Stressed dad of seven losing home of two decades in the dark to what comes next

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School caretaker Thomas Gillespie (Image: Liverpool Echo)
School caretaker Thomas Gillespie (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A dad of seven losing his home of 24 years after retiring from his job says he's "not getting anywhere" in finding a new place to live.

Thomas Gillespie, 66, has spent more than 24 years working as a caretaker at Linacre Primary School in Bootle. During this time, Thomas and his wife Marie, 57, have lived with their 13-year-old son in a house on the school grounds which was provided as part of the job under service occupancy.

Thomas believes it was previously protocol for a retired caretaker to be provided with alternative accommodation by Sefton Council upon leaving the role. But when he started making enquiries five years ago about what would happen when he retired, Thomas claims he was "passed from pillar to post."

He was ultimately told he had to leave the school property by Thursday, August 31 - and was offered temporary accommodation which he claimed was "uninhabitable." He claims he has been unable to get answers to questions about his future housing options for years, reports Liverpool Echo.

Thomas, who is a dad to five daughters and two sons aged between 13 and 40, said: "When the job was advertised the house was part of the job because it was on site - it's part of security I suppose. We moved from a four-bedroom house in Seaforth. I've always been proud of being part of the school, I really enjoyed it. I started a Linacre School association known as a PTA (parent-teacher association) to raise money for the school.

London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard eidexihxiqhrinvLondon flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
Stressed dad of seven losing home of two decades in the dark to what comes nextThomas Gillespie with his wife Marie who are being told to leave their house (Liverpool Echo)

"Since I've been there children who have been in school in infants have come back with their own children. As a 66-year-old man who's worked all his life, 24 years with Sefton Council, it's just soured everything. It's like it's all been for nothing. It's so stressful. My wife is in tears all the time. She's worried about our health."

Thomas said he initially enquired in 2017 about what would happen with regards to the caretaker's house and his occupancy when he retired. A 2020 letter from the school, seen by the ECHO, states the property is owned by Sefton Council.

The letter states: "The governing body agreed that their focus should be on education and decided that once you left the job as site manager, we no longer wanted the responsibility of the house. In future, the post would not include provision of accommodation and so the school had no need for it."

Thomas said he has spent five years trying to contact Sefton Council and school governors for more information but claims "no one knows the answer." A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “Decisions taken in relation to school property are made by school governors. Sefton Council is unable to comment on these matters, or on individual housing applications.”

Thomas said: "It's like a hot potato - it's one of those situations no one wants to touch and no one knows the answer. The old protocol was when a caretaker does retire they were offered a house from Sefton Council housing authority. But most local authorities don't own housing anymore, they're dealt with through housing associations. Through no fault of my own they've not got a house to give me."

Thomas said: "In July last year we got told to go to housing options which we did. We've been bidding on Property Pool Plus (an affordable housing lettings service) for over 13 months for properties but we're not getting anywhere." Thomas, who has previously had cancer, said he has since been moved from band D to band A to give him higher priority on the Property Pool due to his health issues, which include a heart condition and arthritis.

This week Thomas and Marie were offered temporary accommodation from the council but they say this was in an uninhabitable condition. A letter from the school, seen by the ECHO, states the couple can now remain in the caretaker's house until 4pm on Monday, September 4.

A petition to stop Mr Gillespie being moved from his home has had more than 1,500 signatures.

Charlotte Hadfield

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