Fulham Tenants Must Be Given Decent Homes Before Tower Blocks Demolished
Residents of Hartopp and Lannoy Points in court facing eviction by H&F Council
Hartopp Point (left) and Lannoy Point (right) in Fulham. Picture: Owen Sheppard
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been told it will need to find a decent home for a disabled woman before evicting her family from a Fulham tower block.
The family were among several tenants who faced possession orders in court on 4 November, as the council continues to empty residents from Hartopp and Lannoy Points before demolishing them.
The two 1960s concrete towers on the Aintree estate will be pulled down by December 2020 due to long-standing fire-safety issues, and problems with mould and water ingress.
But the council has sought to quickly make the 14-storey blocks vacant since it confirmed the demolition plans in April.
Roshan Mustakeem, 61, who lives with her husband Inayatullah, 63, and daughter Farah, appeared at Wandsworth County Court on 4 November.
They watched as the council’s lawyer asked the judge for powers to evict them from Hartopp point — where they have lived for 18 years — from a time of the council’s choosing, and with 14 days’ notice.
Farah, 23, told the court her family rejected a replacement flat offered to them in Sands End, because its bathroom and toilet were too small for her mother, who requires a walking stick.
Farah, a law graduate and charity worker, told the court: "As you can see, my mother is disabled and she recently had a full knee replacement, and is due another one. Moving is really difficult for her.
" We visited the flat and it was not nice. There was dog foul on the estate and there was graffiti in the bedrooms. Our furniture will not even fit in this flat.
" We do not want to live in a place that is not safe. Our needs should be taken into consideration."
She said the council shouldn’t be able to evict them from their home of 18 years until the Sands End property is 'renovated' or another suitable flat is found.
Despite appearing to sympathise with the family, District Judge Jarzabkowski granted the 14-day possession order to the council.
She told the family: "Those are legitimate concerns, especially for someone who has mobility issues."
But Ms Jarzabkowski added she was “satisfied” there are 'statutory protections in place' for the family, should the council apply the 14-day order without renovating the Sands End property or finding a decent home.
"If you’re not happy and you’re offered something you don’t want, you can apply to have the order suspended," said the judge.
"You must not lose sight of the bigger picture. Yours is a property that is to come down."
The Mustakeem family were one of eight households from Hartopp and Lannoy points who faced possession orders in court. All the orders were granted by the judge.
14 more cases are due to be heard later this month.
The majority of the 122 flats in total are vacant.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “Structural surveys show these properties are unsafe, so we are working with residents and doing all we can to get them rehomed as quickly as possible, according to their needs.
“We know moving house can be stressful, but finding suitable alternative accommodation should not be a worry here – the council cannot, and will not, enforce a possession order until suitable alternative accommodation has been provided."
Owen Sheppard - Local Democracy Reporter
November 15, 2019
November 15, 2019