Kensington Fields Neighbourhood Improvement
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Kensington Fields Neighbourhood Improvement
Liverpool City Council wants to help homeowners in the Kensington Fields Neighbourhood to improve their property, and is prepared to fund essential environmental improvement works to the front of owner occupied and private landlord properties up to a maximum amount of £6,000.
This page briefly describes what is available and how the scheme will work. It does not provide full details about the City Council's policy regarding the improvement programme for Kensington Fields.
If you are not sure or have any problems about this programme, please contact Agency Services (see address below).
It is important that you do not tell contractors to start any work which you want us to help pay for.
Getting advice
You can get general advice about the planned programme from Agency Services office:
Agency Services
Waverton
41 Church Road
Liverpool
L15 9EDTelephone: 0151 233 4464
Who can be included in the programme?
To qualify for the programme, you must first meet the City Council's general requirements. These are:-
- You must be aged 18 or over;
- You must be the owner occupier or private landlord of a property situated within the designated Kensington Fields Neigbourhood;
- You agree to certain conditions that apply for the 10 years after the City Council funded work has been completed;
- Your property must not have been improved under the previous pilot schemes undertaken in Jubilee Drive and Leopold Road.
If you do not meet the City Council's general requirements, we cannot consider your property for inclusion in the programme.
What work will be done?
The City Council will carry out a survey of the front and rear of each property. Following the survey you will be provided with two priced schedule of works.
- The first schedule will list the works we consider are absolutely necessary to improve the front of your property and will consist of the items which will be considered for funding by the City Council.
- The second schedule provides a list of optional items of works that we consider are in need of attention and that you should consider having done at your own expense in order to keep your property in a well maintained condition.
Examples of the type of improvements which we may consider for the Kensington Fields Improvement programme are:
- To fix dangerous structural conditions
- To repair leaking roofs
- Cleaning and pointing of brickwork
- Repairs to gutters and drain pipes
- Repairs/installation of window frames
- Repairs/installation of front doors and frames.
We will talk to you about the work you will need, however, we will concentrate upon work that is absolutely necessary.
How we work out the funding
The City Council will only pay for essential works, to the front of your property. The works must be identified by the survey and we will only pay up to a maximum of £6,000. We do not expect you to contribute towards the cost of the environmental improvements. However, if the work identified to the front of your property costs more than £6,000, we will ask you to pay the difference. For example, if the total cost of the work is £6,500, you will have to pay the extra £500.
To help owners pay for any additional work over the £6,000 limit, the City Council may consider providing a 'top up loan' in certain circumstances. Advice and assistance regarding 'top up loans' will be given to owners on an individual basis. Top up loans will not be available for private landlords who will be expected to raise finance themselves.
The City Council has undertaken a tendering process and a schedule of rates for the intended works has been agreed with a number of approved contractors.
Once we approve funding, we will make arrangements with you for a contractor to carry out the work. Our staff will supervise the works on site and make payments directly to the contractor. The costs of the property surveys and supervising the works will be met by the City Council.
Certificate of Authorisation.
It must be stressed that any environmental improvements to your property are optional and will only be carried out with your consent. In order to obtain and record your consent to the proposed works together with the City Council's stated conditions you will be presented with a 'Certificate of Authorisation'. This document is important to the process and you should ensure that you are in full agreement with what is being proposed before signing the document.
Ownership of the property after the works are completed
If you have signed the 'Certificate of Authorisation' and works have subsequently, been funded by the City Council to your property you will have agreed not to sell or dispose of your property for a period of ten years from the date the works were completed. If you break this agreement, as either, the owner occupier or landlord, during the ten year period after we confirm the grant has been paid, you will have to repay the full grant payment.
Selling the property after the works have been completed
Owners and landlords must not sell their property for at least ten years after we have given the grant. After the ten year period, this restriction no longer applies.
When you can sell your property without repaying the grant
There are a number of circumstances where you can sell a property and you would not have to repay the grant. The main exceptions are as follows:-
- Selling it to a husband or wife, former husband or wife, a member of your family or of your part ownership to an existing joint owner;
- A company selling the property to an associated company;
- Transferring ownership by means of a will or an intestacy;
- Selling the property under the following matrimonial, inheritance, and family proceedings:-
- Section 24 and 24a Matrimonial Causes Act 1973
- Section 2 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and dependants) Act 1975
- Section 17 of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984
- Schedule 1, Children's Act 1989.
Your solicitor or legal adviser should be able to provide you with more information.
Subsequent disposals
If a property is sold or transferred as detailed in the above paragraphs the condition restricting the sale of the property remains in force. For example, if you sell your home to a family member, a further sale to a third party is not allowed within the ten year grant period.
Selling the property where you may not need to repay the grant
There are a number of circumstances where we would consider not applying the grant conditions when a property is being sold. These are as follows:-
- The applicant or applicants are elderly or frail and are going to live permanently in either a hospital, hospice, sheltered housing or a residential care home;
- The applicant or applicants are elderly or frail and are moving to be looked after by their carers;
- The applicant or applicants are selling their home because they are going to live with and care for an elderly or frail member of their family.
We would need written details and proof of the above circumstances before we could agree not to apply grant conditions. Grant conditions will apply if the sale has already been completed.
Voluntary repayment of the grant
If during the ten year grant condition period you need to sell your property for reasons other than those above, you can through your solicitor arrange to make voluntary repayment of your grant as part of your property sale. Your solicitor can provide you with more information on this.