According to Inside Croydon, the Grade II-listed Old Rectory and The Russettings “has been bought by a developer linked to a derelict pub that has been left to decay”.
Local heritage group Carshalton Old Rectory Association (CORA) is outraged by the report, saying the sale contradicts past council promises to protect the building.
The group has campaigned for years to see the 17th-century property preserved and used for arts and community projects.
According to Inside Croydon, the council made the purchase of The Russettings, a former registry office, conditional on the buyer also taking on the Old Rectory.
The Russettings was sold for £1.8 million, while the Old Rectory was sold deal for just £535,000.
However, a spokesperson for Sutton Council said the marketing of both buildings was approved by councillors in July 2024 and that buyers were not required to purchase both properties together.
Sutton Council has defended the sale of the building as it was “necessary to restore the Old Rectory and bring it back into use”
The council said the property was widely marketed through a competitive bidding process and that the costs of maintaining a listed building limited the number of interested buyers.
According to Inside Croydon, the buyer in both cases is an offshore company, Nelson Insurance Company Ltd which is based in Gibraltar.
Nelson Insurance Company Ltd, is linked to Andrew Hussey, a businessman who also owns AJH Property Developments Ltd.
This company is responsible for The Fox and Hounds pub in Carshalton High Street, which has been left to decay since it closed in February 2017.
However, the council recently reassured residents that the chosen buyer is a local developer committed to refurbishing the Old Rectory in line with its heritage status.
The full Sutton Council statement said: “We are totally committed to the restoration of The Old Rectory building and bringing this much-loved local building back into use under the protection of its heritage status.
“Marketing the Old Rectory and Russettings was approved by councillors on the Strategy & Resources Committee back in July 2024 and they were separately offered for sale.
“The Council did not specify that the same buyer had to take on both properties.
“Sadly, various proposals have been made over the years for The Old Rectory but none of them has proved viable.
“We share our residents’ frustration that a use for the building has not been found before now.
“The Old Rectory was marketed widely with a competitive bidding process.
“As a listed building, works to refurbish the Old Rectory will be significant and costly. This has limited the number of potential interested parties.
“The Council is happy to be taking forward the winning proposal, bearing in mind the costs of maintenance and repair.
“We are pleased to have now found a potential purchaser, locally to Sutton, who is committed to refurbishing and using the Old Rectory.
“Refurbishment will need to be sympathetic to the building’s heritage status and subject to any formal approvals required including Listed Building consent.”
