Council looks to flog listed Heathfield House – for just £1m

insidecroydon

1 year ago

Going cheap…: one Victorian era Italianate villa, one careless owner, lovely views, possible development project, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, could be yours for just £1m

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Jason Perry’s efforts to sell the borough’s last remaining heritage buildings has now turned to a Grade II-listed Victorian villa that sits at the top of Gravel Hill – with an asking price well below what ought to be ‘best value’ for tax-payers

Croydon’s cash-strapped council’s efforts to flog off anything that isn’t nailed down has continued, with Heathfield House now put on the market – and with an asking price at a fraction of what it could be worth.

The sales spiel has appeared on Savills website, asking for bids by March 7, and suggesting a guide price of £1million. Viewings begin this Friday…

Heathfield House is the listed building at the top of Gravel Hill, set in what was once impressive gardens and parkland with views across agricultural land towards New Addington. Last year, it was turned into an HMO – house of multiple occupancy – at the council’s behest, but without having a proper licence or any planning permission.

To avoid costly incursions by squatters, the building was turned into 17 rooms for “key workers, young workers and artists”, each paying around £650 per month for a single room with shared toilet, shower and kitchen facilities.

It now turns out that Croydon Council managed to generate no income from this arrangement. So they are trying once again to sell it.

Somewhat sneakily, Savills have listed the property as “Coombe Lane, Croydon”, avoiding mention of Heathfield House, presumably to dodge the anticipated wails of complaint that yet another part of Croydon’s heritage and history is being flogged off.

The estate agents’ pitch is unashamedly offering the building as a development opportunity. “Tremendous scope”, they say, as the building has 12 bedrooms, as well as “views”, “garaging” and gardens – even though the Heathfield gardens are not actually included in the spec.

“Significant opportunities for redevelopment,” they say elsewhere. Which, given the building’s listed status, ought to be ringing alarm bells with the nice people at Historic England and the Victorian Society.

There’s a 125-year lease being offered, and a nudge-nudge, wink-wink suggestion that vendors Croydon Council will “fix” any planning restrictions. The council, of course, is also the local planning authority.

For sale: the red lines around Heathfield House show which parts are included in the leasehold sale

“As we understand it, the current planning use is for educational purposes, with potential (subject to consents) to be converted back to residential use,” Savills say.

“It’s a travesty,” according to one concerned resident.

“It’s the Riesco Collection all over again,” they said, referring to how a previous Conservative-controlled council, with Jason Perry a cabinet member, managed to flog off a large number of items from a Chinese ceramics collection that had been left to the people of Croydon by Raymond Riesco, the industrialist who used to live in Heathfield House.

Suffice to say, when Croydon’s Tories sold the Riesco Collection, they only achieved a pretty miserable price.

In 2025, Croydon’s council has no real say over what assets it can, or cannot, sell. Going cap-in-hand to the government for its annual bail-out – this year, £135million – the bankrupt council remains under the effective control of a government-appointed panel.

One leading Tory councillor confided that when he had attended briefings by the unironically titled improvement panel, “Their general position was ‘sell everything’.”

It appears that Heathfield House now falls under that dictum.

May need some work: more than 20 years of neglect by Croydon Council has left Heathfield House in a sorry state

Whether the £1million price tag meets government requirements to achieve “best value” for tax-payers is arguable. The asking price probably factors in the costs to any buyer of putting right two decades of neglect by Croydon Council.

Savills’ particulars states: “As can be seen on the attached plan there is approximately 10,000sqft of accommodation on offer. The property retains some stunning rooms and sits in an elevated position with far-reaching views to the south-east.”

Not all of the Heathfield gardens are included in the sale. “The property sits within beautiful council-owned and maintained grounds which are open to the public,” Savills say, risking prosecution under the Trade Descriptions Act over their use of “council-maintained”.

Three open days for prospective purchasers are coming up: this Friday, February 21, from 10am to noon; Wednesday February 26 (same times); and Saturday March 1 (9am to 11am). Potential buyers are asked to register for the guided tour.

The estate agents’ particulars describe Heathfield as “a former manor house”, which it is not. It’s a Victorian era Italiante-style villa.

And what they don’t tell potential buyers is that the Grade II-listed house was built in 1837, and was once the home of millionaire philanthropist Raymond Riesco.

Upon his death in 1964, Riesco left those prized ceramics to the people of Croydon, and as per an agreement he had reached with the council in 1945, Croydon bought the house and the gardens and farmland that went with it.

In 1945, Croydon had paid a purchase price of £83,000 – which in today’s values would be worth £4.6million. Considerably more than the council is hoping to get for Heathfield House in 2025.

Heathfield House’s history is still listed on the council’s website among the collection of parks and open spaces, with its “facilities” described as “Woodland and rhododendron walks”, and “Ornamental gardens and ponds”.

Historic England is the government agency responsible for keeping a check on listed buildings, such as Heathfield House. Last year, they told Inside Croydon: “We have not been consulted [by Croydon Council] on any listed building consent or planning applications since 2016.”

So it’s unlikely that Historic England has been advised of the sale of the building, either.

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