Eviction would mean death says disabled woman

By Cathy Reay

A severely disabled woman being threatened with eviction from her home by her local council has described the process, in which she has been offered a “dilapidated” and “inaccessible” caravan as alternative accommodation, as “attempted murder”.

Gillian McCarthy’s local council has been trying to evict her since 2003, when planning permission for necessary adaptations to her current Somerset home expired.

But due to the severity of Ms McCarthy’s multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) a number of adaptations would need to be made on any alternative accommodation otherwise the new habitat “could kill her”, she said.

A video recorded by one of Ms McCarthy’s friends shows that the property being offered is inaccessible to wheelchairs, missing key appliances, and several parts including the washroom are plastic, which Ms McCarthy is allergic to.

Dr Paul Banks, a friend of Ms McCarthy’s, said: "If this eviction is at all ‘legal’ is debatable. But it is certainly highly immoral and probably criminal."

“The council has offered the worst possible accommodation so I am being forced to make myself homeless,” said Ms McCarthy.

A South Somerset Council (SSC) spokeswoman said: "Sadly, over the past twelve years we have not been able to get Gillian's agreement for a full NHS medical assessment which would help us to establish her exact needs. The caravan as it is at the moment was specially adapted using the best knowledge of Gillian's condition available.”

Ms McCarthy said she agreed twice to being assessed by doctors but that the council had never produced a clinical ecologist [needed for her condition] to see her. However, she said that she personally arranged to be seen by a clinical ecologist, which the council refused to pay for.

The SSC spokeswoman responded: “All we have said all along is can we arrange for a Primary Care Trust doctor to assess her, which wouldn’t cost anything, but Ms McCarthy has not accepted our offer.”

Land was recently donated to Ms McCarthy by a friend for her to develop her own property on. Ms McCarthy said: “A community investment company is seeking planning permission, but despite this development the council is still insistent on moving me out before we can get suitable property on the land.”

The SSC spokeswoman said that the area is fairly close to her current accommodation and therefore it may be difficult to obtain planning permission as it is outside development boundaries, but that once planning permission is requested it will be considered in the same way as any other application.

• The video of Ms McCarthy’s potential new home is available via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BSekxRyHP8