RESIDENTS ALERT - Potential cons/Housing renewal!

[Mitch]

Just a few of the things below that residents in other areas around the country have objected to when Housing Renewal and Pathfinder plans have come their way - food for thought indeed!!

Flawed Consultation Process allowing no real input from residents. Providing no real information on which to make comment.

Meetings behind closed doors; Irregularities in questionnaire return numbers, and so on.

Consultation was arranged to arrive at conclusions that point to a plan already in conception (reference: Housing Today Article – Middlesbrough to Remodel Town Centre – see Press Releases)

Gross exaggeration of empty property figures (known as ‘voids’).

Lack of detailed surveys. We are told homes do not meet decency standards and yet the surveyors have not been inside to do internal surveys.

Little to no information regarding alternative housing. No idea of where, when, how we are to be relocated.

Insufficient information as regards compensation packages – just vague and most probably empty promises of ‘market value’ as if ‘demolition does not exist’ – whatever that should mean?

No information as regards what the land will be used for once our homes are demolished.

We have yet to see the ‘New Vision’ and therefore cannot be sure that it is right for our home town.

(taken from http://www.homeregeneration.com)

[Bob Downe]

I think the standard of housing is appalling in Nelson

I also think that this scheme of so called 'renavation' should have happened at a more approriate time BEFORE the mills in Pendle were left open to abuse by the run down council in the borough.

I gave up long ago wondering what would happen to t'old mills and now my thoughts were correct, they are nowt but wasted space waiting to be built on by some ecterior twat from bygone land who knows nothing of Pendle's heritage.

[michele cryer]

Well commented Bob.

[Mitch]

I think they must have had a plan at Pendle BC a while ago - and it's the same in Burnley.

They've let certain areas run down, with rogue landlords coming in and general deterioration, then they swoop in for demolition (disguised as 'Elevate') saying that certain areas are so bad they houses are best knocked down.

[michele cryer]

Another good comment Mitch, supported last night by residents of the Piccadilly Road area who confirmed that this sort of thing is happening there too.

[Bob downe]

Is it just me, or is Pendle now seeing some invasion by foreigners from oer't border?

I say this because I hear more and more accents that aren't lancashire based. I ventured into ASDA (ahem) now an then and I also speak to people on the street (when I get the chance).

There does seem to have been a migration from other areas of the south of England to the North, worst thing is, no one told me! and I'm now trying to explain myself to the 'cockney' voiced woman on the P.A system in ASDA!

12 months ago I went to a car boot sale in Gisburn, a chap I spoke to there said he was from near London.
SO I asked what was he doin up here?
He said he had been relocated to the griffin estate in Burnley and that all his families benefits were paid and it was his 'first choice' for relocation.

WHat IS going on here?

I used to live at the back of the 110 club in Burnley and there were people being 'imported' from Liverpool to 'FILL' the poor 'empty' housing that was literally given away by Burnley council to landlords from other boroughs. At a sly cost no doubt.

There were decent folks living in the street, some who have been there for decades and couldnt understand WHY there was so much drug-laden drunken riff-raff from elsewhere being housed in the same area!

EVER since thatcher sold off the council housing theres been no turning back for landlords and deviants who knew they were sitting on a goldmine when the price was 'right'.

This country has gone from doorstep community pride to s_H_it_hole in less than 15 years!

Question is, why?

Changes in Society is why.

AS working lives change so whole families are affected by the upheaval of technology. Ousted are the multitudes to make way for the machine. The mining or Mill town communities (such as Burnley/Pendle) have nothing less to do but adapt their skills to suit the ever changing markets. Problem is, the people who worked in these mills/pits arent really that keen on pluckin away at keyboards or chattin on telesales phones to others.

Changing from manufature to service work was never an option for the hard earning 'makers' of Burnley & Pendle. This is borne out by the sheer number of unemployed now having to re-train or submit themselves to early retirement on the dole.

Posstots from university tried to make Prestige a 'world class marketing company' only to find they didn't understand the REAL world market.

Poor management at Michelin in Burnley meant doom and gloom due to obvious forecasts.

It's a shame that Burnley has such a poorly run Council who are not only ignorent of national affairs but also follow each others claims for annual expenses.

(Only councils like Burnley agree to market their ex council stock housing on TV as if it were better than taking out a mortgage)

The east lancs pathfinder scheme is obviously followed to the 'T' by executives since thats all they are good at, following government recommendations. It's no surprise that the logistics don't add up to where existing owners will be relocated.

I can tell you this though. I'm currently advising homeowners of their rights to home ownership and have succesfully created a residents action group in Burnley that are in negotiation with the Council.

We now have Plans in place that legally oppose the encroachment anticipated by the Council (ODPM) in close proximity to the dwellings.

The occupants have been asked to relocate but the row of houses are not in an ill state of repair and as such the Council (on behalf of the Office of Deputy Prime minister - ODPM) have no legal rights to demolish or request the ocupants relocate.

Minimal information has been priovided to the occupants regarding the pathfinder scheme. We are now in consultation with consultants from Planning Aid

www.planningaid.rtpi.org.uk/

Change is needed, but it must not be at the expense of heritage or eviction of people from homes they hold dear as memories.

"The light must be srtong enough for all of us to see the way, or we may falter, and in our wake others may fall"

[michele cryer]

Wow! You seem to be doing a lot to help the residents in Burnley, Bob, and must be congratulated for your efforts...I hope they get the desired effect.