Last updated on 18 March 2026
CDRA has been increasingly concerned about the lack of care, investment and oversight at Charles Lesser House, Chessington’s only council‑owned and managed accommodation for residents aged over 55. For some time, residents have raised serious worries about safety, security and poor communication, and we have repeatedly tried to advocate on their behalf.
Maintenance work is often carried out with little or no supervision, leaving vulnerable residents at risk. Repairs are frequently left uninspected, and we have received no reassurance from the council that residents are receiving value for money. Although meetings between the housing team and residents do take place, issues raised are rarely followed up.
Since 2018, 38% of the homes at Charles Lesser House have stood empty. A major reason is the outdated shared facilities in many units. Instead of patching up ageing accommodation, wouldn’t it be better to invest in modern, good‑quality homes that people actually want to live in? Fewer, well‑designed homes with full occupancy would serve the community far better than a high‑vacancy block with poor facilities.
After months of pushing for action, CDRA finally secured a meeting with Jane Ball, Kingston Council’s Corporate Head of Landlord Services, at the end of February. We presented residents’ concerns and photographic evidence. In early March, Councillors Lorraine Dunstone and Afy Afilaka visited Charles Lesser House to see the issues first‑hand. Yet despite these steps, there is still no indication of any resolution.
At the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee Meeting on 14th March 2026, CDRA asked the council to commit to fighting for the capital investment needed to bring this valuable community facility into the 21st century.
We want to hear that the council is ready to invest in the future of Charles Lesser House – to ensure it becomes a place our older and more vulnerable residents want to live, enabling them to remain part of the community they know and love. This should be a facility the whole of the south of the borough can be proud of.
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