Forced out

We’re homeowners in the london Borough of Sutton who used the ‘right to buy’ to acquire our homes. We’re a group of 20 houses and have lived here for many years.

We’ve now been given notice that, because of a regeneration scheme, some homes are to be demolished.

Most of us are in our 80s, and we were shocked by the news, but we realise that we have big gardens and

people need homes. eighteen months ago, the borough council offered us £145,000 for our homes, with which we were far from happy.

each of our houses has three bedrooms, two reception rooms, two bathrooms, a conservatory and a large garden. For the money being offered, we won’t get anything like that locally.

We’ve been told that our land has ‘no value’, but we suspect Sutton has already promised the land to a local development partnership. When we tried to out more under the Freedom of information Act, our request was blocked. Why?

We’re ordinary people who have worked hard for our homes and are now being made to suffer. We smell a rat here. The council says it hasn’t got much money and this might be true, but it shouldn’t be looking to us to finance the shortfall. mrs B. BROaDHURST and mr a.

FORD, Carshalton, Surrey.