Community 'break-up' row

Ciara Leeming

July 02, 2007

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GEORGE: Forced out

RESIDENTS in a city regeneration zone have hit out at the break-up of their community.

Lower Broughton in Salford is in a £500m scheme claiming to have locals `at its heart'.

Streets are being pulled down to make way for more than 3,500 new homes and community facilities, partly funded through the government's Housing Market Renewal plan.

The first phase - featuring 430 family houses - is almost finished and could be occupied within weeks.

But not everyone is happy, with some residents resenting its effect on the community.

John and Kathleen Tyson spent most of their life in a two-up, two-down terrace house on Kempster Street. They were given just £24,000 for their home, which they owned and had improved and extended over the years.

Community

Kathleen said: "Everyone in the street knew each other. You could pop across the street and borrow things and we all looked out for each other's children. It was a real community.

"We had to find ourselves a new home to rent. We did not have enough money to buy another and were too old to get a mortgage.

"Our neighbours are scattered all over. The hearts are being ripped out of communities."

George Waite, 63, whose council house on Countess Grove is earmarked for clearance, added: "To say the local community is not happy is an understatement. We thought we had a home for life. The scheme is good news for the developers, but bad for the Lower Broughton community - most of whom don't want to move."

Salford council says `blight' made regeneration of Lower Broughton essential. The population fell from 12,000 to 2,000 in three decades, the area suffered from serious crime, poor health, unemployment and poor housing.

Coun Peter Connor said the council was `wholly committed to community engagement' and to succeed, the regeneration must have the support of residents.

He said the proposals so far had bee developed by `an innovative programme of comprehensive community consultation'.

He added: "As well as the offer of a new home, all residents are being supported throughout the relocation process and will receive full home loss and disturbance compensation to help with any move.

"As far as we are aware, most residents are very pleased to be offered the chance of a new home in the regeneration area.

"Repopulation of central Salford is vital if it is to flourish. We believe a mixed community offers the best chance for all."

What do you think? Have your say.

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Showing comments 1 to 14 and replies | View All

Salford Ken, South Australia (02/07/2007 at 08:19)

Been there done that. My solution was to emigrate 35 years ago. The so called representatives of the people (councill's) will never convince me that it's in the interest of the present residents.It may be in their and fellow 'fat cat's interest. They didn't convince me 35years ago and they don't now. I saw my in- laws destroyed by simialr actions. Took their home gave them a pittance and had all the money back in rents within 2-3 years. Good Luck to the last of the true Salfordians.

Ken Phoenix

ace, manchester (02/07/2007 at 10:17)

£24,000 you cannot buy a dog kennel for this amount now .the councils need to be ashamed of themselves .rip off labour (the working mans party) youve all been conned its time people woke up and stopped being conned by these so calleed politicians .labour has always destroyed communities.from the big slum clearances of the 1960s they destroyed communities that took a hundred years to make.

ace, manchester (02/07/2007 at 11:16)

If anybody else is under CPO fight the councils for a true market value ,so that people can afford to buy a replacement home.Its time these politicians we have in our councils start to do what "we" pay them for .to look after "our" interests.and if they dont want to do this vote them out...politicians need to remember they work for us .

G W Parry (02/07/2007 at 11:48)

its not just market value for the house - its market value disregarding the (usually v bad) effects of the scheme that they are buying the house for (section 6 Land Compensation Act) contact fight for our homes for more

ann1953, Lr broughton salford (03/07/2007 at 13:20)

to say the residents of lower broughton are not happy is an understatement not one person iknow are happy,they are not giving the community anything, they are giving us less than we have now they have taken our driveways away from us and we will have two spaces at the back of the house one of which will be ours so we will have to put up with whoever else is allocated there,we have recently had to figth to have a kitchen cupboard put on the wall, and as far as the compansation is concerned what they are giving us we will have to spend on the new property as the furniture we have will not fit as they are smaller propertys, the allowence per room as we are told is 30 pounds thats for the loss off carpets and curtains its insulting.its a shame a lot more people from the area have not been intervuied, not one person i know wants to move, its ok them keep saying people are happy , but thats not the case i would love to meet these people, how can they say were happy when they are taking more away from us than they are giving back. these houses we are in now are only 25 years old how can they jutify that, will they do the same again with the new ones?

ace, manchester (03/07/2007 at 13:24)

If you think about why the government breaks communities up? usually labour councils and governments. Devide and Conquer? if you break up a community you have better control over those people..Its very simple.....

ace, manchester (03/07/2007 at 13:33)

ann1953, Lr broughton salford
Get in touch with your mp/Meps and protest at the problems the council are creating.It will kill your community off if you allow the council to get its own way ..keep toghether and solid .that is what the council dosnt want (you have power in numbers) dont let then break your group up.FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS YOU ARE THE VOTERS.....

moodyblu, Heald Green (03/07/2007 at 13:34)

Why not demolish all the houses and build a car park for those want to avoid the inner congestion charge??

judd, Salford (03/07/2007 at 15:20)

How can any council get away with such a plan?
Houses that in one street are less than 10-years-old, Housing Assoc properties that are 17-years-old and council houses designed by Salford Uni as the first council eco houses built 23 years ago.
Councillor Connor has put it in writing that none of the properties are less than 30-years-old. I wonder who is pulling his strings?

Val Broadbent (03/07/2007 at 16:30)

Councillor Connor said..... 'The proposals so far had been developed by `an innovative programme of comprehensive community consultation'. If this is true why then wasn't the community shown the plans before they were submitted.... and why haven't the residents who are due to move in, in a few days/weeks even been allowed near the homes that they are supposed to be moving into. We have been kept away from the affordable homes... The only ones we have seen are The private for sale homes that are now being snapped up by developers.

Manchester by Day (03/07/2007 at 16:45)

I lived not far from this area as a student 10 years ago. It is/was a ghastly area with high levels of crime and was a dangerous place to wander.

The problem is not with the houses - it is with the criminal, thug-like people who live there (not all I add) who run this area down.

judd, Salford (03/07/2007 at 17:10)

Manchester by Day - it's a pity you can only comment on the idiot minority that can be found in any inner city area - I suppose your glass is always half empty.

John Earnshaw (06/07/2007 at 16:19)

PRESS RELEASE

In an attempt to rid this country of a draconian power - (Compulsory Purchase Order) - which compels or forces people to leave their homes and their community, like we have seen with George here in Salford. The CPO is made to make way for new Council development and John Earnshaw, Chief Executive of Lansdown Housing and Regeneration Consultancy, has come up with an innovative idea to help settle the problem and obviate the need for people to be forced to move out of their homes.
John has created a new 'tool' to deal with these draconian regeneration issues, including demolition, without the need for compulsory purchase orders and it is called a Local Community Partnership (LCP).

Basically the LCP comprises, 6 members of the community, 3 members of the council and 3 members from the developer, who are chaired by a 'neutral chairperson.

The LCP meets on a regular monthly basis initially, to discuss housing and regeneration issues in their area and to come up with joint solutions to resolve them, rather than going through costly, lengthy compulsory purchase orders.

It is hoped that more local councils will 'buy into' a Local Community Partnership, which is currently being trialed in Liverpool.

PRESS NOTICE
If you require and further information, then please contact:

John H Earnshaw FCIH
Chief Executive
Lansdown Housing & Regeneration Consultancy
PO Box 3609
BARNSLEY
S75 1WW

Member of the CIH Yorkshire
& Humberside Branch Committee

Tel/Fax: 01226 - 390093
Mobile: 07719 - 798033

Email: john.earnshaw@blueyonder.co.uk

donna (06/07/2007 at 21:26)

as a homeowner in ancoats who is going through through the same thing as George in salford i feel i need to give my view what these people are doing is wrong, they call it consulting when they talk about taking our homes what they are actually doing is robbing the poor and selling land that we own to the rich to make a profit, if they really wanted substainable communities they would keep the local community together and build on what we have instead what they are doing is taking good decent homes off people who want to improve the areas in which they live in and sell to the highest bidder, these people need to take the advice of local people and listen and act on what they say after all who knows what is good and what is needed more than the people that live there,

These people are using tax payers money of which i am a tax payer to build these private houses for sale to the highest bidder, mark my words there are not enough social housing for the homeless in this city and in a few years most of these so called apartments will be let to dhss but it will be too late for the likes of us who have been forced to sell our homes ans lose our roots, families and communities. Thank you Donna Ancoats Manchester

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