Developers’ anger over £13,000 fee

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THE COUNCIL’S demand for £13,000 in legal fees following parts of Brockhill being transferred to their control has been slammed as ‘extortionate’ by developers.

The main area of the development - stretching from Salters Lane up to Brockhill Drive - was adopted at the end of last year, meaning Redditch Borough Council, Worcestershire County Council and Severn Trent Water took control of the roads, drains and open spaces from Persimmon.

But following a decade-long delay in the process, borough officers have now asked Persimmon to pay £13,000, a price which the developer is disputing.

In a letter to the council sent on Tuesday (March 19), Luke Simmons, technical manager for the North Midlands division, said the company would ‘not be paying such an astronomical fee’.

He added: “The reason that the open space transfer has been protracted over a period of some 11 years is down to the inefficient manner that Redditch Borough Council has handled the transfer internally.

“Whilst there were some individual details which required resolving these did not surmount to warranting such an extortionate fee as proposed.

“There is no reason why this open space transfer should attract legal fees over and above the standard amount paid on all other public open space transfers that this company has been involved in.”

In the letter, Mr Simmons also asked the council to take his comments on board and come back with a more sensible invoice.

Managing director Paul Hirst said: “Persimmon Homes North Midlands has continually been positive over the transfer of the open space at Brockhill. The main area has now been adopted.

“The subsequent legal costs being charged by the borough council do not reflect the legal work that was required and indeed, the proposed cost is about five times the costs charged for similar transfers with other councils. We are working closely with Redditch Borough Council to come to a mutual agreement.”

A spokeswoman for the council said: “This has been a very complex transaction spread over a number of years. The negotiations are still ongoing with Persimmon’s legal department.”

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