Messenger Street, Nelson - Someit's Brewing

[Mitch]

Watch this space for further details, also not this Friday's Nelson Leader but the following Friday, 10th Feb Leader edition.

Watch out Liberata - us residents are coming for you!!!! Not to mention a bunch of incompetent ninkumpoops at Pendle Borough Council - jeez you aint gonna believe this one!!!

We don't do things like they do in London up here, they are gonna have to realise this as the phone operators have discovered!

More later, best Mitch ;D

[michele cryer]

Good Luck in your campaign Mitch...the residents have a great example to follow in you!!

[Mitch]

Hey up,

It's my fellow and fellowess residents on our street that are leading the way - I'm learning from them, and I'm learning a lot about the feisty Northern fight up here. They're just not having it:

Off to a council meeting tonight in Nelson but this letter received today withdrawing previous nasty letter - took a lot of work from residents,

From: Liberata Property Services, Booth St, Nelson, Lancs, BB9 7PX

Dear Sir/Madam,

LAND IN FRONT OF MESSENGER STREET, NELSON

Further to my recent letter concerning the land at the front of your house, I am pleased to be able to tell you that the Council has reconsidered the matter. ;D

It has been decided, in principle, that the land will be transferred to you at nil or negligible cost. It will, however, take a little time for the legal and financial implications of this to be fully worked out and I will write to you again, as soon as possible, once the correct procedures have been put in place.

I apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may have caused you and assure you that Pendle Council will use its best efforts to bring this matter to a mutually satisfactory conclusion. ;D

Yours faithfully,


W.J. Hargreaves
Property Services Manager.

All residents on Messenger St received this letter posted by hand this afternoon.

RA RA RESIDENTS OF MESSENGER STREET. Fantastic stuff, more tomorrow after the council meeting, and they'll be a big article in this Friday's Nelson Leader, with I think a statement from Mr Greaves ;D

Councillors will of course be suggesting that they have saved the day, but I've been involved in this protest from the start and I know different. It was us residents putting pressure on, refusing to pay, and talking to each other and coming together as a united group that lead to this conclusion. The first letter we had was asking for £600. One resident was featured on last Friday's Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Speaking up and coming together can lead to little victories.

More to follow. Hooray ;D

Best Mitch

[michele cryer]

Hey!!! Yipppeee!!! Well Done Messenger St. residents!!!

Looking forward to hearing the rest of this story Mitch! ;D

[Mitch]

Cheers. Quick summary of last night's Area Committee Meeting at 7pm/Nelson Town Hall.

Councillor Foster at the beginning of the meeting read out a statement (probs written by Tony Greaves), making a formal apology to the residents of Messenger Street for the stress and inconvenience caused, and assuring residents that no cost would be now be incurred.

He stated that the first letter had gone out to residents without the knowledge of councillors (eek, such is working in partnership with private companies). He stated that residents had occupied the said area for 16 YEARS and kept the gardens in good order and that the Council failed to transfer this land to the residents.

A full copy of this statement I think is to be printed in this Friday's Nelson Leader (the Leader were there, as were several residents including myself from Messenger st).

Colin Waite (Lab Councillor/Cloverhill) challenged Chair Councillor Foster to assure residents that another clearer letter would be sent out to them stating more clearly that they would incur NO (In his words 'a big fat Zero) ;D He promised residents he would ensure this happened.

Watch for the Nelson Leader the Friday for full details - Councillors literally turned this issue into a 'political football' which worked in favour of the residents - BUT IT WAS US RESIDENTS PUTTING PRESSURE ON COUNCILLORS AND KICKING UP A STINK THAT REALLY MADE THINGS HAPPEN.

Cheers Mitch
(Proud to live on Messenger St - I know all my neighbours now

[michele cryer]

Lol, Mitch...another Well Done from me...looking forward to Friday's Nelson Leader!

[Mitch]

Crash Demand U-Turn Over Residents' Land
PENDLE Council has made a dramatic U-turn and withdrawn letters demanding payment for land from residents on Messenger Street, Nelson.

Residents received letters from Liberata Property Services, acting on behalf of the council, informing them they would have to pay £525 for land they were given over 16 years ago, or hand it back.
This caused uproar among residents, who came together to object to the demands. Mrs Patricia Fielden, of Messenger Street, said: "I feel like we are being held to ransom and I don't think it's fair.
People have worked hard to improve this area and make it look good."
Yet the residents are now able to keep the land, a six-foot plot within their front gardens originally given as part of an area improvement scheme, after an announcement from Pendle Council.
Coun. David Foster, chairman of the Nelson Committee, said: "This letter was sent out without the knowledge of any elected councillors.
"As soon as we saw it, we called for it to be withdrawn. Another letter has been sent out to householders, withdrawing the first letter, and informing them that it is our intention to transfer the land to them at no cost."
Coun. David Whipp said: "I was closely involved with this Housing Action Area at the time and there is no doubt that this land was given to the residents. If council staff at that time did not do the job properly, that is no fault of the householders today, some of whom have lived there all their lives."
After the announcement, Mrs Fielden said: "We are really pleased that we have got a good result.
"It's great to know that we can get together and make changes."
10 February 2006
(The photo may be in the Leader this week - will pick up later!)

Article's a little briefer than expected! ;D

www.pendletoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=365&ArticleID=1345999

[michele cryer]

Well, brief as it may be, at least one of the residents got her voice heard, will look out for the paper meself too...can't wait to see yer mug on the front! lol. ;D