Plans to sell sheltered housing complex Kendon House in Bryant Road, Stratford, are fuelling concerns among elderly tenants who fear they will lose their homes.
By Daphne Stedman
Plans to sell the sheltered housing complex Kendon House in Bryant Road, Stratford, are fuelling concerns among elderly tenants who fear they will lose their homes after the sale.
Kendon House provides rented flats to Newham tenants over the age of 65 and is currently owned by The L M Kendon Settlement, a Newham-based charity created in 1977.
The block consists of 43 self-contained flats with ten currently empty. Apart from the flats, the building has communal areas for tenants including toilets, a laundry, kitchen, dining room, guestroom, library and gardens. There are currently non-resident wardens who support tenants in need of their input. Some tenants also have visiting carers.
Tenants became concerned in November 2022 when they each received a letter stating that Kendon House planning usage was to be re-classified. Then in June this year a planning application was made for the provision of two new one-bedroom/two-person flats within the ground floor level of Kendon House.
A spokesperson for the tenants, Sarah Percy-Lancaster, says that over the months since November communication between the charity administration and the tenants about what is happening has been inadequate and relations between the charity CEO John Barber and some tenants have become strained.
The governing document of the L M Kendon Settlement says: “The Settlement was created on 17th March 1977. By virtue of the Trust Deed all funds are subject to the general restriction that they may only be applied for the benefit of the elderly people resident in the London Borough of Newham.”
The long-time CEO of the charity is John Barber, who is also a former Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Newham. There are four trustees, three of whom were appointed recently in 2022.
The change in planning classification caused some tenants to be worried about their future security and they took their letters to John Barber who reassured them and advised them that they would not need to move out of the building following the reclassification.
But the planning application in June revived their concerns. Under the application the existing laundry room, offices, guest room and part of the communal space would be removed to accommodate the development. The laundry room would be moved to another area on the ground floor.
This application was considered at a Newham Local Development Committee meeting in July. Sarah PercyLancaster spoke in favour of rejecting the proposal and after discussion, the Committee initially voted to reject it. Then the Committee, advised that they could not reject the proposal of the Planning Officers, were directed to change their vote, so they voted again, this time in favour of the proposal.
Some concern has been raised that voting twice at the same meeting on the same proposal is not in keeping with the Council’s constitution, and that as such, the first vote should stand.
Plans to sell Kendon House are now at an advanced stage, however residents say there is some uncertainty about whether the potential buyer (SAV Group, a specialist property investor and developer) will complete the purchase.
John Barber responding to questions from Newham Voices, said: “Should any sale of Kendon House be considered it would be with the best interests of the Charity being uppermost.”
He said residents will not necessarily have to move if the building is sold. “Should any sale of Kendon House be considered,” he said, “due regard will be given to the current tenants.”
For the future, Barber says that even if Kendon House is sold, the L M Kendon Settlement will continue to provide funds for the benefit of elderly people resident in Newham.
“If there was to be any sale,” he said, “the Charity would invite local organisations supporting the elderly to apply for grants. In this way the money can help many more people across the Borough.”
This would be a return to a system the Charity used to support the Borough’s older residents when it was first established and before Kendon House was built.
On the issue of communications over major changes, which has been a primary concern of residents, Barber says: “We always keep tenants of Kendon House informed of what is taking place by written communication delivered to individual flats and invite all tenants to attend meetings held in Kendon House.”
Nevertheless, many tenants who originally moved into accommodation in Kendon House thinking it would be the last home they would have remain fearful that their homes are now threatened. This coupled with proposed alterations to the building has caused a great deal of anxiety, at a time in life when many would like to feel settled and secure.
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