Peterborough: St Michael's Gate families moved out as lease ends

Zulma Herrera and her husband Orlando Sanchez, who have been moved from St Michael's Gate, say they are concerned about the impact on their children

Over the next few days, about 30 families are being moved out of their temporary housing, with some unsure where their next home will be. St Michael's Gate has been leased by Peterborough City Council for six years but says a new lease is too expensive, and it will instead relocate tenants. The BBC has spoken to two families who are affected.

All Orlando Sanchez wants is stability for his family.

"It hasn't been good, the last few weeks, it's been a nightmare... not knowing what's going to happen," says the father-of-two.

"I probably don't show it to my wife, but I've been very stressed, I've been very down."

The 47-year-old painter and decorator and his family were renting a private house in Peterborough.

But during the pandemic, his work dried up and he could no longer afford the rent.

They were evicted, he says, and ended up in a three-bedroom house in St Michael's Gate for 10 months, following a stay in a hostel.

Now, after the authority decided against renewing the lease, they have moved again, this time to a two-bedroom house across the city.

"It's been very difficult because I don't like to see my family moving from one place to another every two or three months," he says.

"If I could afford private renting I would, but it's so expensive.

"Even if I don't want to be in this situation - in a temporary place - that's my only option."

The family lived in St Michael's Gate for the 10 months

Mr Sanchez works full-time at the city's Perkins Engines factory, where his wife Zulma Herrera, 46, also has a part-time role.

Their house in St Michael's Gate was a five-minute cycle ride from Perkins, but their current house, in the Bretton part of the city, is around 25 minutes by bike.

One day, shortly after moving in, Mr Sanchez crashed his bike - going 'too fast' he says - hitting his head badly.

He had a bleed on the brain, broken ribs and spent around a week in hospital.

"I was unconscious for a few minutes," he says. "When I woke up, the first thing I thought of was my family, my kids, my wife."

While they are pleased to have a home, Mr Sanchez is critical of how the local authority is handling the mass move.

"We're in the council's hands and whatever the council says we have to do, we have to move because we don't have the means to pay for ourselves," he says.

"They don't take good decisions, they don't plan things properly for people.

"We are grateful for what we have at the moment, at least we can still have a roof. What I didn't like was the way they treat you like a number."

The temporary housing accommodation will now be offered to other councils, the agent says

For the last six years, St Michael's Gate has been leased by Peterborough City Council and used as temporary accommodation for homeless families.

The site has been run by managing agent Stef & Philips since 2016, which says it has 88 units, mostly three and four-bedroom homes, and also four houses of multiple occupation (HMO).

According to emails seen by the BBC, the agent had been trying to negotiate a new lease since the start of this year, but said the council did not engage with the process.

Stef & Philips said it proposed a rental increase of 20%, from £1m to £1.2m, and was prepared to accept counter offers, but none came.

It was told by the Conservative-controlled council that the site would be vacated on 24 June, a date since extended to 23 August.

Nadine Jones faces two house moves with her children between now and September

With a week to go, the agent said 33 households were still occupied.

Among them is the home of Nadine Jones, which she has lived in for more than two years and shares with her children.

The council initially told her she would be moved to a hotel, while it prepared a house for them for September.

Now she has been told they will move into another temporary home, before moving again.

"It's just the not knowing," says Ms Jones, 34.

"It's the anxiety of it all. Just sitting here just staring at my phone all day, just wondering when are they going to tell me. And it's only so I can tell these lot [my children].

"If it was me by myself, quite happily stick me in a hotel, leave me there, whatever.

"But no matter what I want, it's what they need as children."

Peterborough city councillor Marco Cereste says St Michael's Gate was already the city's most expensive temporary accommodation ahead of a new less favourable lease being offered

Peterborough City Council says it is "working hard" to relocate the remaining tenants and "will have found an alternative for all households by the time the lease ends".

"We know some residents will not be happy with the accommodation we have offered them, but given the limited supply of temporary accommodation in Peterborough we cannot meet the exact wishes of every resident," says city councillor Marco Cereste, the authority's cabinet member for housing.

"As we continue to strive to get the council to a place of financial stability, it is vital every decision we take offers best value for the council and its taxpayers.

"Agreeing a new lease for properties at a higher price and being locked into a long lease duration - when they were already our most expensive temporary accommodation in Peterborough - would not have achieved best value.

"We have negotiated cheaper alternative forms of accommodation over the last six years and will continue to work on securing alternatives in order to meet demand."

Mr Cereste adds households with children have been prioritised and it was trying to meet all residents' needs.

He also says as St Michael's Gate only ever provided short-term temporary accommodation, people have always known they could be moved quickly.

In a statement, Stef & Philips said it was "disheartened and deeply disappointed".

It added it "would like to stress that they have no wish to evict any tenants and would like nothing more than to allow the existing residents of St Michael's Gate to remain in their homes whilst awaiting permanent accommodation".

"Should any tenants be evicted, this is solely the responsibility of Peterborough City Council and their reluctance to engage in any form of negotiations with ourselves," it said.

It will now offer the estate to other local authorities.

The couple say they are grateful for their temporary home but are uncertain about the future

Mr Sanchez and Ms Herrera are waiting to hear how long they will stay in their new home, fearing they could be asked to move again with little notice.

At the moment, their main concern is the effect on their two children, who are currently sleeping on mattresses on the floor.

"They're doing very good at school... I'm really proud of that," says Ms Herrera, 46. "But behind the scenes, they're not stable, they don't have a house yet, their own place.

'I'm trying to tell them they should be grateful for what they have now, because some people still don't have a place, they don't know where they're going."

Wiping tears from her cheeks, she continues: 'It's difficult because sometimes I feel guilty.

"You want to give your children the best you can... but it's not in our hands, it's not in my hands."