Extract from the Hackney Gazette
(By Samantha Payne)

June Price, 69 is one of the 17 elderly residents still living in Bayton Court on the Blackstone Estate in London Fields. The Sheltered Complex has been earmarked for demonlition as part of a development proposal by the Hanover Housing association

It plans to pull down the 26 one bedroom, two storey complex and replace it with 16 four bedroom houses and two four bedroomed maisonettes.

Hanover say it is in the interests of older people across the borough across the borough will be served best if the tenants are re-housed.

It has offered £4.000 to the elderly residents to go along with the move and nine have transferred already to Sheltered Housing blocks near Broadway Market and Richmond Road

However, June , who has been living at Bayton Court for five years does not want to go. "I can't imagine anything else and I can't sleep with the worry of it all", she said.

Bayton Court was one of 29 Sheltered Housing schemes which were tansferred by Hackney Council to Hanover in October, 2000)

In March, 2006, however, tenants were advised that residential Sheltered Housing Officers would be replaced by 'Floating Support Workers' in November and redevelopment plans of Bayton Court would not be the subject of a tenants ballot.

Now June feels helpless to stop the housing association from carrying out its plans, which are due to come before the council's Planning Committee/ "The way I see it they are having their own way", she said "I don't see why I should be forced around at my age".

Hanover's Partnership and innovation direct, Barry Hindson, told the Gazette that follow a review of the Bayton Court site, which has no lift or good communal facilities, that it would never be improved to the standard to meet older people's needs.

The management team decided the interests of the older people across the borough would be served best if the tenants were re-housed by Hanover, the site sold for other housing purposed and the proceeds of sale reinvested to improve other properties in the borough

A community group, The Organization for Promotion of Environmental Needs (OPEN) has invited Hanover to present the proposals to residents and groups concerned about the development at St Michael and All Angels Church

"Several concerns have been raised which include not only architechtural and environmental issues, but also the Council's previous promises regarding residential car and issues of common humanity" said Bill 'Parry-Davis', from OPEN