Sutton Council forces residents from family homes in redevelopment scandal

7:00am Thursday 19th April 2012 in News Exclusive By James Pepper

Homeowners are angry at Sutton Council Homeowners are angry at Sutton Council

A tight-knit community is being torn apart by Sutton Council, which wants to bulldoze their privately owned homes in a housing scandal.

In an attempt to fill a social housing quota, Sutton Council is planning to knock down 54 homes in the Wrythe ward, near Carshalton, and build new houses and a possible block of flats in their place.

More than twenty residents, who bought their former council houses under the Right to Buy scheme in the 1980s, are being forced to sell their family homes for up to £40,000 less than the market value.

If they refuse to sell, the council is threatening them with compulsory purchase orders and telling families to expect less than the original offers.

Now residents, who regularly share vegetables and can often be seen chatting over the fence, feel they are fighting a losing battle against the social housing machinery of Sutton Council.

The home-owners, some in their 80s and one in her 90s, live in Green Wrythe Crescent, Fellowes Road, Nightingale Close, and Duke of Edinburgh Road.

Many council tenants have already been rehomed and the private home-owners, who have been living in the street all their lives, are living next to empty dwellings being targeted by thieves.

Related links

David Gumble, 57, a refuse collector who has lived on the street for 27 years, may have to get a loan to finish paying his mortgage, just to get a fair price for his house.

He said: "We have put so much money into this house and the council do not care.

"I have told them our house is not for sale, but they said they will make us sell it.

"We now sitting ducks for thieves. We are surrounded by empty houses which have already been broken into.

"It is shocking how they have treated us. We have worked all our lives, we never go on holiday so we can make our house nicer."

It is the second time Sutton Council has attempted to force the residents out.

In 1992, plans were met with fierce opposition and the council backed down.

It is not the first time residents have been evicted from their homes so the council can demolish them to make way for new homes.

Residents of Elizabeth House sheltered housing complex received a letter on their doorstep in July 2008 telling them their home was going to be levelled.

Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington, said residents in the latest saga must get a fair deal.

He said: "Sutton Council are between a rock and a hard place with this. It needs to improve property for tenants but it is very difficult to do so without affecting home-owners."

"Valuations for the properties need to be handed to independent people. I feel for those affected by this and I hope the local authority can address their concerns and meet the home-owners in the middle."

Sutton Councillor Tony Shields said: "Being told you must leave your home is harrowing enough but being destitute as a result is unacceptable.

"We are talking about hard working people they have my full support for a fair deal."

Lib Dem Wrythe Ward councillors Colin and Sue Stears and Roger Thistle and chairwoman of the St Helier, Wrythe and Wandle Valley local committee Anisha Callaghan failed to respond to our calls.

Marion Harper from Age UK Sutton said she felt older residents involved will be horrified if pressure is put upon them to move out of family homes they have spent all their lives paying for.

She said: "It would seem to me in this instance older people are being unfairly targeted.

"There are good reasons for assuming that later life relocation in certain circumstances and for certain groups can lead to mental health problems and an increase in mortality."

Plans for two of the streets, Fellowes Road and Duke of Edinburgh Road will be discussed by councillors in the coming weeks.

Coun Jayne McCoy, executive member for planning, economic development and housing at Sutton Council, said: "This is an opportunity to replace homes which have become structurally unsound with high-quality family homes as we now have the resources, working with our housing association partners, to enable this to take place.

"We have been working with residents to negotiate a fair settlement, and most have been very happy to accept this.

"However, we are still working with a very small number of people to find a solution which they are happy with.

"These houses have developed very serious structural faults and are now considered unmortgageable, meaning that they would be almost impossible to sell on the open market.

"We cannot leave tenants in defective homes, and have no option but to look at redeveloping the site in order to meet our social housing obligations.

"A number of tenants have been offered and accepted alternative accommodation in the borough, with the option of moving to one of the new homes when they are built, and private owners will be offered the full market value of their properties, plus discretionary compensation payments and help with moving.

"We are also looking at a swap scheme, where private owners could be given a brand new home in exchange for their old one.

"If it is necessary to use powers under Compulsory Purchase Orders to enable the redevelopment to take place then residents would have the right to have their compensation assessed by the Lands Tribunal."

Related

'We've had enough of council bullying us': Residents tell their stories

Sutton Councillor explains the controversial housing plan

Comments(52)

theresa7475 says...
2:55pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Sutton Council do not care about lease holders! All we are good for is picking up the tab. I live in an ex-council flat (privately purchased 14yrs ago) My service charge has escalated over the years. 4 years ago I recieved a bill of over £4'000 for when the slapped paint on the building. I'm a single parent who works but doesn't earn a fortune. I cried my eye's out with worry over how the bill would be paid. But fear not, the council kindly offered me a loan!!!!
Resently it has come to light that not only do they want to paint the building again, but replace the windows. I may as well let the place be repossesed, give up work and claim benefits as I'd clearly be better off. But why should I?
Not sure who you could appeal to but there must be a way. Its bad enough you have to sell but you deserve the full market value of your properties not to mention compensation. GOOD LUCK!

Report this post »

Krissi says...
2:57pm Thu 19 Apr 12

I know it might be too practical for the council- but why don't they do the rebuild on the houses that are already empty and offer some of the houses to the people who don't want to move- with help moving so that the community can remain intact, OK it might mean they have to do the rebuild in stages then but surely a thriving community is something to be valued in today's world ?

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
3:12pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Council houses should never have been sold off in the first place. Were the poor going to disappear and not need help with cheap housing in the future?!! It's ironic that the council are having to build more social housing because of the mass sell-off of council houses over the last few decades which these people happily signed up for, only for it to come back now and haunt them. I feel sorry for them but, well...........

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
3:22pm Thu 19 Apr 12

More importantly, is that yet more people Slutton council are trying to cram in, to further increase the already over populated area....yes I think it is.

Report this post »

Sutton53 says...
4:31pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Perhaps now, people will realise that voting Lib Dem at the next Election is not the way to vote. Use your vote. Don't stay at home or vote along the same lines out of habit. Read up on each Political Party and see what they have to offer and personally done for you in your area. There is such a thing as People Power.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
6:27pm Thu 19 Apr 12

How is this a scandal? Buying homes from people who couldn't sell them on the open market and providing new homes for sutton residents, whilst rehousing the current residents. Wait right there and think.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
7:23pm Thu 19 Apr 12

we moved from kent to sutton and stayed there 4 years, we couldnt stand the place. the way the council treats people is despicable when it comes to all aspects of services. i think these people should count themselves lucky and take their money and run from this borough as fast as they can.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
7:58pm Thu 19 Apr 12

I suppose it is so much better where you are now? That's why having lived for just four years in Sutton you are able to look back and pass comment. Or maybe you wish you hadn't moved which is why you are on this comment board. For all its problems Sutton is a great place to live.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
8:04pm Thu 19 Apr 12

i also live there for most of my childhood, it was more like a village then. and the only reason i keep up to date with sutton news is to see what bank robbery or murder has happened, proving to myself that sutton has become a murky place. if you like being treated like an idiot by sutton council that is up to you.

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
8:07pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Well i've lived in Slutton for over 30 years and where it was once a nice, relatively peaceful town it is now a busy cosmopolitan hole.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
8:31pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Sutton is not a murky place. It is a wonderful place to bring up families. I too have lived here for 30+ years and have benefited from its teachers and other public service employees. I have played in its parks and wandered in its woods. Seen used buildings brought back into use. I have marvelled at the fact i am less that an hour from the capital and an hour from the sea but only 10 min from the countryside. Call me an old romantic but when Sutton is seen as the 6th less risky town to invest in and we have some of the best schools in the country I'll think I made the right decision and stand up to those who put us down.

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
9:04pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Wait right there wrote:
Sutton is not a murky place. It is a wonderful place to bring up families. I too have lived here for 30+ years and have benefited from its teachers and other public service employees. I have played in its parks and wandered in its woods. Seen used buildings brought back into use. I have marvelled at the fact i am less that an hour from the capital and an hour from the sea but only 10 min from the countryside. Call me an old romantic but when Sutton is seen as the 6th less risky town to invest in and we have some of the best schools in the country I'll think I made the right decision and stand up to those who put us down.
Bully for you!

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
9:19pm Thu 19 Apr 12

you wont have the countryside for long if the london borough of sutton have their way. they have already built a massive school on one of the only few remaining green areas left. i presume the countryside you are talking about belongs to surrey county council, and reigate and banstead.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
9:20pm Thu 19 Apr 12

GreenBrown wrote:
Wait right there wrote:
Sutton is not a murky place. It is a wonderful place to bring up families. I too have lived here for 30+ years and have benefited from its teachers and other public service employees. I have played in its parks and wandered in its woods. Seen used buildings brought back into use. I have marvelled at the fact i am less that an hour from the capital and an hour from the sea but only 10 min from the countryside. Call me an old romantic but when Sutton is seen as the 6th less risky town to invest in and we have some of the best schools in the country I'll think I made the right decision and stand up to those who put us down.
Bully for you!
No not Bully for me. I will no longer stand back while people like you put Sutton down. you have heard the saying - Unless you are part of the solution you are part of the problem. You GreenBrown are part of the problem. Thousands of families are happy to live their lives and bring up their children in Sutton. So spell it out. What is your problem? What stops you from moving away?

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
9:36pm Thu 19 Apr 12

fionk66 wrote:
you wont have the countryside for long if the london borough of sutton have their way. they have already built a massive school on one of the only few remaining green areas left. i presume the countryside you are talking about belongs to surrey county council, and reigate and banstead.
That will be the new state of the art school on the site of the un used hospital whose last residents have made remarkable progress since moving away. But no if you had been up there it was never a green area, The housing that they agreed to was built around the existing trees to the detriment of the development, home owners will be concerned about the 30ft tree in their front lawn. The countryside i speak of is Cheam Park, Oaks park and the countryside that surrounds it.

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
9:42pm Thu 19 Apr 12

It's funny actually because I would say the problem with this country is people like you who don't think there is a problem. I find it incomprehensible that people like yourself are oblivious to the decline of Slutton and the country as a whole. As an example, would you agree that crime and in particular violent crime in Slutton has increased greatly in the last 10 years or so. Or do you swallow the council/police line that everything is dandy and in fact crime is falling and we're all alot safer blah, blah, blah?

Generally, I admire optimism but you must at least acknowledge that everything isn't exactly rosie around here and then maybe question why.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
9:50pm Thu 19 Apr 12

the countryside up on the telegraph and oaks track belongs to surrey county council. the houses come under sutton for council tax . and yes oaks park does belong to sutton. i came on this site to talk about sutton council, not what the area is like. the council treat their residents very badly, whether it be refuse collections or threats of compulsory purchase on their own homes. you have to put yourself in those peoples shoes and imagine if that happened to you. that is why i said they should take their money and run, not because of the area, but of their treatment by the council.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
9:55pm Thu 19 Apr 12

and yes greenbrown i agree with your comment about the country as a whole. straight to the point.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
10:20pm Thu 19 Apr 12

No GreenBrown the poblem is you. If you run an area down that area has to fight against not only only struggles that all areas face but also the fact that the neighbouhood feels like it has lost the battle. By all means suggest improvements, show how changes have had a negative effect, but by running an area down you have as much of an effect as crime figures. Do you really want a google search to bring up your opinions? If you do then I will continue to say that you are part of the problem that brings our area down. Celebrate the positives whenever questioning those that you believe are failures

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
10:29pm Thu 19 Apr 12

You didn't address my points and you ignored my question. The political classes would be proud.........I rest my case.

Report this post »

Giles C says...
10:32pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Ah Wait right there is obviously one of the Dombey acolytes sent out to ridicule any criticism of this council. Let's just look at the amount of money the council have decided to waste by rebranding waste collection days as peices of fruit. Treating the populous as though they are viewers of Sesame street is not what most people who live in this borough want their council tax spent on. Please answer that wait right there...?

Report this post »

Giles C says...
10:33pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Ah Wait right there is obviously one of the Dombey acolytes sent out to ridicule any criticism of this council. Let's just look at the amount of money the council have decided to waste by rebranding waste collection days as peices of fruit. Treating the populous as though they are viewers of Sesame street is not what most people who live in this borough want their council tax spent on. Please answer that wait right there...?

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
10:36pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Giles C wrote:
Ah Wait right there is obviously one of the Dombey acolytes sent out to ridicule any criticism of this council. Let's just look at the amount of money the council have decided to waste by rebranding waste collection days as peices of fruit. Treating the populous as though they are viewers of Sesame street is not what most people who live in this borough want their council tax spent on. Please answer that wait right there...?
I did think perhaps a stooge was at work but you do come across these blinkered delusional people now and again.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
10:51pm Thu 19 Apr 12

No. From the age of two I have lived in Sutton. Simple minds would like to place my love for sutton aginst a political alligence but the fact is that Sutton has a lot going for it. GreenBrown look at the real world and you will see that Sutton is a safe borough. Giles C it was a political decision to keep weekly bin collections so this waste is something you are against? The fact that local communities are grouped together may improve local democracy. do you disagree with this?

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
10:58pm Thu 19 Apr 12

But crime/violent crime has risen, why?

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:00pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Wait right there I am not questioning the retention of weekly bin collections. Even Dombey wouldn't want to commit political suicide by getting rid of them. What I object to is being preached to like a 5 year old by a supposed liberal administration who are yet again wasting my and your money.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:08pm Thu 19 Apr 12

GreenBrown because the police have improved their reporting.
Giles C how would you spend the council tax (my 1200) better? But before you answer - you tory stooges- tell me and the reading public what is great about Sutton (GreenBrown I am happy for you to sit this one out)

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:14pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Either you are very slow typing or you need political advice about what is great about Sutton. I and many others could answer in a heartbeat,

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:17pm Thu 19 Apr 12

I am not a Tory stooge just a council taxpayer who would like the council to treat taxpayers money as if it were their own. Tax and spend is at the core of this council who have hated taking the govts money to freeze council tax. Yes this councils great isn't it shutting care homes whilst keeping a white elephant like the life centre afloat. Hitting motorists by increasing police state tactics with surveillance cars that issue tickets to people who aren't even parked. Not being able to go out in central Sutton on a Friday or Saturday night without fear of running into hoarders of drunks....yes it's great..and they are facts not fairy tales.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:18pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Our parks.
Wallington - its not in croydon
Carshalton Ponds

I'm here to help

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:20pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Anyway I am sure that Dombey and her merry band of loyal lib dems are going to take a lurch towards political insanity....which will make for a fun couple of years..and I haven't even mentioned the coverup that is the Viridor scheme yet.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:20pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Giles C - Tory stooge

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
11:23pm Thu 19 Apr 12

"The police have improved their reporting"

Oh thats brilliant an absolute classic. I think thats the end of our exchanges, your obviously either a stooge or a simpleton. Anyway, in answer to my question about rising violent crime in Slutton over the years, this might be attributed to the following:

A growing population, i.e more crime in a crowded city than a sleepy village.

The opening of too many pubs and nightclubs in the town centre in the mid to late 90s.

The gradual decline in morality and behaviour in this country after years of EU directives and feeble politicians, though that isn't just Sluttons problem.

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:24pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Wait right there...Marxist prole..

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:30pm Thu 19 Apr 12

OOOh the coverup that crosses nearly 2 million people? Come on this is THE forum. If not why would you not release it ASAP unless you felt there was political capital to be made out of it?
Giles C - Tory stooge

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:34pm Thu 19 Apr 12

It doesn't have to come out yet. This administration can continue to dig itself a deeper hole before it does. Night night.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
11:36pm Thu 19 Apr 12

quite right giles c.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:36pm Thu 19 Apr 12

GreenBrown I now understand why you have not moved away. You cannot spell Sutton. Let me help S.U.T.T.O.N. Don't bother with a postcard you will not be missed.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
11:43pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Well it has been fun.
Giles C = Tory stooge.
GreenBrown = Dark Jackanory

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:45pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Oh god..I was going to go to sleep but I can't resist coming back at Wait right there's latest rant at Green Brown.
Where shall we send Green Brown? To the gulag perhaps or to a camp maybe in the life centre for reeducation. The new Durand development looks as though it has been designed by somebody who escaped from East Germany so maybe there.
C'mon Wait right there lighten up a bit and let everyone have their view rather than stifle those you disagree with.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
11:46pm Thu 19 Apr 12

blame sutton council for sutton being renamed slutton after they allowed the phoneshop programme to be made with references to slutton.

Report this post »

Giles C says...
11:54pm Thu 19 Apr 12

Gosh I just read one of Wait right there's previous comments where he/she states that unless you are part of the solution you are part of the problem....not room for all views then? That is actually bordering on totalitarian rather than Marxist so maybe I did you a disservice. What's the colour of your shirt at the moment? Black brown or red?

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
12:15am Fri 20 Apr 12

You both ignored me and ended the conversation. Giles C there is always time to suggest a solution but when you stand by a problem without a suggestion you are part of that wall. Stop fighting and forget the bus stop, the high street, the animals the garden wall. What is important is the future. The lib dems have had 20+ years and the world hasn't fallen apart. You cannot fight that tell us how much you love sutton and you may stand a chance.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
12:29am Fri 20 Apr 12

ps your comment on me being a totalitarian failed to take into account that you may be the enemy.You are now fighting against a defence. If you learn from this lesson...(I really should charge)

Report this post »

Giles C says...
6:46am Fri 20 Apr 12

Wait right there..your last comment really does show your ignorance and intolerance. In your eyes I may be the enemy but I am just a taxpayer who wants accountability and transparency. Your solution seems to be to silence any criticism of Sutton councils spending of my money. Get a life and move on before your bitterness destroys you.

Report this post »

Giles C says...
7:17am Fri 20 Apr 12

Back to the homes scandal.
LBS track record on CPOs lately isn't great. They wasted over £250k on 2 aborted CPOs over the access road for the new Stanley Pk school. What makes anyone believe that their strategy here is correct?

Report this post »

Giles C says...
7:39am Fri 20 Apr 12

Wait right there wrote:
Our parks.
Wallington - its not in croydon
Carshalton Ponds

I'm here to help
Wallington...soon to be in the St Helier and Croydon constituency...
Agreed Carshalton Ponds is lovely as is the grove.
Abolish all cars and all will be perfect for you.

Report this post »

Giles C says...
7:44am Fri 20 Apr 12

Wait right there wrote:
You both ignored me and ended the conversation. Giles C there is always time to suggest a solution but when you stand by a problem without a suggestion you are part of that wall. Stop fighting and forget the bus stop, the high street, the animals the garden wall. What is important is the future. The lib dems have had 20+ years and the world hasn't fallen apart. You cannot fight that tell us how much you love sutton and you may stand a chance.
The world has fallen apart in that 20+ years actually.
The fall of communism(which must have upset you) 9/11,Middle Eastern conflicts and the worst global financial crisis since the 30s...yet through it all Sutton has survived but hardly prospered. Look at our high streets and also the amount council tax has risen in that time. Will that do for kick off..

Report this post »

tony Shields says...
1:32pm Sat 21 Apr 12

I have read some of what each of you have been saying and feel that for the first time ever I need to comment.

My name is Tony Shields and I am a councillor at sutton, I have no intention of hiding behind daft names like others on this thread who are clearly also Councillors at sutton.

To them I say grow up speak up and stop hiding your identity, or is your true point of view on this issue to unpalletable for the public to attribute to you?

Residents desperate for assisitance asked me to help them because others elected to Sutton council apparently refuse to meet with them.

The entire point of compulsory purchases are to obtain land needed for specific projects of value to the area ,ok so far ?

CPO's usually are made less painful for the intended recipient because an uplifted price is usually on the table.

in this case residents are being offerred very low prices because as some commentators are saying the properties are indeed requiring improvement, but we as an authority also have a moral duty to realise we are not talking about bricks and mortar we are discussing peoples homes and the authority should be working to achieve enough funds through the proposed housing scheme so that residents can buy a similar home nearby on say the st Helier estate but the shortfall is around £100,000 per property.

So what to do ? build like for like homes for affected residents , provide enough money, or let residents alone.
I was shocked to read first hand correspondence from LBS .

There must be a way to fix this matter openly and fairly.

I hope one of you other Councillors in control see fit to bring a statement to full council on Monday week.

Report this post »

GreenBrown says...
8:12pm Sat 21 Apr 12

No politician here. Just an average joe who's been helplessly watching his town and country decline over the last 15 years or so. I have no political allegence to any party, though if we have to stay with this quasi democratic system I hope Ukip keep doing better. At least they want to change a few things instead of keeping the status quo.

Report this post »

fionk66 says...
9:54pm Sat 21 Apr 12

i was told today that sutton council have spent thouands of pounds laying on shuttle buses to get children from wallington to the new stanley park school. yet they have cut their transport budget for special needs children, forcing them to walk along roads of which they are frightened.

Report this post »

Wait right there says...
1:23am Sun 29 Apr 12

I'm not a politician either and applaud you Councillor Shields for your honesty. I also feel that elected officials and their staff/helpers should state their affiliations.
The issue here is the value of the properties. my understanding is that it is not what Sutton is willing to offer but what the "market value" is. To offer above this would mean that majority of council tax payers are not getting value for money from our council. The moral duty you speak of goes both ways.

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree