NORTHWICH’S MP has grilled Sajid Javid on what he called the ‘feudal’ practice of leasehold tenancies.

Mike Amesbury, MP for Weaver Vale, said he has been contacted by a number of constituents in Northwich who say they have been left ‘high and dry’ by their homebuilders due to the fact the leaseholds on their homes were sold to third parties.

The homeowners allege they were told they would be able to buy their lease holds – the land on which their properties are built – at a specific amount in the future, but that the land was sold on to other organisations and the prices then rocketed.

The Government pledged to outlaw the practice in the future but has so far refused help those already impacted.

During a meeting of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Mr Amesbury, a committee member, pressed Mr Javid, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on the issue.

Mr Amesbury said: “The current consultation on tackling the unfair practices around leaseholder sales which you quite rightly call feudal focus on future sales

“What help is going to be for current leaseholders, the thousands in the north west in fact who are locked into those feudal practices?”

Mr Javid said there had been 6,000 responses to the government’s recent consultation which he said was ‘unusually high’, adding that 4.2 million people are currently living in leasehold residential dwellings.

He said the Government would like to look at what more could be done for people already impacted by leaseholds.

Mr Amesbury said: “What my constituents need now is actions as well as words.

“I will continue to scrutinise the government’s efforts on this really important issue.”