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Abstract

The Town Hall has taken steps to save a community of 18 tenants threatened with eviction from their co-housing project in Barnsbury.

The group, living in four joined-up Victorian terrace homes in Islington Park Street, off Upper Street, has been told by landlord One Housing Group (OHG) that it is seeking possession of their homes because the occupants have no “proven entitlement” to social housing. The community has been in existence at the address since 1976.

The property could be worth around £10million and the housing association has not ruled out selling it off.

At a full council meeting last Thursday, councillors unanimously passed a motion calling on OHG to suspend its notice to quit, which is due to expire next week, after which court proceedings will be launched by the social landlord to evict the group.

Councillor Gary Poole described the community’s fight against their landlord as a “battle for the soul of Islington”.

The authority’s housing chief, Councillor James Murray, hopes to have the property classed as an “established sui generis shared home” within two weeks.

This would mean that any developer would have to apply for planning permission to redevelop the property, for example to divide it into flats. Tenants and councillors fear it is OHG’s intention to sell off the property, and this latest move by the authority could affect its value.

Cllr Murray said: “Without prejudging any future planning committee decision, this is a strong community and we have policy to prevent the break-up of homes in multiple occupation.

“I suspect OHG want to sell it off and they have no plans to replace the housing in Islington. At every stage it goes against what is important to us. If One Housing genuinely want to formalise arrangements with the tenants they should do so without evicting them.”

One of the tenants, Siobhan McSweeny, said after last week’s meeting: “The council’s overwhelming support for our community completely undermines OHG’s narrative.

“Judging from the council position tonight, planning permission [for private redevelopment] is likely to be refused. We hope OHG will now see sense and enter into dialogue with us.”

The move followed a petition signed by 795 people, presented to the council by Green councillor Caroline Russell calling on the authority to use its planning powers to save the community.

The motion called on the housing association to meet residents and enter into “meaningful dialogue”. OHG has thus far refused to meet the residents or councillors.

An OHG spokeswoman said: “We have asked many times for residents to send their details so we may begin to evaluate their needs. We have sent numerous correspondence to councillors, but it is hard to engage further when residents have largely refus­ed, for many years, to give us the standard information which any landlord would expect to have and to move forward with talks.”

She added: “We have no future plans for the property at this stage so this action taken by Cllr Murray is premature. However, if we do decide to redevelop the site we would expect to go through the normal planning permissions, which are usual for any regeneration or redevelopment.”

The tenants, aged between 19 and 79, include a Parkinson’s sufferer and one who has been there since he came out of council care aged 16. They will hold a protest outside OHG’s offices in Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town, between 11.30am and 2pm today (3 July 2015).