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Squatters in school house reprieve
SQUATTERS living in an old schoolhouse in Gospel Oak have been granted a stay of execution after a judge ruled the eviction order would have to be served again, writes Charlotte Chambers.
The eight-strong collective, who have been living in the old caretaker’s house by Rhyl school in Rhyl Street since August, discovered they had won their appeal to stay at a court hearing on Friday.
The judge threw out the eviction order after it emerged the current tenants are not the squatters the council had served the order against.
A council press official said: “We are starting eviction proceedings again, and will be serving the papers this week.”
Squatter Steve Donofrio, 22, said: “They’re not thinking about the community, they just see us as squatters that need to go. They’re not taking into consideration that we could be of benefit to the community – and therefore the council. In the end we could save them a lot of money (the council plans to hire a security guard).
“If they were really concerned about the community they wouldn’t be selling the house privately – they’d at least turn it into public housing.”
The council has turned down an offer from the Teachers’ Housing Association to buy the house. They had wanted to turn it into key worker accommodation. A council press official said: “It’s not possible to give them permission to stay because they are illegally occupying [the house].” |
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