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DAMESATHOME@GMAIL.COM
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Wednesday 9 December 2015

A HOUSING PRO SLAMS AFFINITY SUTTON

Dear Dame

I used to work in the social housing sector and did so for around twenty years. 

In 2001, I visited the Sutton Estate in Chelsea regularly; not in connection with my duties in social housing. I find it hard to believe that these magnificent buildings are uneconomic to maintain and that decent homes standards cannot be achieved without massive upheaval or at the cost of an arm and a leg. 

There are a number of similar Sutton estates throughout London. I would be surprised if Affinity Sutton would be comfortable arguing that as the Chelsea estate cannot be brought up to scratch, it logically follows that all of similar Sutton dwellings throughout London are not fit for purpose because decent homes standards cannot be achieved. 

Is Affinity Sutton, by implication, saying that all of its other estates throughout London are not fit for purpose with demolition being the only answer? 

Of course not. 

The truth is that Affinity Sutton is lured by the large sums it will achieve by selling the land to a developer. 

I was particularly struck by the sense of community on the Chelsea estate. It was spotlessly clean: there was no litter flying around any of the external areas on the estate which is in stark contrast to many Council estates in London. There was no household lumber piled up on the communal forecourt, something one sees far too often whenever visiting estates estates owned the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The internal communal areas of each block were well decorated, well lit and kept very clean. The residents took considerable pride in their flats.

I am very upset and disappointed that the Sutton estate in Chelsea is destined for the bulldozer. This bulldozing is nothing more than urban destruction. 

Well done to The Victorian Society.

8 comments:

  1. It is a well known tactic that RBKC use. To run down estates in order to justify their demolition. The lucrative practice of selling to property developers seems justified.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Social Housing tenants are being threatened from all sides:

    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/09/council-tenants-lose-lifetime-right-to-live-in-property

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just read the proposed housing bill !!

    They plan to sell off social housing properties over the value of £ 500,000

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Proposed Housing Bill :

      http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning/documents.html

      Delete
  4. The proposed bill will mean that once properties become vacant over the value of £ 500, 000 they will be sold on the open market.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Most of the social housing properties in RBKC are valued over £ 500,000

    ReplyDelete
  6. Available social housing is systematically being reduced.

    Estates are being demolished and most of the land sold off to property developers.

    New life long tenancies have already been abolished in RBKC since 2010.

    Now most of the social housing stock will gradually be sold off on the open market.

    The question needs to be asked:

    WHERE WILL THE MOST VULNERABLE LIVE ?

    ReplyDelete
  7. The "Housing Pro" who wrote this is spot on.

    ReplyDelete

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