10:06am Thursday 2nd October 2008
By Linda Piper
ELDERLY people given guarantees about their sheltered homes now fear their future may not be as secure as they were led to believe.
Housing association London and Quadrant (L&Q) was forced to backtrack last year on its plans to close six of its 16 sheltered housing schemes in Bexley and redevelop the sites for ordinary homes for sale or part-buy.
In the face of huge opposition from elderly residents, their families, Bexley councillors and the public, L&Q revised its plans.
Instead it proposed only one scheme, Mabel Crout Court in Welling, would be demolished and the others would be modernised.
But last week the housing association visited Heron Crescent in Sidcup and told the residents of the 44 flats and bedsits it plans to reduce the number of homes available to 26 and take the rest of the site for redevelopment.
Last year, when it published its modernisation plans for Heron Crescent following its U-turn, L&Q stated between 2009 and 2011 "we will deliver nine new flats" at Heron Crescent.
The report said it would build on "spare land" at the Sidcup scheme and promised extensive remodelling and redevelopment to provide new flats to replace its current bedsits.
L&Q says the sheltered housing at Heron Crescent is built on each side of the road, making it difficult for some residents to cross to the communal facilities on the other side of the road.
It plans to keep the 20 sheltered homes on the "odd" side of the road and build six new flats on a piece of land currently occupied by garages.
But the 24 other homes on the "even" side of the road will be demolished and the site redeveloped by L&Q for homes for sale and for shared ownership.
It says the money from this development will help pay for the refurbishment of the rest of Heron Crescent and other sheltered homes.
L&Q says it plans to upgrade the scheme's bedsits into one-bedroom flats, provide walk-in showers and upgrade the communal facilities at the scheme.
A spokesman said L&Q had held a meeting with residents at Heron Crescent last week and had received "a positive response" to the plans from residents.
She added: "This proposal does not involve the closure of the scheme but provides the opportunity to produce a scheme which successfully meets the needs of sheltered residents more fully, both for current residents and in the future."
However, those living in some of the other sheltered homes which were under threat have already written to Bexley Council expressing their fears L&Q is now watering down the guarantees it gave last year.
A spokesman said L&Q had stated in its modernisation plans it will not do anything without full consultation and agreement by existing residents".
She added: "As residents are consulted all the way through the process, we in no way feel that we have misled residents."
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