Thirty-five nurses, doctors and hospital staff have been evicted from their flats in Central London after University College London Hospital Charity (UCLH Charity) sold its assets.
Some of the tenants in Cleveland Street, Fitzrovia area, represent a generation of staff, whose knowledge was crucial to save people affected by terrorism attacks and major incidents in London over the past few decades.
Both active and retired NHS workers, as well as former members of the police and the army have been affected.
Eddie Dukelow, who is over 70 and former policeman and ex-serviceman for the RAF, is one of a handful of tenants to escape eviction. He said: “The charity should hang their heads down in shame.”
The Charity sold the apartment blocks to Pendragon Properties Ltd, an off-shore company based in Guernsey (for which Barclays Wealth Trustees (Guernsey). Limited provides certain administrative services.
Marcus Cooper has been appointed as property developer and works closely with Oakmayne to modernize the flats that are being sold by Frase & Co estate agent.
On 26th October 2012 residents were informed via letter that they had a new landlord and this one had appointed The Cooper Property Organization Ltd, located in nearby 16 Finchley Road, as its direct local agent and to whom all payments should be made.
Tenants were then told that they would have until 31st January 2013 to move out of their homes.
Linus Rees, a director and trustee of Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association said: “All the assured shorthold tenants living in Cleveland Residences and Highwood received notices to quit from the new landlord after UCLH Charity sold the buildings. The new landlord which is based off-shore in Guernsey intended to redevelop the properties and sell them to overseas investors. We helped to refer some tenants to Camden Council’s housing department and social housing providers
“UCLH Charity have treated the tenants, most of whom are hospital staff, with callous disregard. UCLH Charity’s letters to tenants defending their actions are meaningless.”
Some of the older tenants are protected by the law and therefore can’t be evicted but, as Mr Rees confirmed, three of these older tenants were facing rent rises of double and treble of their existing rent.
“Our association believes there should be better protection for tenants in private rented accommodation,” Mr Rees concluded.
Peter Burroughs, Enterprise Director for UCLH Charity said: “For those tenants who need to find alternative accommodation, we have taken a number of steps to help ease the burden on moving. For example, we have provided information and guidance on local providers of affordable housing and have engaged the services of a specialist firm to provide additional advice and support to tenants. We continue to do all we can to help current and former NHS staff find alternative accommodation.”
These are not the first asset of buildings to be sold by the charity. John Astor House in Foley Street was also put on the market and acquired by Genesis Housing Association.
A spokeswoman claimed the association had nothing to do with Cleveland Street´s buildings, and that their approach still lays on housing hospital staff that are practicing in the nearby university´s hospital buildings.
The apartment blocks have been part of the charity since the 1920s and 1930s when the now destroyed Middlesex Hospital acquired them.