The four-bedroom cottage in East Finchley

Published: 18 July, 2013
by TOM FOOT

AN investigation was launched last night (Wednesday) after a two-storey council house was mysteriously sold at auction without housing chiefs realising.

The sale of the four-bedroom Grade II-listed cottage, at the entrance to St Pancras and Islington cemetery in East Finchley, has broken a clear 2010 manifesto pledge that “no more council homes will be sold off under Labour”.

A private developer snapped up the freehold for £304,000 – £54,000 more than the council’s asking price – at the McHugh & Co auction
in Bafta Studios, Piccadilly.

Last night, a baffled Councillor Julian Fulbrook, the council’s housing chief, told the New Journal: “The first I knew about it was your enquiry today. I rang the housing officers and asked: ‘What the heck is going on?’

"But they did not know anything about it. I’ve ordered an immediate review and an investigation. It has not crossed my desk at all.”

He added: “We could have used it had we known about it. We wouldn’t have been averse to having council tenants in homes in Barnet.”

Auctioneers McHugh & Co confirmed it was Camden Council that put the house up for sale. Details of the sale can be found on the council’s “properties for sale” web page.

The sale is a reminder of a controversial phase in Camden’s history when more than 50 council homes were sold by the Liberal Democrat and Conservative administration. The policy was to raise millions of pounds to help pay for a huge backlog of council repairs.

Last night, former Lib Dem housing chief Chris Naylor, who was strongly criticised over the sales between 2006 and 2010, said: “This is utterly shocking and seriously appalling. This must be taken very seriously and the chief executive must get involved.

“When we sold properties they were all properly vetted and signed off by me. Four-bedroom properties are in incredibly short supply.”

In the build-up to the May 2010 council elections, following lengthy New Journal coverage, Labour said it would halt the policy.

Weeks later victorious politicians posed with “Our Homes Are Saved” posters for a front-page article and former council leader Nash Ali declared: “No more council homes will be sold off under Labour – we have spoken to Moira Gibb [then chief executive] and that has been put into action.”

In a last-ditch effort to stop the East Finchley sale, the property was taken over by squatters protesting against the loss of council homes. But they were removed by police with dogs during the auction last Wednesday and the sale went ahead as planned.

Squatter Jack Tafari said: “The point was to stop London councils from selling off desperately-needed social housing at fire-sale prices to private developers.

Camden Council was planning to sell off this house for about £250,000, far less than its market value, to some lucky developer.”

A council spokesman said last night no official statement could be made because “the right people” were not available.

There are currently more than 25,000 people on the council housing waiting list.