RIVERSIDE`S 14-YEAR FAILURES "A DISGRACE"

Sarah Paton
and the

headless

chickens

Just over a week now and Sarah Paton will be making her debut appearance before Carlisle councillors. 

Amazingly, some of those present will have thoughts about a most unlikely topic: headless chickens!

Just what have headless chickens to do with Ms Paton the new Carlisle boss of Riverside Housing Association making her first appearance before the city council`s Overview and Scrutiny Panel?

The story of these headless chickens goes back a long way. It dates from the time 14 years ago that the Liverpool based Riverside moved into Carlisle and took over the city`s 7,000 council houses.

That takeover was intended to bring improvements to the city`s housing stock. Instead, it has proved to be a disaster in the opinion of many people.

The many reasons for that disaster have been well documented over the years in this blog. But now, a new importance is being given to headless chickens - the name coined by Carlisle tenants and leaseholders for their Riverside bosses and officials.

They get the name because it is claimed, they have no idea what they are about. They go about like headless chickens, say the tenants and leaseholders.

So it is no big surprise that there should be thoughts of headless chickens as Overview and Scrutiny councillors (in close touch with critical tenants and leaseholders)  prepare to question Ms. Paton.

But there is another reason why thoughts of headless chickens are likely to take centre stage on November 24, the date of the panel meeting. And that is that tenants and leaseholders after 14 years are at last able to see just how headless these chickens are.

That new view of the headless chickens has come about because the leaseholders have recently had a change of bosses and their day to day administration has been moved from Carlisle to the Riverside head office in Liverpool.

Carlisle leaseholders, instead of contacting the Carlisle office as they have done for 14 years now contact Liverpool. There have been surprising results of the new arrangement.

For the first time in 14 years, these leaseholders are getting a proper service and help when needed.

Correct bills are being sent out, financial discrepancies are being ironed out and relations conducted in a helpful way

A Riverside official explained: “There was a lot of suspicion when the change was made But we are gradually overcoming that suspicion and are pleased  that leaseholders now appear to be  satisfied with the service.”

A spokesman for Carlisle Tenants and Residents Federation which represents many of the leaseholders said: “It is disgraceful that Riverside leaseholders have been denied a proper service  for 14 years.”

As for the headless chickens.

Their time was up years ago.

Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803.