A resident of the Sugar Hill estate in Leeds is preparing to hopefully move into a new home after years of fighting against eviction.
Linda Elsworth, 71, is hoping she will be able to relax as she prepares to leave behind her Oulton home and community of nearly seven years.
She has been offered a bungalow in Rothwell by Leeds City Council, but has not yet been able to even go and see if it suits her needs. However, the council has now promised Linda will get a chance to see the new property in the coming week.
Linda told LeedsLive: "At this point, moving out can't come soon enough. I have got to the end of my tether and I just want this all to be over.
"I'm never moving again after this. This is definitely going to be it. I'm not in the best state of health anymore - moving this time will be stressful enough so this new one hopefully will be my forever home now.
"I thought Wordsworth Drive would be my forever home and had just got it comfortable when this happened, so now I'll have to start all over again.
"It's really sad but this whole thing has made the estate look and feel completely different. Either side of me the houses are empty and boarded up, it looks like a warzone. It looks terrible.
"As long as I'm holding on I'm just sitting here and looking at all the boxes of things I have to get rid of."
Linda was one of the residents judged to live in the most structurally unsound houses, and was originally given an eviction notice by landlord Pemberstone dated December 1, 2021. When she and several other residents did not move out, they were given notice it would be escalated to the legal process.
After the hearing concluded, Linda, originally from Hornsea, was given a 42-day grace period before she absolutely has to be out on May 2.
Linda, who struggles with her health and mobility and therefore needs somewhere she will be able to cope alone, had been really struggling to find somewhere to move to that was within her price range on her state pension and housing benefits.
She was becoming increasingly stressed, until the council got in touch a few weeks ago to offer her a bungalow in Rothwell they thought would suit her needs.
Linda was left frustrated after she said the council told her the property was undergoing 'extensive repairs' and she wouldn't be able to see it before April 1, making the move-in turnaround quick.
Linda added that she hadn't been made aware of the nature of the repairs, and had become frustrated waiting for the council to clarify what's happening. The council has now clarified the property will be ready for Linda by next week.
Despite the stress, Linda is trying to remain optimistic and she spends her time packing up her life and deciding what possessions she will have to throw away.
"I've got less than five weeks to be out. I haven't heard anything from the council in a week about when I can go see the new house, which is frustrating," Linda said when LeedsLive spoke to her on Tuesday, March 29.
"I need to go see it so I can see what kind of space it is and how much room there is so I know how much I need to get rid of. I'll definitely be downsizing.
"I've been boxing all my stuff up so it can be collected by the local hospice. It's hard to do on my own with my health issues but I've got so much support from my friends and family and they have all promised they will be there to help me move as soon as I know when I can.
Linda is hoping to apply for one of the grants Pemberstone have been offering to residents of the estate to get her started at the new place.
Pemberstone was given permission to bulldoze the estate of pre-fabricated housing in 2020 after originally being denied by Leeds Council. The residents of Sugar Hill and Wordsworth Drive fought hard for years against the development as part of the Save Our Homes LS26 group, but were ultimately defeated.
The council said the estate would be too expensive to buy, and the first eviction notices were issued in summer 2021. Most residents have now moved on, with Pemberstone saying of the 60 original homes, 43 are now empty and 12 more tenants have found new accommodation or are in the process of doing so.
For Linda, who moved to the estate to combat loneliness when she got divorced, the move will take her away from close friends Hazell and Sue.
After LeedsLive contacted them, a Leeds City Council spokesperson said: "Leeds City Council is committed to doing all it can to find effective housing solutions for the affected residents of Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive.
"Linda Elsworth has been offered alternative housing, which should be ready for her to move into next week. We will be contacting her shortly to arrange for her to view the property and explain the work which has been carried out."
A Pemberstone spokesperson said: "While we cannot comment on individual cases, we suggest that the tenant concerned should get in touch with the property management company to discuss the issue."
Pemberstone has previously said: "Pre-fabricated properties of this type are officially designated as defective by design and are now well beyond their projected lifespan. Multiple surveys have revealed significant structural deterioration.
"Pemberstone has been working for over five years to find a solution and it is clear that replacing them with new modern homes in line with local housing policy is the only viable option. A public Planning Inquiry held in 2020 supported this conclusion.
“Redevelopment is not possible while the houses remain occupied and their deterioration means that they are now at the end of the time when they can be occupied. In July 2021 we took the difficult decision to serve notice on those residents in the worst affected properties.
“Tenants were given until 1 December to vacate the properties and have been offered an ex-gratia payment of up to £3,000 to assist with relocation costs. Many have already taken advantage of this and over half the properties are now vacant.
"Leeds City Council has also offered tenants support in obtaining alternative accommodation. Pemberstone understands that it has provided offers of accommodation to the majority of residents affected.”
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