LAKES` LOCALS SHOULD RUN WHAT THEY CREATED

No real Authority

with a rubber-

stamp quango

Those of us who believe in local people running their own community in a democratic way  do not much care for quangos.

Paticularly,  quangos that claim  to have some sort of democratic authority.

One of these  quangos  runs the Lake  District National Park Authority.  The authority is made  up of 24 members, nominated by various outside organisations including the Secretary of State for Communities.

The national park authority has recently been involved in a row at Keswick  which resulted in such newspaper headlines as:”Out of touch quango uncaring of the needs of young people” and ”Lakeland planners out of touch with national park business needs.”

Critical headlines and comments like these are not uncommon  but  the national park authority seldom replies. Now, one member has replied.

Mr John G. Thompson of Penrith in  a letter to a newspaper  defended the  national park authority and then made an extraordinary claim.

“We need to be clear that the national park authority members do represent the public`s interests”, he said in the letter to the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald of Penrith.

A  reply to this extraordinary claim has been sent to the newspaper. The letter of reply  scornfully dismisses Mr Thompson`s claim and goes on:

What we are really clear about, Mr Thompson, is that you , like the other members of the national park  authority, are  no more than a nominated representative.

In this country, the public`s interests (which you are determined to claim) are represented democratically by votes and elections, not  by rubber-stamping nominees from Whitehall, Timbuktu, or whatever.

For many centuries, local people created the Lake District we know and love today. Local people did it themselves, without the help of rubber stamped nominees claiming to speak for them.

Given  a chance, local people are quite capable of continuing this democratic process.

When are they going to get that chance?

This letter of reply was sent by a member of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents`Federation which over recent years has been critical of  another quango, Carlisle`s Riverside Housing Association, which also  has attempted to claim democratic authority.

Information about the Federation is contained in the first entry of this blog , dated March 25.

TENANTS STILL HAVE NO SAY AS ANOTHER TAX IS PLANNED

Trevor Galle, former Chief Executive of the Federation of Tenants` and Residents` Associations,  sends this contribution to our blog:

REGULATOR`S CHARGES ARE

ANOTHER TAX ON TENANTS

Surprise, surprise, we now find that the housing regulator is under-resourced and that the regulator, the Homes & Community Agency (HCA) is considering charging English housing associations a fee for regulation as part of a drive to boost its resources so that it is less reliant on support from the Department of and Local Government.

Smart thinking by  a cash -strapped government!

Under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, the regulator is able to charge fees, following  consultation and approval by the Secretary of State.

The regulator is believed to be seeking assurances that it could retain the income generated and also have the freedom to decide how the money is spent. (It is already restructuring & creating a large number of  extra chiefs).

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said a fee structure would need to “increase the resources available and improve regulation”. He added: “There cannot be a situation where funding to the HCA is cut and housing associations’ fees make up the shortfall”.

Isn`t this exactly what is happening? Housing Associations` primary income is from rents, and guess who pays the rents- the tenants.

Here is another hiden tax on the working man and there is still no real tenants` voice!

Housing charity to `means test` the homeless?

 

Can you afford me?

warning for those in need

A new warning to prospective tenants of Riverside Housing Association is highlighted in a letter to the Editor of the Cumberland News, Carlisle.  Prospective tenants now have to complete  an Affordability Assessment before they can be considered.

Will homeless families also have to complete this affordability assessment asks the writer of the letter, Mr Malcolm Craik of Brampton, a former member of the governing board of Riverside`s Carlisle Housing Association.

Mr Craik`s letter, which has not yet been published, is reproduced here:

“Councillor Betton is to be congratulated for highlighting Riverside Housing Association`s plans to demolish more one bedroomed homes in Borland Avenue, Botcherby, Carlisle at a time when benefit reform is forcing disadvantaged residents to downsize. Perhaps he and his councillor colleagues may now  facilitate the provision of the new one bedroomed homes that the City so desperately needs and which Riverside won’t provide.

In 2002, Riverside, a social housing charity, took over the city`s council houses and promised to improve the housing stock in our city and provide fair rents. Despite this, the housing stock is now seriously mismatched with local need and rents have risen by around £20 per week more than rents for similar social housing in Barrow in Furness.

The City Council’s nomination rights with Riverside Carlisle, which provide the city with the means of reducing its homelessness, appear to be under threat as Riverside continues to seek to reduce its housing stock. Former city council tenants have recently received correspondence from Riverside promoting the discounts available if they wish to buy their homes.  This promotion at such a difficult time may further reduce homes available for rent in Carlisle.

Riverside’s Botchergate shop window has begun displaying a warning to prospective tenants. “Can you afford me?” it states and adds that prospective tenants will be asked to complete an “Affordability Assessment” before a home can be offered. Councillor Betton may care to investigate if this apparent means testing will also apply to homeless families nominated to Riverside by the city council”

Councillor Betton continues his campaign by collecting signatures for a petition against the demolition. He tells Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation that there is considerable demand in Carlisle for one-bedroom accommodation, totalling sixty per cent of  all applicants for social housing.

Councillor Betton has met the city M.P., Mr John Stevenson. Mr Stevenson is now writing to Riverside expressing surprise at the demolition plans.

Information about Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation is contained in the first entry of this blog, dated March 25

FAST ASLEEP IN THE BEDROOM TAX DEBATE

BOTCHERBY FLATS DEMOLITION SHOULD BE CHALLENGED

The bedroom tax debate is putting people to sleep. And they need to waken up.

 A week ago, the debate hit the headlines  of Carlisle`s News and  Star with the front page of the paper nearly filled  with this outburst: ”Flats to be pulled down…bedroom tax  causes increased  need for one-bedroom homes, but these homes are being demolished”

The story behind those headlines was about the demolition soon by Riverside Housing Association of  16 one-bedroom flats in Borland Avenue, Botcherby. And also about a campaign  by Botcherby councillor Robert Betton to halt the demolition.

Councillor Betton rightly claimed that the Riverside demolition of the flats and the replacement with two and three bedroom houses on the site would leave more people struggling with the bedroom tax.

Councillor Betton is a popular figure in Botcherby with a lot of support. And he did well to highlight Riverside`s appalling decision to demolish these flats.

But having done so well so far, why has Councillor Betton  fallen asleep? He had his chance to follow up his protest with some punchy questions for the boss of Riverside, Mr Patrick Leonard, when the two of them met  at public protest meeting about the bedroom tax a few days later.

Other  protesters at the meeting had some punchy questions for Mr Leonard  about the plan to demolish the flats. But there were no punchy questions from Councillor Betton.

And  neither was there any convincing answers from Mr Leonard.

Nor was there any convincing answers when the other protesters said the tax had  generated a  massive amount of fear among tenants of all housing associations, worried that they would lose their homes.

The Carlisle branch of the national movement, Axe the Bedroom Tax, did a  good job in organizing the meeting and being prepared to support tenants being evicted.

But support is also needed for a challenge to Riverside`s policy over the Botcherby flats and about other matters.

And support is needed for a challenge to Riverside`s power to make that policy without having proper scrutiny of it by Carlisle people.

The alarm about bedroom tax  is now deafening: the alarm about Riverside  is equally deafening!

Wakey! Wakey!

INFORMATION about the Federation is contained in the first entry of this bliog, dated March 25.

THE HAPPY MEMORY BLUEPRINT FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES

Congratulations, Pat!...your book about  Botcherby`s past could be a blueprint for Botcherby`s future!

The Botcherby area of Carlisle said goodbye at the weekend to its historic Magpie Inn which closed its doors-  hopefully, not for ever.

The Magpie is losing money for the brewery that owns it, but it may re-open in the future as a community pub.

The  campaign to save the Magpie as a community pub is being supported by Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation through its Botcherby community group, Botcherby Forever.

The group is  very much  involved in local history and keeping alive memories of past days in Botcherby. Many of these memories are centred on the Magpie.

The memories are being put together in a  book by local author, Pat  Hitchon who has been attending  Botcherby Forever meetings  for the last few months collecting the memories.

About thirty Botcherby people up to now have offered help with memories of such places as Botcherby Home, Durranhill Convent, St Andrew`s Church and, most surprisingly, the time Botcherby was the location of the first  Carlisle Airport.

Pat`s book is to be called Botcherby- a Garden Village and looks back  to the time the area was transformed into a council estate.

Members of the group hope that Pat`s book, with all its happy memories, will help to build a better image of Botcherby  after all the bad publicity of the past.

 “It`s lovely to have something nice done for Botcherby for a change” is a sentiment often expressed   at Botcherby Forever meetings when Pat`s book is being discussed.

Pat herself got something nice at the weekend from her planned book. She was awarded a £1000 Hunter Davies bursary for budding Cumbria authors.

The Federation and Botcherby Forever have enjoyed helping Pat. We send our  warmest congratulations on a well-deserved award.

And we hope that in any plans for Botcherby in the future,  the happy memories which Pat is putting together in her book will lead to a better appreciation of the golden years in Botcherby ….. when it was still a garden village !

The next meeting of Botcherby Forever is on June 20 at 12 noon in the Healthy Living Centre, Number 2 Botcherby Avenue. Pat hopes to be there. Everyone  welcome.

Information about the Federation is contained in the first entry of

this blog, dated March  25.