Agenda item

Councillors or Members of the public may present any petition which they have received. These will normally be referred to the appropriate Committee without discussion.

Petition to be presented by Mr Nicholas Carter and Ms Rebecca Barker requesting that the Council ensure its Executive reject any request(s) they receive from Sovereign Housing Association to lift restrictive covenant(s) or any other restrictions in respect of Windmill Court, the lifting of which would allow the eviction of residents from Windmill Court.

Mr Nicholas Carter and Ms Danusia Morsley presented a petition requesting that the Council reject any request from Sovereign Housing Association to lift restrictive covenants or any other restrictions in respect of Windmill Court, the lifting of which would enable the eviction of residents from Windmill Court.

Mr Carter, Parish Councillor for Stratfield Mortimer, made the following comments:

·         Mr Carter stated that with one exception, Windmill Court was retirement housing for over fifty five year olds provided by Sovereign Housing Association. 

·         Mr Carter reported that in April 2022, Sovereign Housing Association had proposed to demolish and rebuild the site to create twenty-four new family homes, of which fifteen would be affordable housing. The proposal claimed that the current facilities needed modernisation and refurbishment, which was not viable to do, and that there were unfilled vacancies and a demand for a different type of affordable home for the elderly. 

·         Mr Carter commented that residents suggested that vacancies existed only owing to the pandemic and poor advertising and that they strongly wished to remain at Windmill Court or elsewhere within the village. 

·         It was reported that Sovereign Housing Association had informed residents that they must find alternative accommodation by early 2023. 

·         Mr Carter noted that the 2017 approved Mortimer Neighbourhood Plan had set out to “make it possible for people to live the whole of their lives in the parish if they so wish”. There were no alternative, equivalent properties in the village or nearby and most of the residents wished to remain at Windmill Court. 

·         Some of the residents attended a recent Parish Council meeting and asked whether a petition might assist them. The petition came about as a result of advice given at that meeting which approximately 1,100 residents had signed. 

·         Covenants or restrictions were in place that currently prevented the proposed redevelopment of the site and it had been expected that Sovereign would ask the Executive to consider lifting those restrictions. 

·         In the absence of such a request, Mr Carter asked the Executive to indicate its support for the residents to remain in their properties unless, and until, like-for-like accommodation became available in Mortimer.

·         Mr Carter further requested that the Executive consider the petition and invite community representation, if and when Sovereign Housing Association made a request to lift the restrictions on Windmill Court.

Ms Morsley, Parish Councillor for Stratfield Mortimer reported that she was speaking on behalf of Ms Rebecca Barker, the petition organiser. Ms Morsley commented that Ms Barker was very much the champion of the older people of the village and ran the lunchtime club and other activities. The statement made the following comments: 

·         It was stated, as reflected by the number of signatories to the petition, that the village wanted not only the current residents of Windmill Court to be able to stay in the village, but also that there was provision of affordable accommodation for the elderly in the future. 

·         It was reported that the ward of Mortimer had an above average number of older people, a lot of whom who could not afford private accommodation. 

·         Ms Morsley requested that the Executive receive the petition and offer their support to the current residents and note the need for affordable housing for the elderly in Mortimer. 

Councillor Lynne Doherty confirmed receipt of the petition and reported that it would be processed accordingly.