Disabled Sutton residents move may be scuppered by property plunge (From Sutton Guardian)

Disabled Sutton residents move may be scuppered by property plunge

11:30am Thursday 16th April 2009

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Severely disabled Sutton residents may be unable to move to more suitable accommodation because of the property slump.

The Orchard Hill site in Carshalton where they live dropped 40 per cent from its original price of £18m, making it harder for owners Sutton and Merton PCT to sell it.

Funding for alternative accommodation for the 46 residents was partly based on the trust’s ability to sell the site at the original price.

Plans to build new £38m facilities on the site for Stanley Park High School could also be in jeopardy if the trust decides not to go ahead with the sale because of the property’s plunge in value.

Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington, said: “I would worry if the current climate got in the way of finding suitable homes for people with learning disabilities and of a £38m school development.

“The trust can’t afford to invest what would be required to renovate the site and bring it to the best standard. "All they can afford to do is maintenance work, which is not good enough.”

The Sutton Guardian tried to contact Sutton and Merton PCT, but they declined to comment.

Speaking to the Health Service Journal, the trust’s chief executive, Bill Gillespie, said the reduced valuation left the programme with a big shortfall and the trust was now looking at other schemes “to see if it could make up the gap”.

The sale of the Orchard Hill site is part of the Department of Health’s plans to shut the last long-stay hospital for adults with learning disabilities, known as NHS campuses or NHS homes , by 2010.

Executive member for young people, Coun Tony Brett Young said: “We’re confident the project will proceed, and look forward to building this new facility for young people.

"As part of our normal project management arrangements, we are currently reviewing both the costs and construction timeline. We plan to present a report to the council's executive on 5 May, which will include an update on these issues.”

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