SMART director Amelia Mustapha returned from annual leave to find a padlock on the charity’s gate
A West London mental health charity has accused the local council of locking it out of its offices with little prior warning and no alternative premises provided weeks down the line.
SMART, which operates from the basement of a building by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, has been unable to access the site after Kensington and Chelsea Council ordered it to leave to enable essential repairs to take place.
The council, which owns the building, has also padlocked the gates, leaving SMART without a suitable space to provide support to its members. Amelia Mustapha, Director at SMART, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the charity was aware works were required due to issues such as asbestos.
However she said that despite ongoing conversations with the council regarding the repairs and the need for the charity to temporarily decant, an officer emailed her while she was on leave telling her the basement must be vacated ‘immediately’.
Ms Mustapha said the whole thing has been an “utter nightmare” and that she is concerned about the impact on those relying on the charity’s services.
A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said the local authority is aware the closure is causing short-term inconvenience to SMART but that its priority “is to make the basement safe and protect people”.
SMART, which stands for St Mary Abbots Rehabilitation and Training, provides support to vulnerable people with mental health needs. Most of the charity’s members come via the NHS but individuals can also self-refer or drop in.
The charity runs activities including arts and design workshops, with members paid a wage for work in areas such as its on-site café.
Ms Mustapha said the charity knew works were needed to the building, in which it occupies the basement. Some of this was structural, though there were also long-standing concerns about issues such as asbestos, water ingress and fire safety.
Ms Mustapha said she had agreed with the council that works would begin in either late August or early September and would last about a month, giving the charity time to work out a delivery plan of its own to continue supporting its members and staff.
However, in the email sent to Ms Mustapha on August 13, seen by the LDRS, she was told the matter had been escalated internally and that the building should be taken out of use ‘immediately’.
“We value the work of your organisation, and whilst the issues are resolved at 15 Gertrude Street we will provide you with interim facilities,” the email read. “You will be able a move [sic] to units 1 & 2 on the World Ends Estate within the few days, and we are seeking access to a kitchen for you. However, you will need to cease operations at 15 Gertrude Street by 14:00 on Friday, 15th August 2025.”
Ms Mustapha said when she returned from leave several days later, a holiday she claimed the council was aware of, she came back to “utter chaos” with members and staff unsure what to do.
SMART was provided with a portable cabin, in which staff have a table and can do some work, and has retained access to the garden. Ms Mustapha however said they are yet to move into their temporary space at the World’s End Estate, nor do they have a timeline for the works or a risk assessment from the council.
“There was no risk assessment done,” she claims. “The council is saying that health and safety is their priority but they’ve put vulnerable people in a very dangerous situation and we’ve seen the consequences of that. We’ve seen that people are becoming unwell.
“We know that there aren’t enough hospital beds locally with the Gordon being closed down. Mental health resources are really stretched. So that’s the primary concern, that very vulnerable people have been put in a dangerous situation with no support, no plans.”
Ms Mustapha said she has requested the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee investigate the case, and that she has asked for an agreement for tenancy and a timeline.
“How do I redeploy my staff? Without information I can’t plan effectively, I can’t do what I need to do.” She added: “We’re not saying we won’t work with this. We’re saying we can, but we need to know.”
Ben Coleman, Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said: “It is shocking that Kensington and Chelsea Council blocked SMART out of its building without warning. Three weeks after the sudden closure they have still not given it the alternative premises they promised. This is tough and cruel for the many residents with mental illness who SMART helps. The council needs to sort this out quickly and decently.”
The council told the LDRS once the asbestos has been removed a structural survey will be completed to identify where the water ingress is coming from and look at damage to the concrete and steel. A timetable for initial works will then be provided to SMART and updated once the survey has been completed and results assessed.
A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We have been holding talks with SMART about a move of premises and alternative accommodation since June 2025, when our inspector found water ingress and the presence of asbestos in the basement.
“While the asbestos is currently safe, we were concerned that water ingress can disturb it which could be a serious health risk. We therefore took the decision to close the basement of the building now and progress works. We know this is causing some short-term inconvenience to SMART, but our priority is to make the basement safe and protect people.
“We have an alternative premises for SMART to use from this week which SMART have signed a lease for and we are continuing to support them to provide their services in other community locations. While of course safety will always remain our top priority we will review the process to see if we can learn lessons for a smoother move, should a situation like this arise in the future.”
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