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Tuesday, 7 October 2014

MORE UNBELIEVABLE STUFF FROM AFFINITY SUTTON AND STOOGES AT MEETING PLACE COMMUNICATIONS



This is Affinity Sutton's stooge, Hayley Adams, account manager of Meeting Place Communications, based at their office in Chelmsford, Essex.



Hayley has been writing to people who want to stop Affinity Sutton's plans to demolish the Sutton Estate, but, as we are getting used to from Affinity Sutton and its stooges, all we hear is more dissembling and lies. So to help Hayley Adams out here is her letter with a few facts added in.

From: Hayley Adams [mailto:hayleyadams@meetingplacecommunications.com]
Subject: Redevelopment of the Sutton Estate


Dear .......



I hope you are well

We noticed that you signed the petition – named ‘STOP THE DEMOLITION of Sutton Estate, Cale Street, Chelsea’ – on Change.org and, as a local resident living in a nearby street to the Estate, we of course appreciate that you may have some concerns.

Residents say....
​Local residents should be concerned that the area will be a building site for 2 years, and that the wonderful Victorian architecture of the estate will be ​replaced by a modern mediocrity from a third rate architect, dominating the area and totally out of character.



I just wanted to write to see if there is anything that we can help with. I see from your comments that you recognise the legacy of William Sutton – with the purpose of the Estate to provide social housing and not housing for profit. We completely agree and the purpose of this proposed redevelopment is to secure this legacy and to secure the future of affordable housing in Chelsea.

Residents say...
Over the last 8 years, Affinity Sutton have already got rid of more than 380 social housing places through a process of enforced dilapidation of their properties. Elderly tenants have been bullied and threatened to throw them out of their properties, behaviour more reminiscent of the Rachman years than of a social housing provider. Is this the legacy of William Sutton?


As a charity, Affinity Sutton cannot profit from this scheme. The private sale of a small number of properties will be funding the redevelopment – to pay for the development of the new affordable homes and to pay for the heavily subsidised rents.


Residents say...
Affinity Sutton have already gone on record to say that profits from the Sutton Estate development will go to fund other parts of their business. The estimated profit from the sale of the private flats is £1/4 billion.

"The private sale of a small number of flats" - that would be the more than 40% of the development which is being sold off to private investors. Only the most disingenuous and desperate PR could describe 40% as a small number.

Furthermore, due to a lack of Government funding for refurbishment projects, it would not be possible to simply modernise the blocks without losing a significant number of affordable flats due to challenges around the age, condition and layout of the Estate.



Residents say...
Due to lack of maintenance, enforced dilapidation, much of the estate is in bad repair. Many good landlords in the area are able to maintain their housing, such as the Samuel Lewis Trust. It is completely disingenuous of Affinity Sutton to blame the development on the condition of the estate which is of their own making.
Architects, more competent than the Affinity Sutton employed mediocrities, see no problem with maintaining the present layout of the estate, with only minor changes.



It has been speculated that Affinity Sutton tenants are being or will be forced to leave the Estate because of the redevelopment – this could not be further from the truth. All current Affinity Sutton tenants will be rehoused within the redeveloped Estate. All tenants will also retain their security of tenancy and pay Target Rents based on a formula set by Government that are some 20-30% of market rent.  The vast majority of tenants who have been decanted from blocks A-D have been offered accommodation on another part of the Estate as units have become available. Five tenants have opted for accommodation off of the Estate but have the right to return when the redeveloped units become available.



Residents say....
More lies from Affinity Sutton. Nobody has ever suggested that Affinity Sutton tenants are being or will be forced to leave the Estate because of the redevelopment apart from Hayley Adams of Meeting Place Communications.
However, 160 flats (382 social housing places) have already been emptied of tenants and are not being replaced under the Affinity Sutton proposal.



If you have any further concerns, please do feel free to get in touch. We are also always happy to arrange a meeting at your convenience if you feel this would help.


Residents say....
If you have further concerns about the behaviour, bullying and lies from Affinity Sutton and their stooges why not contact them on the details below.


Best wishes

Hayley

On behalf of Affinity Sutton



Hayley Adams 

Account Manager

Meeting Place Communications



Office 1, Kenmore House, Navigation Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6HX

Tel: 01245 256 180  |  Mob: 07817 163 101  | Fax: 01225 469992    


3 comments:

  1. Dear Dame

    If the toothsome Ms Adams has indeed taken contact details from a petition and written to the petitioners, this is a very clear breach of the Data Protection Act. The only circumstances in which you can use such details are if the petitioners have ticked a box stating that they are happy to be contacted, and this is not the case.

    This is the very purpose of the DPA - to protect petitioners from being canvassed by other people.

    I do hope that someone will report her, as it is a disgraceful and possibly criminal breach of the Act, and she must be held to account.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why are Affinity Sutton paying Meeting Place Communications to spy on people who oppose their plans. Is this normal behaviour for a housing charity? Shouldn't Eric Pickles office be informed of this behaviour?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been through something very similar with another well known housing group. These people will do whatever it takes to get their way, and the council just looks the other way.

    ReplyDelete

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