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 Pensioners on their way to demonstrate at the board meeting of the CCHT |
War hero's victory in battle to keep flat
Pensioners' revolt scuppers redevelopment plans
PENSIONERS in Primrose Hill are celebrating after winning a battle to save their homes from redevelopment.
The 62 tenants of Carole House in Oldfield Estate, Regent’s Park Road, learned of their dramatic victory yesterday (Wednesday)after their social landlords announced they were scrapping plans to evict them.
The board of Central and Cecil Housing Trust (CCHT), which counts lady-in-waiting to the Princess Royal, Harriet Bowes-Lyon, as its president, took the make-or-break decision at a meeting yesterday.
In a statement, CCHT chief executive Dorry McLauchlin said “it was not the right time” to push ahead with converting the block into flats for older people with special needs.
CCHT, of which Dame Judy Dench is a patron, told tenants at the end of April they planned to ‘decant’ them into other properties to make way for £1.95 million redevelopment.
But the plans were scuppered last week when the Housing Corporation agreed to withdraw funding after Camden’s housing department announced it would back tenants so long as a majority wanted to stay in their homes.
It is believed Ms Bowes-Lyon was unaware about plans to redevelop Carole House until very recently and that she was critical of the consultation process.
A source claimed the president backed CCHT’s plans but that misunderstandings had hampered the plans. Primrose Hill resident, television producer and author Joan Bakewell, who supported the tenants, was among the first to congratulate them on the outcome.
Jubilant Frank Weedon, 95, who fought in World War II, was one of 20 tenants to demonstrate outside CCHT’s headquarters in Waterloo while the board made their decision, said: “We have won it. I am very relieved that we can now stay, it’s a weight off my mind.”
Mr Weedon, who has lived in Carole House for 25 years added: “I’ve been chucking my things out in case I had to move on but now I can hold onto them. The good thing is there is now more comradeship among us tenants than there ever was. I don’t think they (CCHT) will try this again.”
Tenant’s leader Sally de Sousa, 65, was among the first to hear the news at a CCHT AGM, also yesterday, presided over by Ms Bowes-Lyon.
Ms de Sousa said: “Shareholders at the meeting told us they were angry they knew nothing of CCHT’s proposals for Carole House until seeing our demonstration. I don’t believe all of the board were happy about it. Our demo showed up these plans for what they were.”
Ms de Sousa added: “I don’t think CCHT will be able to go ahead with a plan like this again without a proper consultation internally and with its tenants.”
The tenants’ campaign won the support of King’s Cross and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson, author, Ms Bakewell and ward councillors.
Ms Bakewell said: “I don’t know to what extent the trust is has gone off to re-group and come up with something else but I feel quite thrilled for these people. Moving older people causes much more anxiety and my heart goes out to them.”
They gathered more than 1,200 signatures of support from residents and shopkeeper.
In her statement, Ms McLaughlin added: “We’ve spoken to tenants at Carole House about this extra care proposal. The consultation has been difficult and we regret any anxiety that has been caused, However we’ve listened carefully to our residents’ views and will develop out extra care plans accordingly.”
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