Flat injustice
Sir: John Martin Robinson ('When reform means ruin', 24 October) forecasts dire effects from our proposals for leasehold reform. But has Dulwich Village become squalid as a result of the 1967 reforms? Has Pimlico decayed or improved since enfran- chisement? I am convinced that the specu- lation somewhat extravagantly expressed in his piece is unfounded.
But Mr Robinson's piece does not deal with the main purpose of the new Bill — to give new 'rights to those living in a flat. Almost all leaseholders in houses already have the right to buy their freehold. But the 750,000 or more leaseholders in flats are stuck with an out-of-date system of tenure — they have a wasting asset which becomes unmortgageable (and therefore difficult to sell) once the term falls below 60 years, and the management of their home depends on their ground landlord. Enfranchisement will give those who have the greatest finan- cial stake the right to take full control of their homes. It's time that these people had the same rights as those living in houses. George Young
Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Department of Environment, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1
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