Pregnant teenagers, premature babies and at risk families from east London have been homed inside a former office block.

A total of 71 families have moved into a converted office block next to Homebase in Weir Road, Wimbledon.

The proximity to the busy Durnsford Road, which has had a number of serious and fatal car crashes recently, a lack of outdoor space for youngsters to play, and pressure on local schools already stretched have been raised as concerns by councillors shocked at the decision.

Wimbledon Times:

Homebase in Weir Road, Wimbledon

A joint letter to Tower Hamlets Council from three Wimbledon Park ward councillors Janice Howard, Oonagh Moulton and Linda Taylor calls for a re-think of the location and raises concern about the mental and social well-being of the new residents.

Landlord Ravi Kumar said they are only complaining because Merton Council was competing with other councils to house its own vulnerable families there and lost the contract to Tower Hamlets.

Mr Kumar said it was "five star accommodation" – studio flats with fully fitted kitchens, appliances, under-floor heating and a receptionist and CCTV cameras for security.

In January, Merton Council allowed a change of use application to turn Vantage House, where the families are living, from 39,225 sq ft office space into 71 studio flats.

The families were on the housing waiting list in Tower Hamlets, east London, and could return there.

A spokesman for Tower Hamlets said it is normal to re-house families away from the borough and 900 families had been re-housed in the last 18 months alone.

The joint letter from councillors states: "This site is clearly not designed for children nor for pregnant mothers or any vulnerable adults and we very much hope that Tower Hamlets housing officers are able to arrange for them to be housed in a much more appropriate accommodation as soon as possible.

"Given the number of pregnant mothers requiring support, we are extremely concerned for these families’ welfare, and this includes their mental well-being since – to the best of our knowledge – they have no existing local links."

It said the families were being assessed by the troubled families team at Merton Council and the owner of Vantage House had entered into a five year lease with Tower Hamlets.

Mr Kumar said: "How can they complain? They are socially discriminating between one type of person to another. They are human beings. They are in better accommodation now, before they were in hotels and B&Bs, it was bad."

He said he visited the site regularly and he found people happy to be living there. He said there were other blocks of flats nearby – namely on the corner of Plough Lane and Weir Road, and they were suitable for people to live in.

He said he is thinking of submitting a planning application for a children’s play area to entertain youngsters although the details had not been finalised.

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, leader of the council, said: "This Government’s policies have created a housing crisis in London and have forced councils to relocate homeless families in areas like Merton.

"This has been made worse by the Government’s decision to allow people to live in unsuitable accommodation originally designed for office space. The building is privately owned and this is an arrangement between Tower Hamlets and the owners of the building.

"The residents remain on Tower Hamlets housing list and the aim is for them to find permanent housing there. White they are here however Merton Council and our other partners such as health have to provide services to the residents such as GPs, schools, childcare and other wider services.

"We are currently talking to Tower Hamlets to assess the families’ needs and will be asking Tower Hamlets to finance this."

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