Bringing squats back to tenants

Bringing squats back to tenants

Jan 16 2004
By Robert Dex

South London Press

SIX family homes worth about £3million have been reclaimed from squatters.

And the first families have just moved in to the three storey, five-bedroom houses in Southwark.

The homes in Brook Drive, Kennington, were first occupied by squatters in April 2002.

But they were evicted only for another gang to take over and stay for more than four months.

Last year the South London Press revealed how the homes were being lived in rent-free.

Work to convert the houses from flats back to family homes began the day after the final eviction in June last year. And the council's head of housing, Councillor Beverley Bassom, handed over the first sets of keys to the families moving in to their new homes.

Cllr Bassom said: "These refurbished properties have come a long way since the squatters were evicted last summer and I am delighted to be handing over the keys.

"There is a shortage of large, family homes in Southwark, so I'm glad to see genuine tenants moving in.

"The other four remaining properties are still undergoing work and we hope to hand them over at the end of the month."

Angry neighbours were left frustrated as the squatters reconnected gas, electricity and water supplies to the homes and posted up notices warning people not to interfere.

Adrian Taylor, who lives nearby, said: "We had screaming matches in the middle of the road and there were people brought home by the police some nights."

* In 1999, squatter Timothy Ellis won the right to keep a Brixton house worth £200,000 after living there for 12 years.

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