Council flats evictions 'inhumane', petitioner says

Veronica Robbins and Jo Eugene said they did not want to leave Northbrook House

A council has treated elderly residents in a "careless and inhumane" manner by preparing to demolish two blocks of flats, a petition organiser has said.

Northbook House and Windale House were built in the 1960s and are deteriorating, according to Oxford City Council.

Residents will move out by April 2026 and the 48 retirement flats will temporarily accommodate homeless people before the eventual demolition, the authority said.

However, an online petition from city councillor Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini said the evictions had caused "huge upset" and should be halted.

The independent councillor, who is also a consultant anaesthetist, said some residents were "crying and unable to sleep" after receiving the council letters in January.

Her petition added: "To be placed in a new area would be extremely isolating and hugely detrimental to health with links to worsening cognitive function and dementia."

Veronica Robbins, 87, who has lived in Northbrook House for 10 years, said: "I feel very, very lucky to have a beautiful council flat.

"There's a community spirit here... and I'm devastated to think this may come to an end."

Her neighbour Jo Eugene said: "I've been waking up crying in my sleep... It's heartbreaking.

"They're moving people in here from hotels and B&Bs... If it's not fit for us, it's not fit for nobody, in my eyes."

Windale House is nearing the end of its useful life, the council said

In a statement, the council said the two-storey buildings for the over-60s needed substantial investment.

It said: "Some homes are bedsits which we have been phasing out across our housing as they are no longer popular housing options.

"It also means they are not big enough for a wet room and their doors are not wide enough to provide wheelchair access."

The council also said many people did not want the lifestyle offered by the dated communal lounges.

At the same time, it said there was "spiralling demand for temporary accommodation for people who become homeless", with more than 120 households currently living in B&Bs or budget hotels.

The council concluded: "It would be better for us to invest our limited resources in meeting these urgent needs than in temporarily extending the life of both blocks in a piecemeal and increasingly expensive way."

It said all residents would be supported through the process of relocating and would receive a statutory Home Loss payment of £8,000.

The Blackbird Leys blocks would not be used to house asylum seekers, the statement added.