Squatters invade West Norwood home after council blunder (From Your Local Guardian)

Squatters invade West Norwood home after council blunder

7:00am Thursday 7th January 2010 in

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Lambeth Council moved a family out of their home of 27 years to carry out repairs - only for it to be left untouched for four months allowing organised squatters to move in.

Critics have predicted thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money will now have to be spent on legal fees to remove the squatters from two flats in West Norwood – estimated to have a combined value of over £450,000 - because Lambeth Council housing bosses failed to sufficiently protect them.

The family - who say they are now squeezed in to cramped and expensive temporary accommodation - have slammed Lambeth's housing manager Lambeth Living for the "incompetence" which allowed the illegal occupancy of the Chatsworth Way properties in December, despite numerous warnings they were at risk.

Alan Faggetter, 50, wife Katherine, 46, and son Harley, 18, had to move out in August 2009, along with two leaseholders living in the upstairs flat, so structural repairs could take place.

But a shortfall in housing funds meant the repairs never took place.

Former mechanic Mr Faggetter said: "It’s shocking really. We had to move out so they could do repairs we have waited six years to happen, and then nothing happens. Then they allow the squatters to get into our home."

Local ward councillor John Whelan, who resorted to cleaning up litter in the front garden himself to make it look less unoccupied, said: “Despite numerous warnings from local residents about the danger of the detached house being squatted, Lambeth Living dithered over the cost of the repairs.

“If it needed to take a long time to scope out the repairs why were the residents moved out so soon? The incompetence beggars belief.”

A Lambeth Living spokeswoman said everything was being done to remove the squatters “as quickly as possible”.

She added: “Legal action has started and we are in the process of applying for a court hearing.

“Once the squatters have been evicted security will be stepped up. This will include an alarm, along with security grills to all windows and doors.”

It is understood Lambeth legal services believe the minimum period for the eviction process is five weeks. However it is feared because the squatters are legally experienced, the homes may not be vacated for months.

The invasion of the house is the latest in a long line of squatting problems for the local authority.

In March 2009 it emerged squatters used a legal loophole to force Lambeth to hand over a list of all its empty properties - providing them with hundreds of potential targets to squat.

In 2008 some 200 squatters took over some 40 flats on an estate on the Streatham Hill/Balham border for six months – costing the council an estimated £500,000 in rent and legal fees.