Roof stuff: that article you shared about the company winning the contract to do major works was from February, so imho the vendors could/would have known about the major works in the offing and arguably could/should have let you know sooner.
I mean, yes, the information has turned up in the ordinary course of things anyway, albeit only after much chasing by your solicitor of responses to searches, etc. Disclosing at such a late stage in the game does smack a bit of cornering/conning you into thinking 'I've already spent so much, I'll lose around £2-3,000 if I pull out at this stage' so it seems like the information has only been disclosed at the last minute so that you're already very emotionally - and moreover financially - invested in the purchase.
Trust me: this kind of stuff is talk of the town amongst ex-council flat leaseholders, who's heard what on the grapevine about works, costs, when the works will start, how long they will take, etc.
So, yes, try to get a reduction on the purchase price.
I'd also ask the council whether your block is earmarked as one of the blocks that will have solar PV and batteries installed.
"We will use Marley products during the first year of the programme, which also includes the trial installation of solar PV and battery storage to some communal flats that will be contractor designed."
Our Sheffield City Council housing re-roofing deal is believed to be one of the most significant single awards of its type in Europe.
www.avonsidegroup.co.uk
As part of the disclosures, have you/your solicitor requested copies of recent service charge bills?
I'd hazard a guess that if yours is a low level block with maybe just lighting in communal areas/external security lighting, security door/intercom, mains power fire alarm/smoke alarm, and some power points for cleaning staff to plug in vacuum cleaners/floor buffers/whatever, then yours won't be one of the blocks, but there's also mention of batteries, and some solar PV systems can feed into the electricity grid and earn money for the owner, so I wouldn't rule out that the council might do that on some low-level blocks.
If (and it's a big if, as I don't necessarily think the expense of installation would be warranted if it's only to power lights and cleaners' power points and security doors, fire alarm) they are planning to install a solar PV system on your block, that could reduce some of the costs for your service charge bill, ie lighting in communal areas and other power usage in your block, but then any savings would have to be offset against ongoing maintenance and repair costs associated with the solar PV system (and, of course, installation would also add to the cost of major works bill). Although if it is the type of system that also feeds into the grid and potentially earns money, how would that work? If it is that type of system is the council planning to just treat it as a money spinner to generate revenues? Or could/would it potentially reduce your service charge bill?
I'd ask those questions over the phone, but also put them in writing/ask for a response in writing (because a verbal response isn't necessarily believable, although even a written response isn't necessarily worth anything, it's just you might have more comeback at a later date if they put something in writing.)
Re costs of roof, my flat's in a small block of three. Unfortunately, because my flat's on the top floor, that meant mine was the only flat affected by roof leaks for around a decade before I bought my flat.
When I was going through Right to Buy, I said I wanted to replace the roof at my cost (because I was sick of their cowboy builders doing bodge jobs and failing to fix the problem). They'd already replaced the roof when I was still a tenant, with another asphalt flat roof, for around £11k, which failed within 18 months and they couldn't find paperwork with warranties/guarantees. So when I was buying it, I got a quote for £22k for a green roof, which was a flat roof big enough to cover large three bedroom flat and communal stairwell. In theory, that kind of cost would be split between however many flats are in the block. I said I didn't care, I wanted to just pay for it myself as it wasn't my downstairs neighbours being affected by leaks, it was me. They refused permission, so I had to suffer more leaks.
A couple of years later, the housing association (all council stock had by now been transferred to an ALMO (Arms Length Management Organisation), semi-privatisation of council housing, spinning it off out of council direct control. They decided they wanted to replace flat roofs on our estate with pitched roofs. I think the cost would've been in the region of £40k (again, the size to cover large three bed flat plus communal stairwell). But residents objected, and they backed down and installed green roofs.
Luckily my contribution was capped to £250, because the works were done as part of a programme of major works bringing flats across the estate up to the Decent Homes standard, including new windows, kitchens, bathrooms and gas central heating for all tenanted flats, and just new windows for most leasehold flats. And the new green roofs on end blocks (the main run of low level blocks along the street have long pitched roofs, it's just the end blocks that have flat roofs).
I think I've mentioned in this thread before that the council/housing association has to serve a Section 20 Notice on leaseholders and to properly consult leaseholders, and if they don't do it properly then what could/would otherwise have been a bill for thousands of pounds of building works is capped at £250, so it's to leaseholders' benefit that council/housing association staff are notoriously inefficient and/or incompetent.
So you could end up paying £thousands or you could end up paying £250.
A pitched roof on my block would've had to be built from scratch on a flat roof, would've cost £40k divided by three, so £13-14k, whereas contribution to green roof would've been £7-8k. That was about eight(?) years ago.
I'd hazard a guess that they would probably just be replacing tiles and felt and flashing, maybe pointing chimneys while they're up there (if you have them), and only replacing any joists if inspections noted damage need for repairs/replacement, so it shouldn't/wouldn't cost as much as a pitched roof built from scratch.
But it's how long is a piece or string? Mine was done years ago. Costs in the building trade are currently crazy, some stuff has gone up in price massively, although whether prices will have settled down by the time your works are done, who knows?
In any event, it looks like q price has already been agreed and contract signed, although whether there are any clauses that cover the costs of increasing costs to leaseholders in the event the job costs more, who knows..?
Personally, in your shoes, unless and until I can get a better breakdown of costs from the council, I'd be mentally setting aside £10-15k of my inheritance to cover this. (Although your share might be more or less, I'm just going off my own ex-council flat roof costs, for a smaller block of flats, with a different type of roof.)
Bear in mind, of course, as others have pointed out, that even if you were buying a freehold house, these are the kinds of costs that come with being a homeowner irrespective of whether you're a freeholder or leaseholder. In some respects, you arguably have more control, to a certain extent, over when to do works, and to decide to get them done when you can afford it, when you're a freeholder rather than a leaseholder. But then again, even when you're a freeholder, you're not necessarily in control, because you might be hit with an unexpected repair bill at any time. It comes with the territory.
But as a leaseholder, though, especially of an ex-council flat, they will usually offer payment plans, effectively interest-free loans, which it would be in your interest to take advantage of, even if you have the means to pay the bill straightaway.
