Ms T Johnson will present a petition on behalf of 52 signatories concerning the potential closure of the Sheltered Housing Scheme at Langley Court and Langley Close, St Ives.
The petition statement is as follows:-
"This petition relates to a statutory function of the Council in that the District Council is ultimately responsible for housing.
We are a group of over 50 elderly people who live in this Sheltered Housing Scheme at Langley Court and Langley Close in St Ives. We have Assured Tenancy Agreements and the Scheme is administered by the Luminus Group based at Brook House in Huntingdon.
We are petitioning the District Council to ask for your help in our campaign to prevent the Luminus Group (our landlords) from demolishing our homes in order to build an extra-care facility on the site.
On July 22nd of this year we the residents were invited to a meeting in the communal lounge to hear "some exciting news about the future of Langley Court and Langley Close". The meeting was well attended. We were indeed excited (new bathrooms perhaps?). Imagine our shock and horror when we were told that Luminus intended to demolish the building in order to replace it with an extra-care facility, that our building was old (Langley Close was built in 1978 and Langley Court was added in 1990) and that 95% of the ageing population lived in the community and only 5% were in assisted housing. So we didn't count? We were informed that this was a Government initiative propelled by the need to get elderly long-term patients out of hospital.
While we understand and support the need for such care we cannot see the sense of destroying the homes of one lot of elderly people in order to build to provide for a different set of elderly people in the future. The common sense solution would be to have both - keeping the sheltered housing and building the extra-care facility on another site, we understand that there are other suitable sites available within the county.
We are all friends and neighbours who value the safety and security in which we live as well as the lively community of which we are a part. We wish to stay where we are, where we have lived for many years and where we have put down roots. We do not wish to be hustled off to who knows where as we have come to rely on each other for support and help which is not always available elsewhere.
For all their assurance, Luminus cannot provide like for like as they can only provide places as they become available and we will be separated from our friends, families, neighbours and some will be even sent to different towns within the county.
We have all been under great stress since the announcement. Elderly people are easily frightened and this whole affair has been and still is like a sword hanging over our heads. Many will agree to go because they cannot cope with the uncertainty.
So we are begging you to use whatever influence you may have and your humanitarian instincts to save us from this fearful infringement of our human rights.".
Minutes:
The Chairman invited Mrs T Johnson to present a petition to the Council on behalf on 52 signatories concerning the potential closure of the sheltered housing scheme at Langley Court and Langley Close, St. Ives.
Mrs Johnson opened her address by asking for the Council’s support against the proposals, by Luminus, to demolish the sheltered housing scheme at Langley Court/Close and their intention to replace it with an extra care facility. Whilst acknowledging that such facilities were needed, Mrs Johnson contended that these should be located elsewhere in St. Ives. She added that the current residents did not want to be moved out and around locally like a parcel and doubted the sincerity of Luminus Homes in trying to re-locate them. Since this proposal was first raised in July, residents had become very distressed which had impacted on their sleeping and eating habits. Although residents had their own privacy, they had access to community activities and the added opportunity for companionship through links with Broadleas and Riola. In concluding, Mrs Johnson was fearful that by relocating residents in alternative accommodation, the sense of community they enjoyed would be destroyed. Lastly, on behalf of residents, she appealed to the District Council to save their homes.
In response, Councillor D B Dew was critical of Luminus’ approach to the project but suggested that the majority of those who had signed the petition did not actually live in Langley Court. Councillor Mrs M Banerjee reported that several residents had already vacated the Langley Court premises and, as she was aware that others were to move before Christmas, suggested that this indicated support rather than objection to the Luminus proposals. Mrs Johnson reminded the Council that the residents were elderly and as they became increasingly anxious under the influence of Luminus, so many had been persuaded to change their minds about moving. Following further contributions from Councillors P G Mitchell and P D Reeve, the Executive Leader, Councillor J D Ablewhite thanked Mrs Johnson for her presentation and for attending the Council meeting. Accordingly, further discussion of the petition was deferred until Minute No. 46 post.
Actions:15 minutes (minimum)