Residents on the Crowe Road estate in Queens Park say they feel their concerns about rising service charges have been given national attention after the issue was raised in Parliament.
The Crowe Road RMG Residents Leaseholders Group said Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin highlighted their case during Housing and Local Government Questions this week.
According to the residents’ group, leaseholders have seen significant increases in service charge demands, including costs relating to fire safety assessments and other communal services.
They say they have concerns about transparency, proportionality and affordability, particularly for first-time buyers, single-occupancy households and young families.
During questions to ministers, Mr Yasin described service charge inflation as “a growing scandal”.
“Too many of my constituents are trapped under charges they cannot afford,” he said.
He urged the Government to strengthen the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill by requiring fully itemised transparency of service charges and creating a faster, cheaper route to challenge excessive charges.
Responding, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the Government is taking action and confirmed that consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections has closed, with further measures expected.
“Far from alone”
Mr Yasin shared the video of his question to the housing secretary on social media, adding: “Just last week I chaired a meeting with residents on Crowe Road facing eye-watering bills – and they are far from alone.”
A spokesperson for the Crowe Road RMG residents’ leaseholders group said their estate is managed by the residential management group (RMG).
They say they have seen “significant increases” in service charge demands, including costs relating to fire safety assessments and other communal services.
Sydney Campbell, lead contact for the group, said: “Residents are not refusing to pay for legitimate services.
“We are asking for fairness, reasonableness and full transparency. When charges rise sharply without clear explanation, people feel powerless.
“Having our concerns raised in Parliament shows this is not just a local issue – it reflects a wider national problem affecting leaseholders across the country.”
In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), an RMG spokesperson said increases at Crowe Road relate to “essential fire safety works identified through an independent assessment”, which highlighted “serious compartmentation and related fire risks”.
“These are not discretionary improvements – they are necessary to keep residents safe and meet legal safety obligations,” they said.
“The works have been competitively tendered through an independent process to ensure they are appropriate and deliver value for money. We remain committed to transparency, open communication and constructive engagement at all times.
“Residents’ safety will always be our priority and for these essential works to be carried out, costs must be recovered through service charges in accordance with the lease.
“If anyone is struggling to meet costs, we urge them to please contact us to see how we can help.”
Residents say they remain willing to engage constructively with RMG, but are calling for clearer cost breakdowns, justification of major expenditure items, and meaningful consultation before further increases are imposed.
The Crowe Road group hopes parliamentary scrutiny will help accelerate reform and improve protections for leaseholders in Bedford and beyond.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
