The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on ‘Reducing the prevalence of private estate management arrangements’. 

It explores the growing issue of unadopted amenities on privately managed housing estates in England, where communal infrastructure such as roads, green spaces and drainage systems are maintained by private management companies rather than public authorities.   

The consultation seeks views on proposals to:  

• Increase the adoption of estate amenities such as roads and drainage systems by councils or other public bodies.  
• Create common standards for adoptable infrastructure to improve consistency and quality.  
• Explore mandatory adoption for certain kinds of public infrastructure.  
• Remove financial incentives that currently make non-adoption attractive to developers.  
• Improve transparency and data on estate management arrangements.  

The government is also seeking evidence on how current estate management arrangements affect homeowners, developers, local authorities, and management companies. 

The CIHT response will focus on the following questions: Q7-Q50, Q68-Q75 and Q156-Q157. 

To shape CIHT’s response to this consultation, please email technical@ciht.org.uk by 5pm Friday 6 February 2026.