Cheam's Elizabeth House pensioners to get cycle storage despite not riding bikes (From Your Local Guardian)

Cheam's Elizabeth House pensioners to get cycle storage despite not riding bikes

4:10pm Thursday 19th November 2009

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A group of pensioners will get their own dedicated cycle storage despite only one of them owning a bike.

Proposals for cycle storage at Elizabeth House were revealed in the recently published local development framework for Cheam Village.

But resident Marion Rainford, 70, who needs an electric mobility scooter when travelling outside her home, said the prososal, for which the cost is as yet unknown, made no sense.

She said: “You have to be over 60 to live here, but I’m one of the young ones at 70 and there are some people here in their late 90s with serious heart conditions.

“Most of us are wobbly on our feet at the best of times, so I would question it’s real worth and use.

“There is only one woman I know who rides a bike and she does not use it very frequently or to go far.

“It seems they are blustering it through, because the consultants say they have to.”

Elizabeth House first hit the headlines in July 2008, when the Sutton Guardian revealed the council wanted to demolish the scheme, but had failed to consult its 85 elderly residents.

After a campaign by residents, the council were forced to look at refurbishing the scheme and it was eventually decided to carry out a phased development rather than evicting them in one go.

Up to 34 residents are now staying on the site, which the council claims has not been fit for purpose for 15 years, while work on the new buildings begins.

Since the Sutton Guardian published the story, a residents group has been formed and greater consultation has taken place.

Defending the bike storage plan, councillor Colin Stears, executive member for housing on Sutton Council, said all new developments were required to provide secure cycle storage so that “residents, visitors or indeed those who may work on site are provided for”.

He said: “The redevelopment of Elizabeth House is no exception.

“The fact that people are elderly or have special needs does not mean that they are not capable of cycling and with the site bordering on Cheam Park, there is plenty of access to safe cycle routes.

“It’s far too early to estimate how much storage will be provided at Elizabeth House and this will be considered in more detail by the developer once we have completed the tendering exercise.”

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