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Sante Zanello |
Shock U-turn boosts bid to save Macintosh House
Back down on Bayswater makes a mockery of policy – residents
A PENSIONER refusing to leave an old people’s home in Marylebone earmarked for demolition says he has “new hope” following housing chief’s shock u-turn on plans to bulldoze another home in Bayswater.
Sante Zanello believes last month’s decision to save Bridgefield House has made a mockery of the official reasons for closing Macintosh House.
He refuses to leave 28-room block in Beaumont Street, despite the council shutting it down in March.
He said: “Macintosh House was full with a happy and supportive mix of people until the council intervened. I have new hope I can stay.
“It is quite amazing that they can keep Bridgefield and not Macintosh. They do not have anything like what we have here.”
The 68-year-old, who recently celebrated his birthday alone, added: “I think it makes the council look very bad.”
Councillor Angela Harvey, lead housing member, has claimed it was impossible to house elderly residents in Macintosh House.
In a council report this week she said “for some time we had found it difficult to let Macintosh as the outdated living arrangements were not popular.
Her claims are yet to be substantiated and Mr Zanello believes the decision to close was motivated by greed.
Plans are in place to sell the building’s lease back to Howard de Walden Estates.
Since the decision to close the block, council officials have removed the television from the common room and boxed up luxury items including paintings, a pool table and a piano.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour Group, said there was “still time to reverse the decision”.
He said: “The elderly residents desperately wanted to stay. Surely it is common sense to review the Macintosh House decision.”
But Rosemary Westbrook, the council’s director of housing, said: “The last few residents are currently being offered other accommodation which is of a higher quality.
“There is no prospect of us reversing the plans for Macintosh House.” |
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