Story: Lisa Swift
Two Sheffield residents’ groups joined Cookswood residents in expressing anger at the Council, who sold the land under their homes at auction.
Following a petition from Hollybank residents, the council were forced to review the issue at a Scrutiny meeting at the Town Hall in December.
Council officers and our councillor Steve Jones were under fire from Liberal Democrat councillors, who criticised their procedures as unfair. Residents from three areas across Sheffield experienced a lack of information before the sale of their freeholds and were denied the right to buy their freeholds directly from the Council.
The Council has suspended the sale of freeholds until a fairer process can be put in place. Residents affected were also offered free legal advice from the Council’s legal department. And in future the Council promised to make it clear to residents that they could buy their freehold at any time.