Homeless troops charity ‘paid by Chelsea to keep f lats near ground empty’
CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovi ch made a s ecret payment thought to be hundreds of thousands of pounds to a charity which houses war veterans next to the Premier League side’s ground after it objected to his plans to build a £1 billion super-stadium.
The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation then kept nearly 30 of its flats empty instead of providing homes for vulnerable former soldiers – a move which it is believed helped to smooth the path for the Russian oligarch’s ambitious plans.
Before the payment was made, the charity, which cares for almost 200 veterans in a mansion block, had raised fears about the disruption the project would cause. But after the donation, it dropped objections to the 60,000-seat stadium.
Keeping the flats empty for up to two years meant there were fewer former troops who could tell officials they were against the project. Last night, the charity admitted it had received money from Chelsea as part of a deal which critics say could have left more old soldiers on the streets.
The controversial policy to leave flats unoccupied is included in documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday, including the minutes of a meeting last year between the charity’s chief executive Ed Tytherleigh and residents.
It reads: ‘Residents raised con- cerns about the high numbers of voids (empty properties) that were at the Mansions – Ed [Tytherleigh] explained that there are voids due to redevelopment delays at Chelsea Football Club. This was a board decision. Chelsea Football Club has confirmed that they will cover the rental loss for the voids.’
The charity was set up by philanthropist Sir Oswald Stoll in 1916 to house injured troops returning from the First World War. Today it maintains 154 sheltered housing units including 27 empty flats. When the flats were kept empty, more than 500 ex-servicemen and women were homeless in London.
Last night, former soldier Stu Underwood, 44, who slept rough for six months after being discharged from the Army, said: ‘Former troops with health issues need all the help they can get.’
During the 2016/17 financial year, the charity improved its ‘ cash in-flow from operating activities’ from £11,807 the previous year to £947,316. After being approached by The Mail on Sunday, a Stoll spokesman said the charity now intended to drop the no- leasing policy, adding: ‘We kept some flats free so existing tenants could be rehoused during building work.’
Abramovich’s plan to revamp Stamford Bridge has been on hold since the Home Office failed to renew his UK investor visa.
Last night, Chelsea FC said: ‘The club has supported our long-term neighbour Stoll for many years. Our support is appropriately private.’