Those area that have the dubious "honour" of pathfinder status quickly become associated with blight and demolition. The problem is so acute that merely living in a pathfinder area can subject you to greater crime, arson, and anti-social behaviour as the local criminals often assume (wrongly) that the area has been abandoned.
Pat Anderson of Walker in Newcastle lives in part of the BridgingNewcastleGateshead area. One day she left for work as normal and returned to find that the council was boarding up her house and had thrown her furniture in a large skip outside her home. She had been forced out of her home after 20 years. Council workers had assumed (wrongly) that her home was going to demolished.
Last year Mrs Anderson discovered her street had been earmarked for demolition. The council had offered £42,000 for her home which was recently valued at £80,000 days before the council workmen struck. The council trespassed on her property, destroyed fixtures and fittings and then threw the furniture into a skip. Mrs Anderson said that the damage was so extensive she could no longer live in the property until extensive repairs are done.
The council was only prepared to offer £500 to repair the damage.
Mrs Anderson was only two years from retirement and hoped her home would be a great place to live for years to come. Instead she faces bills of thousands of pounds to restore the house to a condition she can move back to.
Many people in Saltwell and Bensham will sympathise with the bungling and incompetent use of pathfinder money to force people out of their own homes. Instead of a programme to rebuild communities it is destroying lives and futures.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Gateshead Council Fails To Identify A House!
In a bizarre twist to the controversial demolition proposals in Saltwell and Bensham, the council has released a "clarification" leaflet that is less than clear.
Gateshead Council have recently gotten upset by the Residents Association putting residents views on the record. In a leaflet targeting the Residents Association the council claim that the Residents Association have been misleading the public. A point by point rebuttal is as pointless as the council leaflet is vacuous. However a flavour of their fuzzy logic might help readers understand that the debate is far from rational.
The council offered £117,000 for a property in the demolition area. The £100,000 barrier is significant in the area as a local councillor said at a public meeting that "anyone thinking that a house worth £100,000 would be demolished was stupid". The Residents Association reported the purchase and has been described as "misleading" people.
The council argues that £117,000 was offered for two flats that had been knocked together. In Saltwell and Bensham we usually refer two flats being knocked together with an upstairs and a downstairs as a house. We think that is a pretty reasonable description. However Gateshead Council feels we are misleading people. So to set the record straight on this issue, so as not to mislead, that Gateshead Council have purchased a single property which used to be two self-contained flats and now most reasonable people would describe as a house for £117,000.
More cynical residents suspect that by trying not to use the word "house" the council is simply trying to avoid the physiological £100,000 barrier where most sane people would argue that a property worth £100,000 needs to be refurbished and not demolished.
The council's record stands for itself. Last year they said that anyone talking about demolition was scaremongering. Then they announced 440 demolitions. Last year they said people owning a house worth £100,000 would not face demolition. Now they are prepared to pay £100,000 to bring in the bulldozer. Look at the record and ask who is misleading who.
Gateshead Council have recently gotten upset by the Residents Association putting residents views on the record. In a leaflet targeting the Residents Association the council claim that the Residents Association have been misleading the public. A point by point rebuttal is as pointless as the council leaflet is vacuous. However a flavour of their fuzzy logic might help readers understand that the debate is far from rational.
The council offered £117,000 for a property in the demolition area. The £100,000 barrier is significant in the area as a local councillor said at a public meeting that "anyone thinking that a house worth £100,000 would be demolished was stupid". The Residents Association reported the purchase and has been described as "misleading" people.
The council argues that £117,000 was offered for two flats that had been knocked together. In Saltwell and Bensham we usually refer two flats being knocked together with an upstairs and a downstairs as a house. We think that is a pretty reasonable description. However Gateshead Council feels we are misleading people. So to set the record straight on this issue, so as not to mislead, that Gateshead Council have purchased a single property which used to be two self-contained flats and now most reasonable people would describe as a house for £117,000.
More cynical residents suspect that by trying not to use the word "house" the council is simply trying to avoid the physiological £100,000 barrier where most sane people would argue that a property worth £100,000 needs to be refurbished and not demolished.
The council's record stands for itself. Last year they said that anyone talking about demolition was scaremongering. Then they announced 440 demolitions. Last year they said people owning a house worth £100,000 would not face demolition. Now they are prepared to pay £100,000 to bring in the bulldozer. Look at the record and ask who is misleading who.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Gateshead Council Confuses Residents On Demolition Schedule
Having fought for a year to push through controversial demolition proposals in Saltwell and Bensham using every trick in the book including dodgy surveys and only 25% support on the ground you would have thought that Gateshead Council would be rapidly progressing with it's plan to bring in the wreaking ball.
Far from it. Indeed residents have got a variety of messages from council officials. One officer explained to one resident that the council couldn't buy her home because the council had no money until next April. Another resident was told that the council had loads of money but it was allocated into different budgets so it couldn't be spent straight away. A further tale was that the council has been delayed by unfilled posts in the correct teams.
The council plan is to demolish flats and replace them with "family homes" built by large multi-national building companies in the private sector. Moving out hard working families and providing accommodation for "more desirable" residents. Class cleansing rather than ethnic cleansing. Meanwhile some 500 metres from the demolition site, just outside the pathfinder boundary, a senior citizen's home is to be closed, demolished and turned into luxury flats. Thus completely ignoring the council's claimed need for "family homes".
No wonder residents are more confused than enlightened by Gateshead Council plans.
Far from it. Indeed residents have got a variety of messages from council officials. One officer explained to one resident that the council couldn't buy her home because the council had no money until next April. Another resident was told that the council had loads of money but it was allocated into different budgets so it couldn't be spent straight away. A further tale was that the council has been delayed by unfilled posts in the correct teams.
The council plan is to demolish flats and replace them with "family homes" built by large multi-national building companies in the private sector. Moving out hard working families and providing accommodation for "more desirable" residents. Class cleansing rather than ethnic cleansing. Meanwhile some 500 metres from the demolition site, just outside the pathfinder boundary, a senior citizen's home is to be closed, demolished and turned into luxury flats. Thus completely ignoring the council's claimed need for "family homes".
No wonder residents are more confused than enlightened by Gateshead Council plans.
7,400 Demolitions - Now The Audit Office wants to know if it's value for money
With 7,400 demolitions nationally and the cost of demolition as high as £200,000 in some cases the National Audit Office is preparing to investigate John Prescott's troubled scheme.
Pathfinder, the scheme that shares it's name with the bombers that led the distruction of Germany in World War Two, has been controversial. In some parts of the country cash strapped councils have surendered communties to the bulldozer to get central government cash. In many areas residents have opposed the plans and attacked the destruction as mindless vandalism.
Now the government's financial watchdog is to inquire as to whether it is all value for money. A finding against the government will put a very large nail into a very secure coffin for the project.
Link: Daily Telegraph (15/7/2006)
Pathfinder, the scheme that shares it's name with the bombers that led the distruction of Germany in World War Two, has been controversial. In some parts of the country cash strapped councils have surendered communties to the bulldozer to get central government cash. In many areas residents have opposed the plans and attacked the destruction as mindless vandalism.
Now the government's financial watchdog is to inquire as to whether it is all value for money. A finding against the government will put a very large nail into a very secure coffin for the project.
Link: Daily Telegraph (15/7/2006)
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Up and coming events for the Residents Association
Social Events - Come and Join Us
Going to the Dogs
Friday 14th July 2006 from 18.30
Come along with other residents to Sunderland Dog Races. We have a limited number of tickets for a great Friday night out. Entry, race card, pie and peas plus a drink for £3.00. We also have a number of tickets priced at £5.00 that includes bus travel there and back.
Have a fun night out. Tickets from Maggs Harrison on 0191-420-3794 or 07891-804586.
(Coach leaves at 6.30 on Rawling Road next to St Chads).
Community Fete
Saturday 15th July 2006 from 1pm to 4pm
Whitehall Road Methodist Church Hall
Includes: Children's Book and Toy Sale, Bric a Brac, fly a rocket (bring a pop bottle along!), make your own jewellery, face painting, food, and teas and coffees all afternoon.
PLUS Much more on the day....
Best of all FREE ENTRY !!
Enquiries: Nancy Bone (Secretary) on 0191 477 0036
Going to the Dogs
Friday 14th July 2006 from 18.30
Come along with other residents to Sunderland Dog Races. We have a limited number of tickets for a great Friday night out. Entry, race card, pie and peas plus a drink for £3.00. We also have a number of tickets priced at £5.00 that includes bus travel there and back.
Have a fun night out. Tickets from Maggs Harrison on 0191-420-3794 or 07891-804586.
(Coach leaves at 6.30 on Rawling Road next to St Chads).
Community Fete
Saturday 15th July 2006 from 1pm to 4pm
Whitehall Road Methodist Church Hall
Includes: Children's Book and Toy Sale, Bric a Brac, fly a rocket (bring a pop bottle along!), make your own jewellery, face painting, food, and teas and coffees all afternoon.
PLUS Much more on the day....
Best of all FREE ENTRY !!
Enquiries: Nancy Bone (Secretary) on 0191 477 0036
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)