. As a leaseholder you have the right to raise a query about previous works through the correct channels of a complaint or an application to the First Tier Property Tribunal.
You have confirmed that the matter is being investigated and therefore it is appropriate to let that investigation run its course. It remains a separate issue from the current consultation that is taking place.
13. For Question 34, you mentioned that a letter was sent to leaseholders regarding Section 8 and repayment options. Could you please clarify the content of this letter and confirm whether this applies generally to leaseholders or only to specific blocks?
I believe you are referring to observation 33 not 34 as that is a different observation.
The response to 33 referred the leaseholder back to section 8 of the Notice of Intention Letter which stated:
8) How are payments made after works are completed?
Using the framework to select contractors to carry out Capital Works, does not affect the way you are billed for these type of works.
After any Capital Works have been completed you will be billed via an invoice and we will provide details of our payment methods. There are a range of repayment options for leaseholders including being able to make agreements over a set period.
The repayment options apply to all leaseholders.
If you require a response to query 34 please contact us.
14. For Question 38, the response referred to a survey but instead provided a link to the draft framework agreement. Could you please explain which survey this relates to and provide the relevant document?
The leaseholder who raised the query asked for a survey, however after speaking to them they actually wanted a link to the draft repairs framework.
This had already been provided in the letter however this link was sent again to them
15. For Question 39, you stated that information about the exact location of works was sent to all residential leaseholders and shared owners. I have not received this. Please confirm where this information can be accessed.
The full question asked in observation 39 “The exact location of the work? And how many leaseholders like me are part of this consultation? When was the last time this type of capital work has been done in the same area?”
We broke down the response as follows for ease of understanding.
First part of Observation 39 “The exact location of the work”: There was no response to this as the consultation was about the framework not the works underneath
Second part of Observation 39 “And how many leaseholders, like me are part of this consultation?”: Our response to this was “This has been sent to all of Oxford City Council’s residential leaseholders and shared owners”
Third part of Observation 39 “When was the last time this type of capital work has been done in the same area?”: There was no response as the consultation was about the framework not the works to be carried out.
I note also that the response to observation 41 from that same leaseholder detailed the works planned for that specific block.
16. Finally, in response to Question 42, you stated that Capital Works are timetabled based on condition and other data. Please provide details of this timetable, including where it will be published and how leaseholders will be notified.
When validation of the capital works programme is complete, leaseholders will be informed in writing of the timetable.
