'Local legend' vicar faces losing home of 20 years

Clair Southgate said she was "totally gutted" to hear her home was being sold

A vicar described by her community as a "local legend" faces losing her home of two decades after it was put up for sale.

Clair Southgate, a vicar in Box near Bath, has lived in the house for 20 years, but the housing association is now selling it.

Ms Southgate, who cannot drive as she has epilepsy and can only manage a few miles by bus, may have to pull out of her volunteer jobs if she is rehoused outside of Box.

Housing association GreenSquareAccord said it is committed "to supporting" Ms Southgate through the process.

Ms Southgate also works as a classroom assistant at the village school, and has served the people of the village through her volunteer roles for more than 30 years.

She is what is called a "self-supporting vicar" at St Thomas à Becket Church, which is a voluntary role, so she is not entitled to church accommodation.

More than 1,400 people have signed a petition to keep Ms Southgate in the village.

Speaking about receiving the letter from housing association GreenSquareAccord, Ms Southgate said she "couldn't speak, really".

"I could go to work and do the routine things, but I couldn't talk about it to anyone," she added.

Box residents feel they can go to Ms Southgate with any problem

Ms Southgate said the prospect of losing her home of more than two decades makes her feel "totally gutted".

"It takes the bottom out of my life," she said.

"I know Box is a fantastic community. It always has been and the people in it are amazing.

"But I didn't quite expect the volume of traffic on Facebook and the petition."

Emily Aspin, who has known Ms Southgate for most of her life, said she is an "essential part of Box village".

Mrs Aspin was hospitalised following an accident right before her wedding, which was then almost called off because of the Covid lockdown.

"With 16 hours notice, Clair got the church going and we arranged the whole wedding," she said.

"We got married the next day with 10 of us, just before the lockdown came in.

"I'm so grateful she made that special effort for us."

Emily Aspin would not have been able to get married before lockdown if it wasn't for Ms Southgate's efforts

Rose and Paul Ledbury, who have known Clair for 32 years, said: "Everybody in the village goes to Clair to do anything.

"Funerals, weddings, christenings, she's just the go to person."

GreenSquareAccord told the BBC that a survey was conducted on the condition of Ms Southgate's home, and "it was clear the level of long-term investment needed to bring the property up to the right standard would not represent a responsible investment".

"We recognise this news has been distressing for Mrs Southgate and we are committed to supporting her during this process," they said.

“We are already in discussions with Mrs Southgate about available housing options and will support her to find a new home which meets her needs.

"We would like to be clear that she will not need to leave until we have worked with her to find a new home. She will be eligible for compensation, and we will cover expenses associated with her move."

GreenSquareAccord added that while the decision "may appear unfair in isolation", it has a "limited pot of funding" with which it maintains the 25,000 homes it owns and manages across England.

“Where the cost of investing to bring a property up to the right standards for our customer cannot be justified, the responsible decision is to sell that property and support the customer who lives in the property to move on to a suitable alternative - this is a standard part of the work of housing associations," they said.

Matt Stone, vicar of the Lidbrook Group, said: "I am grateful to the church and village community for stepping out to stand in solidarity with Clair. My heartfelt prayers are with Clair and her family, and I sincerely hope that a solution can be found.

"We will be working with the Acting Archdeacon of Malmesbury and the Diocesan Support Services to support Clair in this difficult time and assist the communities of St Thomas à Becket Church and Box Cof E Primary School in the days ahead."