Back in April this year, The Journal reported the story of 29 residents at St Chad's Green, Midsomer Norton, who were faced with the prospect of leaving their homes, as their sheltered housing landlord, Curo, was looking to potentially redevelop the site.The group of elderly and vulnerable adults had formed a supportive network and were afraid of the prospect of being dispersed, often enjoying the communal space together on the large green to the rear of the properties during the summer. Some were so upset at the prospect, they threatened to barricade the doors or face eviction, rather than leave.
At the end of last week, residents had their suspicions confirmed, as Curo broke the news it would be redeveloping the nearly fifty-year-old site from 2018. Residents will now enter into a consultation period with Curo, to find them a new home based on their situation and needs.
A spokesperson for Curo told The Journal: "The Board met on 29th November to consider regeneration proposals for St Chad's, which we believe is not fit for the future and needs to be redeveloped. It agreed with the recommendation on the basis that the size and standard of the properties at St Chad's do not meet our aspirations to make all of the properties good places to live in the long term.
"Consequently, the Board's decision was to approve the redevelopment of St Chad's from 2018. This will result in current properties being taken down.
Although the decision has been made, there will be no immediate housing impact for any tenant currently living at St Chad's.
"We have made a commitment to be open with residents at all times regarding our plans and to support residents throughout this process. We have written to every resident of St Chad's, which was hand delivered, so that any immediate questions or concerns could be discussed in person. There will be further opportunities for residents to talk to us and we are in close contact with the Ward Councillors and will be ensuring they are kept informed and involved throughout."
Whilst Curo are not being unreasonable, after all, they are the landlord, this is undoubtably a distressing time for the residents, who in their twilight years, will now have to move out of their homes. Curo say they will not be reletting properties that become vacant at St Chad's and have offered to help residents move, including paying for removals and moving expenses and a lump sump of nearly £5,000, paid in addition to any other costs.
Whilst there seemingly is not really anything the residents can now do to stop this from happening, Town Councillors have expressed a wish to make the transition as pain free as possible. Cllr Chris Watt, (Cons., Midsomer Norton, Redfield), said this week: "Ever since the news of the potential redevelopment of St Chad's Green leaked out last spring, Cllr Paul Myers and myself have been meeting with both residents and Curo to ensure resident's concerns are not just heard by Curo, but are properly addressed."Given that Curo own St Chad's Green, they have the right to redevelop the site and in order to do so, have a duty to offer residents alternative accommodation and financial assistance with moving. As a result, much of our time has focused on putting pressure on Curo to be open about their plans, communicate better with residents and provide comprehensive support for the elderly and vulnerable residents affected."We have asked that Curo opt for a phased development, which would allow residents to stay in St Chad's. Alternatively, other suitable local accommodation should be acquired to meet the needs of those who wish to remain in Midsomer Norton."In the longer term, despite all the new house building sites approved of late, the case of St Chad's Green highlights the need for more sheltered housing accommodation in the town. As Curo look to develop the site, we will be pushing for this type of accommodation for any potential redevelopment."Curo say they are not yet able to comment on planning details for St Chad's and how many units would replace the existing ones, or if the new development would be for the elderly, saying it was too early in the process. However, the current land would take much more housing, giving the company more value for money.
Curo is a not-for-profit housing and support organisation, which describes itself as a 'thriving ethical business, providing affordable homes and high quality care'. It has built more than 2,000 homes since 2004 and a further 960 are planned up to 2017, including affordable properties at the old Homemaker site in Radstock and Elm Tree Inn, Westfield.
In 2013, Curo paid the commercial rate for the Foxhill MOD site in Bath and has submitted plans to B&NES Council to redevelop seventy acres of land there. Plans for the new development include up to 700 dwellings, provision of community facilities, open space and a primary school. A decision is due by B&NES on the application towards the end of January 2015.