Whetstone residents 'fed up' after months of fight against freeholder

Leaseholders at Thatcham Court blame freeholder Beechwood Developers Ltd for multiple power outages and daily grievances during construction work, reports Leïla Davaud

A block of flats surrounded by scaffolding with a tree to the left — Thatcham Court

Jeremy Owens, spokesperson for the majority of Thatcham Court leaseholders in Whetstone, says: “It’s a nightmare. It has been a year of asking Beechwood Developers Ltd to simply do their job!”

According to Owens, the company became the freeholder of Thatcham Court in 2024. It also took on the role of managing agent, and at the time already had an extension plan for a side build. That plan received planning permission in April 2025. Additional flats on the roof were approved later.

Owens says: “Almost a year ago, work started on the side build with no warning, nor any notice or consultation, which I believe is a breach of our leases.”

Immediately, residents started complaining about “multiple loss of power, use of communal power and water by the constructor and issues with drainage compliance”.

Owens adds: “We have tried to get in touch with Beechwood, to no avail.

“In February of this year, the Planning Inspectorate allowed two roof building plans – five flats on the third floor and three flats on the fourth floor – in addition to the ongoing construction of the two flats on the side of the building.”

Excavation and scaffolding appeared on all fronts of the building. He continues: “Again with no notice and, more significantly, before the submission of the required Construction Design and Management (CDM) documents. Since then, it’s been a real battle to make them follow simple rules.”

The residents say their first direct interaction with Beechwood came only at the end of April, when the company announced the work would officially start.

Which, Owens says, “is ironic, since it had clearly been going on for weeks and had already been problematic”.

Encouraged by other leaseholders, he contacted Barnet Council, hoping to find support. He says the council’s transparency and complaints team for planning and building control told him more than once that “until that notice, there was no evidence of work being undertaken.”

Owens challenged this, with photos to back it up: “Still, I was told it did not consist of actual work, even when we experienced loss of water from work on the main water supply.”

The Construction (Design and Management) document (CDM) relating to the work was eventually published. “But it was inaccurate, containing parts of another CDM document unrelated to the building,” he says. “A corrected version was later issued, still inaccurate in places, but by then the consultation period had closed. We couldn’t challenge it. Very convenient!”

Barnet Council told Barnet Post there was no evidence the developer had done anything wrong from a planning perspective.

A Barnet Council spokesperson told the Post: “The council is aware of concerns raised by residents regarding Thatcham Court and has considered these over an extended period. Council officers have assessed the planning issues raised and are satisfied they have been addressed in accordance with the council’s statutory duties. There are no outstanding planning conditions relating to the development.

“Many of the concerns raised relate to matters such as leasehold arrangements and private disputes between residents and the freeholder, which fall outside the remit of the Local Planning Authority.

“The council acts impartially and does not support any party in a private dispute. We are unable to comment further on correspondence between residents, developers or other parties.”

Jeremy Owens continues: “Beechwood finally replied to our complaints and agreed to meet us, though what they promised during that meeting was not fulfilled. We asked to be put in touch with a structural engineer, which was agreed to…until we were told it wouldn’t happen.

“Scaffolding expanded without notice, again. UK Power Network was forced to intervene after an electric cable was left bare on the side build and damaged in a thunderstorm, leaving the whole neighbourhood without power. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He says Beechwood has agreed to six months’ free service charge as compensation for the disruption, and that communal electricity and water costs for the duration of the works will be covered by the freeholder rather than charged to residents. Upon completion, all communal areas are due to be improved, including new paintwork, new carpets and new front doors.

However, many issues lie unresolved. “We still do not have policy documents or the promised schedule, among other things. We are fed up. We’re not even opposing the build, we are merely asking Beechwood to accept responsibility, to give us proof that the work is safe, and to be honest. We don’t want to complain and fight. We have lives, jobs. Yet here we are, complaining and fighting to feel safe in our own homes.”

Beechwood Developers Ltd was contacted for comment on several occasions but had not responded at time of publication.

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