THE FIGHT MOVES TO LONDON

DISTRESED TENANTS: 

EVICTION THREAT

LIFTED

The fight for justice for the distressed tenants of Longtown moved to London today with a planned meeting between Mr Rory Stewart M.P. and Mr Dean Butterworth, the Carlisle boss of Riverside Housing Association.

Mr. Stewart has pledged to represent at every opportunity the  Riverside tenants-his Penrith and Border constituents- as they struggle with unheated homes and rocketing fuel bills after a big solar panel scheme went wrong.

News of the London meeting was revealed  earlier to two of the worst-suffering tenants when they met Mr Butterworth at his office  and asked him to remove a threat of eviction to one of them - he has complex health problems. Mr Stewart  had described the threat  as very alarming.

Mr Butterworth, who is Riverside`s regional director, denied there was a threat but said that it now no longer existed.

A CarlisleTenants` and Residents` Federation representative who supported the tenants at the meeting said: “This was a very real threat to the tenant -he felt he could not speak out in case he was evicted.He is now a very relieved man.

“We are  heartened by Mr Stewart`s support- it has helped to get the threat lifted. Mr Stewart also wants a timeframe for improvements to be made. Now he has got the London meeting.”

“We hope all these will push things along urgently.This scandal has gone on for two years and there  is still much work to be done  and many issues still to be tackled.”