SOLIHULL Council has faced calls to end the agonising uncertainty of residents who are unsure if their bungalows will be demolished in the years ahead.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) has urged the local authority to categorically
rule out plans to bulldoze around a dozen homes in Lambeth Close.
Residents have had the threat of demolition hanging over them ever since proposals to pull down the properties were included in the council’s Local Plan, which was adopted in 2013.
This document is now being revised and, encouragingly, the updated version makes no mention of the cul-de-sac.
Coun Williams believes, however, that it is down to the local authority to clarify the situation and dispel residents’ fears once and for all.
“The council owns all of the bungalows, which are managed by Solihull Community Housing (SCH), so they could rule out demolition of them right now if they wanted to,” he said.
“It would really put people’s minds at rest. These are the homes of elderly people who really deserve to be left in peace and know for sure their homes are safe for as long as they want them.”
Some of those living in Lambeth Close were interviewed by Radio WM last month and highlighted how difficult the past few years had been.
One of the residents said: “There’s nothing fair about this at all. We here are a very happy community, we’re happy in our homes, we’ve been here for years...and nobody wants to move.
“It’s not just destroying the buildings we live in, it’s destroying our lives.”
Coun Ian Courts, Deputy Leader of the Council, acknowledged that Lambeth Close did not feature in the revised Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation.
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