Residents of Pentland House, the former mansion next to Manor House Library, are responsible for anti-social behaviour according to two supporters of the Lee Manor Society.
They told us ” We walk past more or less every day and feel for the residents who live opposite. We have witnessed a man urinating on the corner at 8.30 in the morning as school children walked passed; drinking and drug taking whilst sitting on the bench outside the library wall next to the phone box ;and our son witnessed three men sniffing white powder from a bag outside the laundrette and then returning to Pentland House on Friday.”
It’s not clear who the current residents of the house are. In the past it has been used as a hostel for overseas students and for asylum seekers.
The issue was raised recently at a meeting of the Lee Green Police panel meeting, when it was claimed that the residents are people who were homeless and had been sent there by another London council.
The police told the meeting that the management of the house had been co-operative with them recently regarding incidents that related to their residents. A Lee councillor said the law did not allow Lewisham Council to reject people sent there by another London borough.
Lee Manor Society has asked Lewisham Council for its comments.
Pentland House is owned by a London based property investment company Interland which says it was founded in 1985.
It lists Pentland House as part of its portfolio with these details:
“Use: Hospitality Size: 33,760 square foot.
“Pentland House is a Grade II listed building with design features from the 17th century. The building comprises 130 en-suite rooms, arranged over 3 floors surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. The property is being operated as a hostel.
“Pentland house is situated in Lewisham, South East London, adjacent to Manor House Gardens and benefiting for a wide range of local food and beverage amenities.”
Interland says on its website “We own, develop, and operate residential and commercial real estate assets in the United Kingdom, Netherlands and France.
“Interland’s wide ranging portfolio includes affordable accommodation, student accommodation, PRS, hotels, hostels, and offices. We operate and asset manage our assets either internally or through our own standalone operational companies. This vertical integration allows Interland to deliver an exceptional service tailored to our customers’ needs, whilst generating superior returns.
“Interland executes a wide range of value-add investment strategies that are designed to maximise risk-adjusted returns. We have a long-term investment horizon and reinvest most of our operational income. This approach allows us not only to preserve capital for the long term but also to weather market cycles and drive the company’s growth in all market conditions.”
The Lee Manor Society has contacted Interland for comment.