Pocklington Lodge Residents Fear Loss of Their Homes

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Charity planning sale of specialist facility for the blind and partially sighted

Ben Lawrence, Jessica Parry and Andrew Hodgson in Pocklington Lodge. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

October 22, 2025

A group of blind and partially sighted tenants at Pocklington Lodge are fighting the sale of the specialist development they call home, while the current owners have offered reassurances that ‘no one is being asked to leave their home’ and that they ‘are committed to ensuring that existing tenancies are protected through legal agreements with any future owner.’

Tenants at the facility on the Goldhawk Road close to the borders of Shepherd’s Bush and Chiswick, which is owned by the charity Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT), say they fear what a sale may mean both for their futures and that of the site as it exists today.

Jessica Parry, 26, described the Lodge as her “last chance” when she was looking for a place of her own, adding if she had to move out it would erode her independence and “massively derail my whole life.”

A spokesperson for TPT said they “fully understand” the concerns around the proposed sale and that tenants’ wellbeing and peace of mind “are extremely important to us.”

They added no one is being asked to leave their home nor will the land be sold to a developer, and that the Trust is committed to protecting existing tenancies through legal agreements with any future owner.

TPT was founded upon the orders of Thomas Pocklington, a wealthy jeweller and property investor, in the mid-20th century.

Mr Pocklington had his sight saved after a shooting accident and, following his death, his assets were donated to establish the charity, with a focus on providing specialist accommodation for blind and partially sighted people.

Pocklington Lodge on Rylett Road

According to TPT’s website, a review in 2014 however led to “major changes” at the charity.

“The world in which we were operating had changed,” the website states. “Most blind and partially sighted people did not want to live in specialist accommodation but wanted to stay in their communities and have the same opportunities in education, employment, health and everyday life as their sighted peers.”

Since then TPT’s objectives have shifted away from providing specialist housing to delivering support to blind and partially sighted people in areas including education and employment.

The Trust says more than 300 people a year access its employment and internship services, with 85 per cent of interns progressing to secure permanent jobs.

Pocklington Lodge is TPT’s last specialist housing development. The original building, called Pocklington Close, was opened in 1967. It is home to around 50 tenants.

Located near to several Tube stations and benefiting from decent local bus services, it is ideal for its current occupiers, many of whom rely on public transport.

Last November, tenants were consulted on four potential future options for the site. Tenants also pitched a fifth option of their own, requesting the current arrangement be retained but with improved services.

In April this year, however, they were informed Pocklington Lodge was going to be sold due in-part to the provision of specialist accommodation no longer forming part of the charity’s strategy.

The tenants the LDRS spoke to raised concerns about the process involved and said they were displeased with the communications from TPT.

Their primary concern about the planned sale, however, relates to what is known as the status of the land.

The Lodge is currently designated as a functional property, which ensures its purpose is retained as providing accommodation for blind and partially sighted people.

Tenants have said they are particularly concerned about the prospect of this being removed, which they claim would result in significant insecurity moving forwards.

Ben Lawrence, 56, who has lived at the Lodge since 1999, said: “My fear is, and I think it’s shared, that if a new owner had no restrictions on the functional status of the building, as a visually impaired tenant moves out, thus reducing the amount of housing for visually impaired people, they could rent them on the commercial market and get a much higher rent for that.”

Ms Parry said, “If this is taken over by a private developer I’ve got no protection against rent, if my rent went up any more I wouldn’t be able to afford it, and if I lost my home I don’t know where me and [my guide dog] Kenny would go.”

In the letter to tenants last November informing them of the consultation, the Trust wrote that future options for the site may include removing the designation of the land.

This would mean that while existing residents would remain on the same terms, new tenants would not necessarily be blind or partially sighted.

The Charity Commission, which would need to approve a request to remove the designation, told the LDRS it has not received any such communications from TPT. Tenants are, however, pushing for commitments from the Trust not to apply to change the status of the land and to ideally continue ownership and delivering services itself.

The LDRS has seen a petition provided to the Charity Commission, signed by around 40 tenants, requesting the status not be removed.

Ms Parry said, “I really struggled before I came here. I couldn’t find a place to live, and I was about to have to move home with my mum. I couldn’t find a place that was affordable, that was accessible for me and [my guide dog], but also a lot of landlords would ignore me once I mentioned the guide dog. So when I got offered here it was my last chance really to find a place.”

Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick who has been supporting tenants, told the LDRS, “I am very concerned about the future of Pocklington Lodge as are the residents and the whole community of which the Lodge is part. I am in correspondence with LBHF (London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham) and the Charity Commission to alert them to developments and have put a series of questions to the Trust.

“We want to be assured that any new owner would safeguard the Lodge and all its current occupants and continue to operate it in the best interests of blind and visually impaired people as has been the duty – legal and moral – of the Trust for many years.”

Andrew Hodgson, 69, has been there since 1987. He is also the Chairman of the Tenants’ Association. He said not only is Pocklington Lodge ideally located, but it is a place where the tenants feel safe and have their needs met.

“It’s brilliantly situated for transport, it really is,” he said. “When they decided where to have this building it was a brilliant idea to have it where it is.”

A spokesperson for TPT said, “We fully understand that the proposed sale of Pocklington Lodge has caused concern and distress for some tenants. Their wellbeing and peace of mind are extremely important to us, and we have met with many residents individually to listen to their views and provide reassurance, including one of our directors staying onsite for a two-week period during the initial consultation process so that tenants could speak with her one-to-one.

“To be clear, no one is being asked to leave their home. We are not selling to a developer, and we are committed to ensuring that existing tenancies are protected through legal agreements with any future owner. This includes safeguarding affordable rents and the right to remain in their homes. Not only are we seeking partners which will give greater security through legally binding contracts, the Renters’ Rights Bill coming into effect later this year will give even more security.”

Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter

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