With an average wage of £13,000 per year how does an average Walker resident afford a new home with prices starting at £125,000?
Not a new GCSE question for the region's young people but a question at the heart of Ian Wright's interview on the BBC Politics Show this weekend. Wright, now the Minister in charge of Demolition, babbled about £1 billion in national investment and £100 million in local investment. Unfortunately despite being a shed load of cash that money barely covers 5% of the Northern Rock bailout. Here in Saltwell and Bensham the proposed demolition will come in at a cool £40 million.
So back to the original question. How do poorly paid families afford housing in Walker? The minister's answer was they don't! OK he didn't use those words. Instead he spoke about diversity in the community. Which means selling houses to people from outside the area who can afford high prices. It means a minimal number of houses for rent. It means relying on the private sector to build.
Richard Moss, the BBC Political Editor in the North East, can spot an open goal when he sees one. So he produced the figures that says BridgingNewcastleGateshead have demolished thousands of homes but built just 227. Of course when we say built we really mean sold off land to private millionaire builders for profit rather than hire any actual builders.
Wright babbled that nationally far more houses had been refurbished and threw in a few good New Labour words about building communities just to divert the interviewer.
Moss pressed the minister on the examples in the film showing people being forced out of the area and pointed out that few people could now get mortgages. This kind of argument didn't deter a Minister trying to defend the economics of the madhouse. Again he babbled about supporting communities with millions.
Perhaps the Minister should read the National Audit Office report that said Pathfinder had made no difference with many properties being sold to buy to let investors. Even MPs on the Public Accounts Committee questioned the flagship demolition programme.
The minister seems unable to understand the basic economics of living in a place in Walker. Perhaps this is a general problem of politicians in Westminster. They have generous salaries by national standards, travel to work paid for, generous pensions, and their second homes are paid for by the taxpayer at a time when most working people are struggling to pay for their own (first) home.
Link
BBC North East Politics Show
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
New Consultation Brings In Residents Ideas
This week the council launched a significantly smaller consultation on the future of the streets around Liddell Terrace and Saltwell Place. This time only three boards and no disguised terminology to hide the word demolition. They are just going to renovate and restore the good design of the area.
Most residents will find these ideas have a familiar ring - no demolition, renovation, return of fences and defining space. In fact the restoration of the genuine Victorian character of the area.
All these ideas were proposed back in the summer of 2005 when Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association delivered their alternative ideas to the council. It was an alternative to spending £40 million on demolition.
Right now approximately 30 families are in bed and breaskfast accommodation in Gateshead. The highest ever. Meanwhile this year Gateshead have demolished the very houses that could have been renovated for those families. Gateshead Council have said that there are 600 "abandoned" houses in the Saltwell and Bensham area. It begs the question that if this is really true why are the homeless increasing and not decreasing.
Mrs Thatcher sold off social housing in the 1980s but neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party have prioritised social housing since. The people of this area have been let down by a philosphy of letting the private sector do it all. The problem is that the private sector want to build luxury appartments for buy to let speculators.
This new consultation is beginning to show Gateshead Council has a concern for the area ordinary people actually live in rather than a desire to turn central Gateshead into a profit centre for developers. We can only hope they end the madness of demolition and support the communityof Saltwell and Bensham.
Most residents will find these ideas have a familiar ring - no demolition, renovation, return of fences and defining space. In fact the restoration of the genuine Victorian character of the area.
All these ideas were proposed back in the summer of 2005 when Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association delivered their alternative ideas to the council. It was an alternative to spending £40 million on demolition.
Right now approximately 30 families are in bed and breaskfast accommodation in Gateshead. The highest ever. Meanwhile this year Gateshead have demolished the very houses that could have been renovated for those families. Gateshead Council have said that there are 600 "abandoned" houses in the Saltwell and Bensham area. It begs the question that if this is really true why are the homeless increasing and not decreasing.
Mrs Thatcher sold off social housing in the 1980s but neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party have prioritised social housing since. The people of this area have been let down by a philosphy of letting the private sector do it all. The problem is that the private sector want to build luxury appartments for buy to let speculators.
This new consultation is beginning to show Gateshead Council has a concern for the area ordinary people actually live in rather than a desire to turn central Gateshead into a profit centre for developers. We can only hope they end the madness of demolition and support the communityof Saltwell and Bensham.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Camden Finds Old Is Energy Efficient
One of the big arguments for demolition is that old houses are not energy efficient and need to be replaced. Some councillors say that Victorian and Edwardian houses dont have damp protection and have no proper foundations.
The problem is that a huge percentage of the nation's housing stock was built before 1919. Few periods after then have produced buildings that last and most demolition in Britain during recent years have been poorly designed 1960s property.
For a relatively small sum of money Camden have shown that renovating old houses is cost effective.
A new roof and solar panels has brought property to the cutting edge of environmental problems in the 21st century. Unless Gateshead wants to demolish half the town then it should look at what Camden are doing to improve housing.
Links
Camden
The problem is that a huge percentage of the nation's housing stock was built before 1919. Few periods after then have produced buildings that last and most demolition in Britain during recent years have been poorly designed 1960s property.
For a relatively small sum of money Camden have shown that renovating old houses is cost effective.
A new roof and solar panels has brought property to the cutting edge of environmental problems in the 21st century. Unless Gateshead wants to demolish half the town then it should look at what Camden are doing to improve housing.
Links
Camden
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Regeneration Cash Set To Disappear
According to Newcastle City Council's Liberal Democrat's the government is preparing to withdraw regeneration cash from the north in a last minute effort to shore-up Middle England voters.
Bill Shepard, the executive member for housing, fears that politics will mean that Labour will divert money south to help hard pressed mortgage payers in an attempt to stop electoral disaster.
For the Liberal Democrats of Newcastle the mass demolition policy of pathfinder has been a boost to electoral success throughout the city. Demolition of Labour voting council housing and the provision of new homes that cost many times the average wage have brought many Liberal voting people into the city wards that were formally solid Labour. They can both thank Labour for becoming the Turkeys that voted for Christmas and condemn them for abandoning the north when the money disappears. A self-imposed double whammy for the Parliamentary seats that make up Newcastle. At the next election two out of the three seats will be fought with large numbers of entrenched Lib-Dem council seats. Only Jim Cousins in Newcastle Central will find himself with a safer Labour seat.
Other places likely to suffer from reduced Labour votes are the demolition areas of Lancashire, Manchester, Liverpool and Hull. All of which have neatly removed large numbers of Labour voters. Tens of thousands of former Labour voters thrown out of their homes is not what you need when every vote counts. Another self-inflicted policy disaster.
Links
Newcastle Journal
Bill Shepard, the executive member for housing, fears that politics will mean that Labour will divert money south to help hard pressed mortgage payers in an attempt to stop electoral disaster.
For the Liberal Democrats of Newcastle the mass demolition policy of pathfinder has been a boost to electoral success throughout the city. Demolition of Labour voting council housing and the provision of new homes that cost many times the average wage have brought many Liberal voting people into the city wards that were formally solid Labour. They can both thank Labour for becoming the Turkeys that voted for Christmas and condemn them for abandoning the north when the money disappears. A self-imposed double whammy for the Parliamentary seats that make up Newcastle. At the next election two out of the three seats will be fought with large numbers of entrenched Lib-Dem council seats. Only Jim Cousins in Newcastle Central will find himself with a safer Labour seat.
Other places likely to suffer from reduced Labour votes are the demolition areas of Lancashire, Manchester, Liverpool and Hull. All of which have neatly removed large numbers of Labour voters. Tens of thousands of former Labour voters thrown out of their homes is not what you need when every vote counts. Another self-inflicted policy disaster.
Links
Newcastle Journal
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Homes Under Threat Conference In Leeds
Today we attended a unique event in Leeds. Campaigners from almost every pathfinder area threatened with demolition got together in Leeds to compare notes, experience and discuss tactics in the ongoing battle against mass demolition in the north of England.
Chaired by Liz Richardson from the University of Manchester delegates discussed how local councils, unelected quangos, government departments and millionaire developers were destroying communities and making profit from bulldozing homes across the north. Reports from groups illustrated how local councils were using all kinds of tactics to get homeowners to sell and tennants to leave.
Elizabeth Pascoe made reference to her battle in Liverpool against the council and English Partnerships.
A detailled legal briefing was given by a QC and expert in defeating compulsory purchase orders.
Afternoon workshops on planning and freedom of information were also well attended.
The key point of the day was that our small campaign against demolition in Gateshead is actually a large national movement of groups all over the north.
Links
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Alternative Design for Manchester
SAVE Britain's Heritage are now working with groups in Manchester to put forward and alternative vision of renewing neighbourhoods without demolition. BBC News has reported that SAVE are joining with 70 official objectors to a scheme involving 550 demolitions.
The new vision is actively involving residents in their own future instead of bringing in consultants. This is directly opposite from the bureaucratic approach made by Gateshead Council that simply wanted to get a rubber stamp for demolition and government cash.
Mark Hines is an architect to come up with an alternative vision that does not involve mass demolition in Manchester.
Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association is watching this move very carefully having recently hosted a visit by SAVE. Will Palin, Secretary of SAVE, described demolition in Gateshead as a "national scandal".
Links
BBC News
The new vision is actively involving residents in their own future instead of bringing in consultants. This is directly opposite from the bureaucratic approach made by Gateshead Council that simply wanted to get a rubber stamp for demolition and government cash.
Mark Hines is an architect to come up with an alternative vision that does not involve mass demolition in Manchester.
Saltwell and Bensham Residents Association is watching this move very carefully having recently hosted a visit by SAVE. Will Palin, Secretary of SAVE, described demolition in Gateshead as a "national scandal".
Links
BBC News
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