NEWS

22/05/2009 | By Martin Hilditch



Notting Hill considers allowing shared owners to escape troubled development by sub-letting their homes



Notting Hill Housing Association has admitted it could let desperate shared owners sub-let their homes to escape a development in which a young woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning.



At a packed public meeting last Friday night furious residents of the Bedfont Lakes estate, in Feltham, vented their anger about their living conditions.



It was the first chance they have had to collectively grill representatives from Notting Hill, which part-owns many of the homes, and developer Barratt, which built them.



The estate has been plagued by problems since the death of teacher Elouise Littlewood, 26, in the new build home she co-owned with Notting Hill in February 2008. Her flatmate, Simon Kilby, is still in a coma.



All the homes in the development had been given a full set of gas safety certificates. Many residents lived without gas for months following Ms Littlewood’s death as checks were carried out and repairs made.



But in the autumm, after residents thought the problems with the system were over, 14 boilers were turned off again for safety reasons after a resident reported a further issue.



Some homes are still without gas today - and residents have reported numerous other problems with their properties, such as damp.



At the meeting Barratt and Notting Hill were forced to abandon plans to make a presentation outlining the cause of the problems after barracking from the crowd.



A significant number of residents demanded that Barratt or Notting Hill should buy back their homes.



One woman said: ‘You built a piece of crap. Then you sold it to us for a lot of money. Why don’t you buy it back? Why don’t you take responsibility for it?’



A male resident added: ‘If you gave a damn you wouldn’t keep people in these flats when they don’t feel safe.’



Celia Jones, who lives above Ms Littlewood’s flat, asked: ‘Would you move in for 18 months with your kids? All we want is our money back.’



Ms Littlewood’s cousin Lucy still lives on the estate but is desperate to move. She broke down in tears as she said: ‘I can’t live with it any more… the memories.’



Andy Belton, commercial services director with Notting Hill, said the group would consider letting some shared owners sub-let their properties despite a general rule that this is not allowed. ‘There are exceptions,’ he said. ‘That is something we will be looking at.’



Alistair Baird, managing director of Barratt London, said he could see residents’ frustration ‘and I can understand that’. ‘There is no question of doubt in my mind that we did not get it right,’ he added.



‘I can’t take it any more’



Exchanges from the public meeting



Audience member

‘Do you think that it is fair that we have to live like this? You have taken a lot of money off us. We have been living in these flats like prisoners.’



Alistair Baird, managing director of Barratt London

‘Barratt accepts we got it wrong. We have got to rectify these issues.’



Elouise’s cousin Lucy, who still lives on the estate

‘I just want out. I can’t take it any more.’



Andy Belton, commercial services director with Notting Hill

‘I think it is clear that there are a group of people here tonight that have had enough who want to sell their flats and that is the only thing that will satisfy them. Some people want the problems fixed.’