First Rung: Desperate first time buyers beware By the end of this summer every local authority must have in place a development plan for its housing stock and must complete works by 2010. The government hopes this huge upgrading programme will put all local council flats in a better state of repair -some say a state ready for sale. The plan could herald the owner-occupier revolution the government wants. But in the meantime, thousands of leaseholders will be stung for sky-high service charges.
