John’s home was demolished as part of a regeneration project but he was offered a new home on the new estate
John Finn felt like he had ‘won the lottery’ as he was given the keys to his new flat(Image: City of London)
A South London pensioner has been given the keys to a newly built flat on the site where his old home was demolished. John Finn is the first tenant to move into Bean Tree Court, a new development built on the site of the 1970s Mais House in Sydenham Hill.
The City of London Corporation developed the site in partnership with Lewisham Council, and old tenants were offered the chance to move into the new buildings. That is when John was given the keys to his new one-bedroom flat, which left him feeling like he had “won the lottery”.
John said: “My reaction when I saw the new flat was ‘wow!’ It was absolutely beautiful, and I felt like I’d won the lottery. I’m very grateful to the City of London Corporation for giving me the opportunity.
John used to live in Mais House that was demolished to make way for Bean Tree Court(Image: City of London Corporation )
“I really like the balcony and will be spending a lot of time out there writing. It’s also really close to Dulwich Park, where I go jogging. The first thing I’ll do when I move in is to get on my knees and thank God.”
The new development comprises 110 homes for social rent with ‘finished to a high specification, featuring contemporary kitchens, generous living space and energy-efficient design to ensure comfortable, affordable homes for individuals and families’.
The Bean Tree Court development features a mix of properties ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom townhouses, including 11 flats adapted for wheelchair users.
Cllr James-J Walsh, Lewisham Council Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning, said: “In Lewisham, we are committed to unlocking new homes for Lewisham residents. As part of this, we contributed £1.65 million in funding to support the delivery of 110 new genuinely affordable homes at Sydenham Hill.
“It’s been great to see the project grow from the first dig on site to completed homes that will soon be lived in by local families on our housing waiting list.”
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