GVA Grimley IS an Estate Agent

The appointment of consultants GVA Grimley by Gateshead Council caused great concern among a number of residents. A quick look at the GVA Grimley worldwide website reveals that they claim to be "realtors".

For those of us in Gateshead the American term realtor means Estate Agent. They make it clear that they are property developers.

When these concerns were made to officials at Gateshead Council they claimed that Grimley won the consultancy under a tendering process and that no matter what the US website said they were not estate agents.

Residents own evidence, a photograph in central Newcastle, shows the window of GVA Lamb and Edge. This is the Newcastle based commercial property specialist recently made part of the GVA Grimley worldwide group.

In the mid 1990s the Nolan Committee investigated standards in public life. They concluded that public policy should not only be free of external interests but also appear to be free of external interests. Grimley's worldwide web of companies related to property development leaves it open to worries by residents when brought in as a consultant by public bodies. To counter those worries Gateshead Council should have done better than simply denying that Grimley were estate agents and admitted their worldwide interest in property development.

Councillors Smear Campaigners

Campaigners against the demolition of homes under the controversial pathfinder programme found themselves under extraordinary unguarded attack from Gateshead Councillors.

Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association had submitted 20 questions to be answered by the council on their demolition policy for the area. Two of the questions asked specifically about consultations with the Jewish Community. These consultations were done separately and appear to be the only faith group in the area asked for their views.

Confronted with this question councillors accused the leaders of Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association of being anti-semitic.

A definition of racism is normally

"The belief that one 'racial group' is inferior to another and the practices of the dominant group to maintain the inferior position of the dominated group. Often defined as a combination of power, prejudice and discrimination." (source: British Library)

A definition of Anti-Semitism is;

"Persecution and hostility against Jews." (Source: British Library)

The question was specifically about Gateshead Council's singular choice of the Jewish Community as a faith group that was specifically consulted. The effect of their choice was that other faith groups in the area such as the Catholic community, Muslims, and other ethnic groups were not asked for their opinion as distinctive groups with needs .

The Jewish Community may well be the largest practicing faith group in the area. They are certainly a major contributor to the multi-cultural life of the area. However not to consult other faith groups in the area reflects on how partial the consultation was.

What about councillors who rely on the charge of anti-semitism rather than answering the question? It is often said that when a politician is in a corner with no arguments left to justify a decision the last act is to abuse an opponent.

Abandoned Houses Belong to the Council!

Reported in today's Newcastle Journal is the revelation that Gateshead Council own 20 of the worst kept houses in Saltwell and Bensham Pathfinder.

Journalists revealled that 20 houses in Armstrong Street had been bought by Gateshead Council and had been boarded up. The impression given is of neglect and deprivation.

While this was happening Gateshead Council were saying that rogue landlords who did not look after their property was a major reason behind the need to demolish houses in Armstrong Street. The council complained that rogue landlords who did not live in the area were the reason why demolition was the solution. What they failed to reveal was that the council was one of the landlords.

The Residents Association had put several questions into the council as to why they were not carrying out enforcement proceedings on landlords who let their property decline. Now we know why the council wasn't keen to name and shame poor landlords.

Residents Q & A at Kelvin Grove School

With an absence of any concrete information from Gateshead Council the Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association called a public meeting for all residents of the 440 homes threatened with demolition.

Tony Bone (pictured) opened the meeting and announced that the we would be providing details of the timetable that we believe the council is using to determine events. Although we emphasised this was subject to change. The meeting was told that originally plans would be finalised in December 2005 and as late as today local television was talking about a £4 million bid.

The latest council plans seemed to suggest that the Draft Neighbourhood Plan would go to Gateshead Council's Cabinet in February and the full council in March 2006. This would suggest that the bid would would not be evaulated by BridgingNewcastleGateshead until April or May. This may mean that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister may not announce the actual cash handouts until much later this year.

A number of residents spoke about their stress and concern due to the uncertainty of what was going to happen to their homes. People spoke about un-rented property due to uncertainty and the decay in the quality of life in the area.

Comments were made that £4 million would be hardly enough to pull down one street if the council kept to their committment to compensate residents at market value. Several residents commented that they had no replies from councillors when they had written to oppose demolition but rather replies written by council staff. They felt councillors were not acting as their representatives.

Some residents expressed the view that if they were forced to move there was too little affordable housing and they would be at the bottom of housing ladder.

The Chairman emphasised that the residents association was prepared to continue to ask questions on their behalf to try and make sense of the proposals.

Despite the cold and rain the meeting was well attended and the chairman reminded all present that the next area public meeting would be in March at Whitehall Road Methodist Church.

How Independent Are Council Consultants?

At the outset of Gateshead Council plans to use the Government Pathfinder programme for market renewal many reesidents how open and transparent the consultancy process was.

GVA Grimley, appointed by the council at a cost of £600,000, are described by their international website in the USA as "realtors". In Britain we would say estate agents.

Council officials have constantly denied that there is a conflict of interest between Grimley as a property adviser and potentially a property developer and estate agent. Yet the recent merger between Grimley and local property property consultant Lamb and Edge blurs the line more.

Lamb and Edge will now be GVA Lamb and Edge.

Landlord Finds Whole Street Moves!

In a recent email to Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association a local landlord makes the bizarre claim that council consultants have moved an entire street!

Maps submitted to landlords have moved Armstrong Street around 500 metres from where it is leaving some people wondering why Gateshead Council £600,000 for consultants that can't produce correct maps.

No Love On St Valentines Day From Gateshead Council

On 14th February the cabinet of Gateshead Council may well try to subvert democratic process and push through the controversial palns to demolish 440 homes in Gateshead without a vote of the full council.

The cabinet, which meets in secret, could simply decide to demolish homes and report the decision to a full council rather than risk opposition in a real vote.

The cabinet system was a local government reform championed by Tony Blair on the basis that non-cabinet councillors could scrutinise the work of the council effectively. In practice it has created a relationship more like the old secret soviet politburo in which a small group of senior councillors can make decisions in secret without scrutiny of any kind.

Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association will be calling for a full debate in council and a recorded vote rather than an undemocratic decision behind closed doors.

Public Meeting on 7th Feb 2006 (Kelvin Grove School)

Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association is pleased to announce that there will be a public meeting for residents at Kelvin Grove School on Tuesday 7th February 2006 starting at 7pm and last for no more than one hour.

The meeting will be a chance for residents of the most threatened properties to question the Residents Association executive on what has been happening over the last few months. The meeting was put on after several requests.

Whether you live in the 440 threatened homes or you just want to support the campaign all are welcome.