It seems the more we hear from Colchester Council regarding its sheltered housing policy, the more contradictory the rhetoric grows.

At the last council cabinet meeting, council leader Anne Turrell tried to claim the decisions had nothing to do with the austerity dogma being imposed by her senior colleagues in the Government.

Yet this flies in the face of her quote in an article about the cuts locally, reported in the Gazette, which talked about both Joyce Brooks House and Abbeygate House sheltered housing schemes. She said: “The difficulties we have faced have stemmed from budget cuts.”

Another disturbing element to the council’s actions emerged from the public gallery at that meeting.

Joyce Brooks House resident Joy Eustace testified before councillors the actions of its senior staff had been “patronising” and amounting to “ageism”.

But, it could be said that her describing the council’s behaviour as bullying – treating the residents effectively as children while evicting them from the home they love and splitting them up from their friends – was putting it very politely to say the least.

Joyce Brooks House and Abbeygate House are just the beginning. With another five sheltered accommodation schemes for older people now under review, it is clear the whole future of publicly-funded sheltered housing in our town is under attack from council policy – that a privatisation by stealth is planned.

These cuts come at a time when the need for sheltered housing can only rise, with an ever-increasing older population. We must now defend sheltered housing, not just for current residents, but for future generations.

A new petition opposing all the sheltered housing cuts is to be launched tomorrow in Long Wyre Street, Colchester, at 11am, and we will be collecting signatures until 1pm. Come along and sign this petition.

For U’s fans there is also the opportunity to meet Joyce Brooks House resident and local football legend Bobby Hunt, who will be there with his clipboard.

A public meeting will be held in defence of sheltered housing on February 27, at 7.30pm, at the Quaker Friends Meeting House, in Church Street, Colchester.

The full list of speakers, alongside Bobby Hunt, for this meeting is yet to be confirmed, but it is important for townspeople to get involved in the defence of sheltered housing.

Andy Abbott
Colchester Against the Cuts
Maidenburgh Street
Colchester