A South London pensioner who has lived in their prefab home for the last 14 years is in a fight with the council after they were served a notice ordering them to leave. Kay Goodier, who is disabled and lives with mental health issues, claims they are being “victimised” by Lewisham Council as they say they are the only council tenant living on their street in Catford.
A spokesperson for the council said Kay’s home has been deemed unsuitable for their safety and wellbeing, and has been offered a secure, ground-floor property within the borough. The 69-year-old’s home is on Persant Road and is part of the historical Excalibur Estate which is mostly being demolished and redeveloped in phases.
Kay’s property is earmarked for demolition within the next 18 to 24 months, and the remaining prefabs on their street are currently lived in by property guardians. Last month, Kay was served a Notice of Seeking Possession Order stating they had breached their tenancy for several reasons, including refusing to let council contractors in and causing a rodent infestation.
The notice, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) also states that Kay had breached their tenancy by fitting their own fuse box inside their home. However, Kay and their friend, Linda Toscani said they asked for a private electrical company to fit a new fuse board because the council “weren’t prepared to do it”.
Kay was moved into a hotel earlier this year in January as a form of temporary accommodation after the council deemed their home unsafe and dangerous as mice had chewed through the electric cables, causing there to be no hot water or heating. Kay says they were offered alternative accommodation in Brockley but turned it down because they said it was unsuitable for them.
They went on to claim in December 2024, they were offered a property but said due to their mental state at the time they didn’t respond to the council’s offer and claimed the offer was taken away. While staying at the hotel, Kay says they had to make multiple trips back home to feed their pets including cats, fish and tropical frogs which they claimed almost died after being left without any heating.
‘This was not a home improvement – we put right what they destroyed’
Kay eventually moved themselves back home after staying at the hotel for six weeks and shortly after their friend, Linda paid for a private electrical company to assess the home and fit a new fuse board in. Kay said: “[The council] is saying that you must have permission to carry out home improvements, this was not a home improvement – we were just putting right what they destroyed.
“It’s my life, it’s my world. You don’t do that to a pensioner, I’ve worked hard on these things. Why should I throw it away and give it all up? If it was so dangerous the courts wouldn’t have sent me back here, the judge wouldn’t have made that decision.” As well as being served a Notice of Seeking Possession Order, Kay has an upcoming court case in October with the council which relates to an injunction.
Linda has launched a GoFundMe to help pay for Kay’s legal fees and is hoping to raise £3,000. Linda said: “We want Kay to stay here, we want to get a solicitor to fight the case with us as well but it’s impossible because we can’t seem to get any legal aid. We haven’t been able to get any help so they’re fighting this on their own.”
Council offering ‘tailored’ support
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “We recognise that leaving your home can be a difficult experience, however our highest priority is that residents live in safe and decent homes.
“Following an assessment, Kay’s current home has been deemed unsuitable for their continued safety and wellbeing. In response, we arranged temporary hotel accommodation while we worked to secure a ground-floor property within the borough. This accommodation has been offered to and remains available to Kay. We will continue to offer tailored support to help them move safely and comfortably.”
Don’t miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.
