A CHARITY is in “shock” after the council’s move to sell off the building it uses to help thousands of elderly and vulnerable people.

Age UK is now urging people to sign a petition to make Waltham Forest Council reconsider selling off the former South Chingford Library, in Hall Lane.

The charity has been supporting more than 4,000 elderly and vulnerable people at the centre since 2014.

But the council has given the charity its marching orders before it has managed to find another place to go.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Age UK have been here since 2014

This is despite the council spending a claimed £300,000 on refurbishing the building before the charity moved in.

In October, 2016, Age UK signed a five-year lease with the council and was trying to negotiate an extension when the local authority terminated the contract.

It comes after the council controversially shut the library in 2011 to help the town hall save £1 million from its library services budget.

Chief Executive of Age UK Waltham Forest, Emma Tozer, said the council’s decision came at “quite a shock”.

She said: “We only found out about the plans as I was trying to negotiate an extension to the lease.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

This lot tried to keep the library open in 2011

“Other than one email from the council stating they are disposing of the site we have had no further communications.”

The council said the charity was always subject to a six-month break clause, and took the decision to make the “best use of its assets”.

The man in charge of economic growth and high streets in the borough, Councillor Simon Miller, said they were expecting to make £900,000 from the building's sale.

He said: “The South Chingford Resource Centre site has the potential to provide much-needed housing and can accommodate 18 housing units, 50 per cent of which will be affordable housing.”

Jean Williams, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Age UK Waltham Forest, said the community simply “cannot lose” the centre.

She said: “Facilities for older and disabled people are very much needed.

“Many older people are lonely and disadvantaged and services like the befriending service offered by Age UK Waltham Forest are vital to the wellbeing of this community.”