RIchmond Court pensioners say Sutton Council's plan to move them out could kill them

Liberal Democrat-controlled Sutton Council has told 17 elderly people they will have to move out of their homes in Richmond Green, Beddington, because they are structurally unsound.

But the neighbours, with the help of Labour Councillor John Keys, have had their own surveyor asses the properties and say there is nothing wrong with them.

Now they are campaigning to get the council to change its mind as they are concerned the stress of moving could be too much for older neighbours, some of whom are in their 90s.

Brian Gould, 74, is a former civil engineer and said his home is structurally sound and he will refuse to leave it. He said: "They say these houses were built on bad ground but they weren't and we're going to prove that.

"I think this is just a scheme. They want to get rid of us and a developer will come in and the council will make money from it.

"A lot of these people have been here for more than 10 years, the average age is in the 70s. The trauma will be considerable - I wouldn't be surprised if it kills some people.

"But that's OK with the Liberal Democrats."

Coun John Keys is helping the neighbours fight the plans to move them out. He said: "I think it is wrong of the Lib Dems to force these elderly residents through a move which they don't want. This will affect their health and it can't be right.

"The residents want to spend quality time in a lovely part of the ward and they deserve to be able to do this free of the worry about being turfed out of their home by the Lib Dem council."

The matter was raised at Monday's full council meeting.  Coun Jayne McCoy said: "A report in 2012 assessed the full extent of the defects. 17 were assessed as medium to severe, seven of them are severe.

"It makes sense to deal with all the properties likely to face subsidence in one go.

"Far from trying to push people out, we want to provide good quality housing these people deserve."

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