Flying high: estate agents Savills went to considerable trouble and expense to create the sales brochure for Heathfield House. Croydon’s Tories claimed it was put out for auction ‘by mistake’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The latest contradictory statement issued from Fisher’s Folly has failed to placate petitioners, who say the auction of the Grade II-listed building creates ‘serious legal and ethical concerns and sets a dangerous precedent for green spaces in the borough’
Croydon’s Mayor Jason Perry has seen his council forced to issue yet another embarrassing climbdown today, this time over the status of Heathfield House.
Business ‘expert’: Mayor Jason Perry
Even by the subterranean standards set by the council’s press office, this latest effort was a bit of a zinger, managing to contradict itself in two successive sentences.
The Grade II-listed building at the top of Gravel Hill (12 bedrooms and wonderful views) had been put up for auction earlier this week, at the suspiciously low guide price of £1million.
But following Inside Croydon’s report yesterday and a petition that had gathered more than 1,000 signatures in barely 24 hours, estate agents Savills this morning did a “reverse ferret” and pulled their sale particulars.
Katharine Street sources suggested that Conservative councillors were briefing this morning that it was all a terrible mistake. As if professional property sales organisation Savills would go to all the trouble of setting up drone shots and pulling together all the documents and particulars for a million-pound-plus property, as well as arranging three viewing sessions and an auction date next month, without a firm instruction from Croydon’s dysfunctional council…
Rubbing salt into the wounds, the council website today, to illustrate the its climbdown, managed to use one of the drone photographs of Heathfield taken by the estate agents.
In the statement, the council expects Croydon residents to believe that they are not selling Heathfield House. Oh no. They are just leasing it out for 125 years…
The council said: “Heathfield House is an important part of our borough’s history and we are working to protect it for the future and to guard its heritage,” which would make a break with 20 years of council neglect of the building and grounds.
“We are not selling the building or the grounds and will make sure that it remains publicly owned for future generations.” Get that: not selling.
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But then they say: “Due to the increasingly high costs of maintenance, we are marketing the building on a long lease.” Not selling. Marketing.
“This is the most effective way of protecting the property, whilst keeping Heathfield House and its grounds in public ownership. We are committed to protecting the grounds, which will remain open to residents and visitors to enjoy.”
The council neglects to mention that since they have whittled down the parks department to virtually nothing, there has been no gardening done in the once sumptious grounds at Heathfield for several years. The flower beds are empty, the rose garden in a very sorry state.
Today’s council statement continued: “With the current financial pressures we have, we need to optimise the use of council-owned properties. As part of our Asset Strategy…”, they have a strategy! “… we have been identifying opportunities to lease spaces which can generate income and reduce running costs. This is essential to help the council become financially stable, so we can continue to invest in vital services.”
So, they’ve been told to flog off Heathfield House by the government-appointed improvement panel. You may be wondering: what could be next?
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.
Run down: there’s been no proper maintenance of the previously sumptuous grounds at Heathfield House for several years
One leading Tory councillor confided that when he had attended briefings by the unironically titled improvement panel, “Their general position was ‘sell everything’.”
In common with other announcements of council clusterfucks, which are occurring with increasing frequency under piss-poor Perry, there was no opinion offered by Croydon’s increasingly beleagured part-time Mayor, who clearly cannot distance himself far enough from this latest example of bungling by council officials.
This latest omnishambles is likely traceable back to the desk of someone who styles himself Huw Rhys Lewis BSc, BArch, MSc, MRIBA, MRICS, MAPM, notionally in charge of the council’s “commercial investment and capital”, and the council director notorious for issuing legal threats to a charity that feeds the homeless in Queen’s Gardens.
It is likely that Huw Rhys Lewis BSc, BArch, MSc, MRIBA, MRICS, MAPM was also behind last year’s scheme at Heathfield that handed the building over to a company that manages “guardians”, all to avoid the place being trashed by squatters.
This was all done on the watch of Huw Rhys Lewis BSc, BArch, MSc, MRIBA, MRICS, MAPM, without applying in advance for a licence for an HMO – house of multiple occupancy – and without seeking planning permission.
Through a Freedom of Information response, Croydon Council has confirmed that it has received absolutely no income from this rental scheme. Inside Croydon has confirmed that the guardians remain on site – they quite like their accommodation and location – with the council set to clear them out at one month’s notice once it has flogged off… sorry, leased out the building for 125 years.
It remains to be seen what cultural and heritage custodians Historic England or the Victorian Society will make of the council’s plans.
The petition opposing the sale has 1,181 signatures, at last count. It takes 1,000 petition signatures to force Mayor Perry to face a debate in the Town Hall Chamber.
What with this and the petition opposing the closure of the Croydon Carers’ Centre, poor old Perry looks to face a tough time of accountability in the weeks after he ratchets up residents’ Council Tax to record levels.
The Heathfield petition calls for a meaningful engagement with the community to ensure the house remains in public hands.
Contradictions: Croydon Council is not selling Heathfield House. It is marketing it…
Which is something which could be achieved by handing the property over to the National Trust, perhaps on a lease, but without the need for estate agent tours or an auction. That the council failed to do this in the first instance somewhat undermines its protestations of innocence made today.
There’s good reason to distrust the council’s statements. The petitioners highlight how the Savills particulars offered Heathfield with “significant opportunities for redevelopment”, and the complete absence of any public consultation over the future of the building and grounds.
“Any sale of this site raises serious legal and ethical concerns and sets a dangerous precedent for public, historic and green spaces in the borough,” the petition states.
They describe the sale/lease plan as “a misuse of public assets”.
They say: “Rather than exploring sustainable community-led options, the council has engaged in a pattern of exclusion and dishonesty, choosing opaque processes and private interests over public benefit.
“Rather than recognising Heathfield as the gem in its crown, Croydon Council has treated it like a thorn in its side.”
The petition was raised by Turf Projects, the community arts group, who have endured a litany of disappointments and rejections from the council when bidding for this and other public-owned properties. They say: “Community groups have demonstrated how Heathfield House could be used for public benefit, yet have been ignored…
“Community groups now stand little chance against the open market.”
The first of Savills’ planned tours of the property for prospective purchasers/lease-holders [delete to taste] is tomorrow, February 21, from 10am to noon.
If you can’t get along to that, you might want to consider signing the petition opposing the sale of Heathfield House, which can be found by clicking here.
Read more: Long-neglected Heathfield House being rented out as 17 rooms
Read more: Council’s once-prized listed building Heathfield House left to rot
Read more: Riesco objections: Croydon Council’s squandering our heritage
Read more: Council’s botched attempt to airbrush Riesco from web history
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