PRESS
NOTICE
RIVERSIDE`S
FREEZING
TENANTS
STEP
UP PROTESTS
The
Longtown (Cumbria) tenants deprived of proper central heating are to meet
again this week to step up their protest
campaign.
The
tenants have been without proper heating for two years. The planned meeting is in Longtown Community Centre on
Thursday (April 17) at 7 pm. and follows previous protests following a Riverside
Housing Association scheme to install solar panels in 175 homes.
The scheme went wrong when boilers linked to the
panels failed in an estimated sixty homes.
The tenants` power bills, which were expected to be reduced by the
panels, did in fact start to rocket, going up by as much as 400 per cent.
None
of the tenants can afford such bills and they
have gone without proper heating
for two years. Many tenants do not use parts of their homes and eat and sleep in the same room.
Since
the last meeting a month ago, the tenants have
sought help at a meeting with Carlisle City Council Housing Services and
have been in touch about the problems with Cumbria Council Council Trading
Standards Department and the national charity, Shelter. Mr Rory Stewart, M.P.
for Penrith and the Border is supporting
the tenants.
One
of the leaders of the tenants` protest said today:”After two years of freezing
homes we are tired of complaining to Riverside because it gets us nowhere. Riverside`s offer of compensation
just isn`t happening .
"Their work to insulate
the homes which they say will solve the problem is in fact worthless because insulation will not cure the faulty
boilers.”
Thursday`s
meeting is being organised by Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation.
Community
Voice Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants`
and Residents` Federation. .Information about the Federation is contained in
the first post of this blog, dated March 25 2013
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