Villagers back woman's bid to keep council home

About 350 residents had signed a petition by this week after it was started by Maryann Williams against her eviction from the two-bedroom bungalow.

Mrs Williams has been told she has to leave the property in St Richard's Road after the death of her mother, Rosie Warren.

Mrs Warren died on April 13 at the age of 91 during a visit to relatives in Australia. She had shared the bungalow with her daughter for the past four years.

But Mrs Williams was told by Arun District Council within a few hours of informing them of her mother's death that she had to move out. She has yet to be given a leaving date.

She said: 'I gave up my council property in Havant to be able to live with and care for my mother. I have spent about 14,000 improving the bungalow but the council say I can't take on the tenancy on my own. It was originally held by my dad and then by my mother and I wanted it handed on to myself.

'I have got most of the names on the petition by stopping people and asking them to sign. The petition has also been put in Aldingbourne Post Office at Woodgate for the past fortnight to enable more people to sign.'

Mrs Williams (57) was told at first she would have find a home in the private rented sector but this has changed to the council acknowledging that it has to rehouse her.

This is likely to be in a flat. She fears such a home would be unsuitable. She is about to go into hospital for major operations to both her knees to limit her mobility.

She also looks after a rabbit, four guinea pigs and six goldfish and has frequent visits from her 11 grandchildren.

She claims she is not seeking to jump the waiting list by keeping control of the bungalow. She has been a council tenant since 1980.

A mother of four, she lived in a four-bedroom house when all her children were at home and downsized to three and then two bedrooms as they moved away.

She left the Arun district to become a tenant of Havant Borough Council for the five years before she moved in with her mother.

An Arun spokeswoman said: 'While we have every sympathy for Mrs Williams after the sad loss of her mother, there was no line of succession to the property that her mother lived in.

'There is a severe shortage of housing in the Arun district and many people are on the waiting list.

'The council is committed to re-housing those in serious need as quickly as possible and Mrs Williams' mother lived in a property that is not suitable for just one person.

'We have met with her and offered her several other properties and are happy to discuss the situation further with her.'