#righttobuy — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

@PKYo
That reminds me, I should be writing to various MPs about cottages like those sold off by the #Bridgewater #Canal #Company at #PrestonBrook.

The terrace, built in the late 1700s, was sold off one house at a time in the 1950s. They all had brick built privies clustered together in a #communal #yard. Because the remaining #tenants all needed access to the yard the canal company retained ownership and provided an annual licence to each purchaser permitting access to the communal area.

There's no #lease. No #contract on #fees to be charged. The canal company can, it seems, charge what they like both to issue a #licence to a new #buyer of a #cottage and any #annual renewal #fee.

We ought to be able to add some appropriate clauses onto any upcoming #legislation that gives owners of #leasehold #property the #righttobuy such communal ground.

The attached map from 1894 shows the terrace, their privies and how some don't even have space to hang out washing to dry. @ukwaterways