The leader of Haringey Council has apologised for “communications issues” after leaseholders on an estate were sent large bills for repair work – some totalling more than £100,000.

Cllr Joseph Ejiofor wrote to residents on the Noel Park estate in Wood Green on Thursday to issue the apology and notify them that a decision on the works had been postponed from December to January so further consultation can take place.

But in a separate statement, the leader warned delaying renovation work much longer could lead costs to rise even higher.

Sarah Klymkiw, a leaseholder at Noel Park, told a council meeting last week that “ruinous” repair bills could force people on the estate to sell their homes.

Ms Klymkiw said Homes for Haringey, the council’s housing arm, had previously indicated the cost of replacing bathroom pods fitted in the 1970s would be £25,000, but the estimates had since risen substantially.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Cllr Ejiofor (Labour, Bruce Grove) said: “We are improving housing conditions for 242 flats in the Noel Park area, and each of the homes that we are renovating on the estate are as individual as the residents within them.

“If we leave this any longer, the costs will increase even more.

“Some of these properties are over 100 years old and need significant works carried out as the pods have reached the end of their lifespan, and other works including doors, windows and roofs need to be repaired. We want to cause the minimum disruption when we do this work.

“We want all of the residents, leaseholders, and tenants to live in decent homes, and we have reiterated our commitment to the leaseholders that we will not undertake any work that is not necessary. This is why full surveys have to be done in each individual property and why the section 20 notice provided estimates indicating the highest likely cost.

“We want to keep the community together in Noel Park, and work with leaseholders, so that we will ensure that whatever final payments are required can be done in a reasonable and proportionate way to find a suitable payment plan for every leaseholder over a sustainable period of time.”