By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
A Gloucestershire homeowner has hit out at the so-called “fleeceholds” after broken street lights have taken months to be fixed amid renewed calls for a crackdown on the “injustice”.
The Government says it is committed to tackling the issue which is where residents have to pay estate management fees to a private company for communal areas such as roads or green spaces.
Many see it as a second tax because it adds costs to owning a home and often with little transparency and limited rights to challenge the charges.
Tarran Wilson, who lives in Cooper’s Edge near Gloucester, is among those calling for a change to the law.
“I refer to this as fleeceholdm” he said.
“We are freeholders of our property, we’re not leaseholders, which is generally how these management companies are set up to operate for leaseholders more than freeholders.
“We’re paying, in effect, double council tax with no end in sight for when any residents can actually become directors and regain control over it.”
He is particularly not happy with the service provided by Gateway who are the estate management company who manage the area where he lives.
He has been waiting weeks for street lighting to be fixed near his property, Mr Wilson said.
“The fact that it takes nearly eight weeks to get one street light repaired is extremely frustrating,” he said.
“We’ve never seen anyone come around and actually check the areas, the weeding and maintenance that’s supposed to happen and when you ask them for proof that it’s been done, all you’ll get shown is an invoice.
“The landscapers have been seen by other residents turning up in their van, sitting in their van, not getting out of it at all, taking a picture and driving off, so there’s no control over the work actually being done.”
A spokesperson for Gateway said they manage the development on behalf of the residents management company and in line with the obligations set out by the development’s governing documentation.
“These arrangements are typical of freehold developments where communal areas, lighting and landscaping are privately maintained through a service charge rather than being adopted by the local authority,” they said.
“The concern regarding street lighting was reported to our estate management team in December 2025.
“Before any expenditure could be committed, it was necessary to establish responsibility for the assets and confirm that repairs fell within the remit of the Residents Management Company, ensuring service charge funds were used appropriately.
“To ensure cost-effectiveness, multiple contractors were contacted to inspect the issue and provide comparable quotations.
“Progress was unfortunately hindered by the festive period, contractor availability and subsequent adverse weather conditions, until the first lighting column was restored in February.
“The second column was identified as having no incoming power supply, which has since been referred to the relevant utility provider for further investigation. Throughout this process, updates were provided to the reporting resident.
“Grounds, maintenance for the development is carried out in line with the agreed specification of works and visit schedule.
“Photographic evidence of completed visits is required and reviewed before any invoices are approved. Where concerns are raised regarding contractor conduct on site, these are investigated directly with the contractor concerned.
“Gateway undertakes planned site inspections as part of its management responsibilities, including routine site visits and formal health and safety assessments.
“These inspections have taken place during the current year and form part of our ongoing oversight of the development.”
County councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach) says he has stepped up his campaign for action on unfair “fleecehold” estate charges after hearing growing anger from residents in Cooper’s Edge and Bourton, now part of the North Cotswolds constituency.
He has criticised the Government’s proposed Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act warning it fails to tackle the root problems freeholders are facing.
He believes it is wrong that homeowners are being forced to pay hundreds of pounds a year to distant, unaccountable management companies — yet basic services such as lighting, green spaces and paths are often poorly maintained or ignored.
“Residents are angry and frustrated,” Cllr Hodgkinson said.
“They’re paying significant sums to companies they can’t challenge, with no effective way to hold them to account when services fall short.
“Freeholders are being charged privately for maintaining ‘public open space’ — areas anyone can use — yet only a small number of residents are left footing the bill. That’s simply unfair.”
While the bill proposes a form of right to manage for freeholders, Cllr Hodgkinson says it is deeply flawed.
Residents would be required to set up and run a company to take control, an unrealistic burden for ordinary homeowners.
Even more concerning, the process cannot begin until developers transfer the land — something they are under no obligation to do.
“In places like Cooper’s Edge, residents are stuck waiting on developers who control the land,” Cllr Hodgkinson said.
“Without a legal requirement to hand it over, this ‘right’ exists only on paper.”
The Government says they are committed to tackling the issue and currently have two consultations underway at the moment which close on March 12.
One of them is on “enhanced protections for homeowners on freehold estates” and another on “reducing the prevalence of private estate management arrangements” includes options to address unjustified increases in the number of homes paying these estate management charges.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “We remain firmly committed to ending the injustice of ‘fleecehold’, which exposes far too many people to unfair and unreasonable charges.
“That’s why we are currently consulting on options to both reduce the use of these private management arrangements and improve consumer protections for people on these estates.
“We encourage everyone with experience of these issues to have their say.”