The Guardian: "Residents fight landlord's plan to sell off social housing estate"

"Keith Exford accused of social cleansing over his plan to evict low-income tenants from Sutton Estate to make way for private homes"

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"One of Britain’s highest paid social housing bosses has been accused of social cleansing over plans to evict low-income tenants to make way for multimillion-pound private homes in one of London’s richest enclaves.

"Chelsea residents have launched a campaign to block plans by Keith Exford, chief executive of Affinity Sutton, to demolish most of the Sutton Estate, which was established in 1913 expressly to provide “houses for use and occupation by the poor”.

"Exford, who was paid £291,490 last year, wants to rebuild it with 144 fewer affordable homes and 106 new private apartments, many expected to be worth more than £4m each.

"The campaign against the plans has won the backing of the comedian Eddie Izzard and the Labour MP Tom Watson. The scheme could deliver Exford’s operation a profit of well over £200m. New 'affordable' tenancies could rise from £114 a week on a one-bedroom flat to about £520, residents fear."