DID SOMEONE MENTION DEMOCRACY?

TENANTS PROTEST

BUT WHO IS LISTENING?

Two protesting groups are  joining forces here, outside the derelict site that once had on it sixteen one-bedroom maisonette flats.

The flats are in Borland Avenue. Botcherby, Carlisle, and were demolished a few days ago by the giant Riverside Housing Association.

One of the protesting groups is campaigning to end the government`s bedroom tax which has massively increased the demand for one-bedroom accommodation, such as the demolished flats.

The other protesting group is campaigning to halt the continued demolition  by Riverside of one-bedroom accommodation throughout Carlisle.

This demolition has gone on for several years and there are now no  one-bedroom replacements, despite increased demand.

The anti-bedroom tax group plans to take its protest to M.P.s, to Parliament, and if necessary to David Cameron in Downing Street. This protest is democracy at work.

The anti-demolition group plans to take its protest to....where? Where can the anti-demolition protesters go? They have no democratic process. Democracy has been denied.

And no one seems to be listening. Not even the local councillors. Only one of the three Botcherby councillors has spoken out against the demolition. And if they did  happen to speak out, what good would it do?

Robert Betton, the one Botcherby  councillor who is listening

said: "A petition with 400 signatures failed to stop the demolition of these flats. Riverside didn`t properly consult the people of Botcherby who are now even more short of one-bedroom accommodation.

 "Now we must let the rest of Carlisle know what has happened to these flats so that they are prepared to take a stand against any further demolitions by Riverside.”

Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation supports the  protesting people of Botcherby. The Federation has campaigned for  several years for the Liverpool-based Riverside organisation to  be open and democratic and be properly accountable to all residents of the city estates.

Community View 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

NO OPTION FOR US SAY PROTESTING 400

WHY DEMOLISH THE

FLATS WE WANT?

Protests and a petition failed to save 16 one-bedroom maisonette flats in  Borland Avenue, Botcherby, Carlisle  seen here being pulled down by Riverside Housing Association.

One- bedroom social housing such as this  is  desperately short in the city –  sixty per cent of all  applicants want one-bedroom. And the bedroom tax has made the shortage worse.

Botcherby councillor, Robert Betton who organised the protests and the  petition says:”Why demolish the flats we want?.

“These flats are  being pulled down without proper consultation - the Botcherby people who wanted to keep them  have been ignored,” he says.

Robert also wants to know why no investment was made in the flats during the recent Botcherby Regeneration Scheme. He also wants to know  when  Riverside will end its policy of demolishing  one-bedroom social houses throughout Carlisle.

Riverside, a giant organisation based in Liverpool , will build  eleven two and three-bedroom houses on the site of the flats. ”This is the best option for the area”, says Riverside in its newsletter.

The 400 people who signed the petition don`t agree –emphatically. They say they have been ignored by Riverside. Now they say. ”Demolition is an option decided by Riverside We had no option.”

Community Voice Carlisle says: This is another Riverside decision  about the future of a Carlisle community made a hundred miles away in Liverpool. These decisions should be made democratically in Carlisle and  local people  should be properly consulted.

The Carlisle  activists group, Axe the Bedroom Tax, plan a demonstration outside the flats  next Tuesday (August 20) at 12 noon.

Community Voice Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents `Federation.  Information about the Federation is contained in the first blog, dated March 25.

GOOGLE BOSS GOES HOUSE HUNTING

A ROYAL-FRIENDLY

“SEARCH ENGINE”

HOMELESS SINGLES

CANNOT MATCH

The boss of Google is looking for a place to live in London. Within his budget, you understand. The budget is £30 million, according to a Press report.

Three  hundred miles away in Carlisle, the prospects for a new home are much less rosy-  just about 30 million times less rosy- for several hundred people at the other end of the wealth scale. These people also want a home. But they have no budget.

The Google boss, the chairman Mr Eric Schmidt,  is a billionaire. The Carlisle home-seekers-   bachelors, widows, newly-divorced and pensioners - will never be able to buy even  the cheapest house. And they are forced to live alone.

Mr Schmidt, head of the world`s biggest search engine, is searching for a mansion in upmarket Chelsea or Holland Park. Helping him in his search is a friend of Prince William, Thomas Van Straubenzee, a  partner  in a well-connected London estate agency.

The Carlisle home-seekers have no Royal friends. Their “friend” is based 100 miles away in Liverpool where the big Carlisle decisions are made. The “friend” is the giant Riverside Housing Association which owns 50,000 properties, 6,000 of them in Carlisle.

The Carlisle home-seekers rely on Riverside -   and just about only on Riverside - to get them a home.

Sadly, Riverside cannot help with new  single-bedroom homes the home-seekers want. Riverside has stopped building homes for single people and for several years has been demolishing single homes.

Instead, Riverside is  building two and three-bedroom houses.These houses  apparently are more profitable.

Many of the Carlisle single home-seekers were among 400 concerned people who signed a petition urging Riverside to change its policy. They want to halt the demolition of 18 one-bedroom flats in Borland Avenue, Botcherby and replacing them with eleven “more profitable”  two and three bedroom  homes

And they want open democratic discussions about Riverside`s unpopular policies. Not decisions made without proper consultation.

Down in London, Mr Schmidt`s Royal-friendly “search engine”  continued to download suggestions for the £30 million mansion he wants to buy.

Here in Carlisle, the Borland Avenue petition was turned down. And contractors started to knock down the 18 flats.

Community Voice, Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation. Information about the Federation is contained in the first blog , dated March 25 2013