Sheltered housing closure could face legal battle (From Surrey Comet)

Sheltered housing closure could face legal battle

8:00am Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News By David Lindsell

Bruce Parker, Eamon Collender and Albert Tracey picture before Christmas opposing closure

A group of vulnerable pensioners at threat of eviction from their homes could launch a last-minute fight to save their sheltered housing.

Executive councillors at Kingston Council agreed on Thursday evening to shut Waters Square, in Norbiton, which has 18 tenants and 16 empty rooms.

After the decision, resident George Elia, 75, said he wanted to leave, and Bruce Parker, 65, who had fought closure, said he was now resigned to moving out.

Other residents are believed to have already agreed to sign papers to go.

But Councillor Lynne Finnerty told the meeting that she knew of two residents who did not want to sign and said they probably would not.

Eamon Collender, 69, a former barrister said he would meet with four others on Wednesday who he said were also opposed to closure, to decide what to do.

He said: "I am one of those [people who do not want to leave] yes.

"We are going to have a little pow-wow about that tomorrow to know what the best thing to do would be.

"You could take a legal stance. It would protract the whole thing and take it seven or eight months."

Mr Collender, who said he was very ill with failing organs, said: "I would make a good captain of the ship. The captain should go down last."

He said: "The bookmakers would make us very long outsiders but stranger things have happened.

Kingston Council has said the home does not meet modern standards and should be torn down, sold and redeveloped as 23 affordable homes for people in priority need.

Exective councillor for housing Frances Moseley has said the council would be unlikely to forcibly remove any residents.

She said they would be put in Band A, which would put them toward the top of the housing list and be helped financially to find alternative accommodation.

In a statement Kingston Council said: "Moving people out of Waters Square will take many months and residents will be given all the help and support they need to find the new home that they want as well as assistance to move, including financial assistance if this is their wish."

A home loss payment of £4,700 and a disturbance allowance would be paid to residents when they move.

The council also plans to close sheltered housing Roupell House and Greenleas although a spokesman said no decisions on the two sites had been made.