M.P. BACKS TENANTS` FIGHT FOR SOME HEAT AT HOME

PRESS NOTICE

END LONGTOWN 

SOLAR PANEL 

ROW NOW, 

MP RORY

TELLS RIVERSIDE

Mr.Rory Stewart M.P. wants no further delay  by Riverside Housing Association in settling the two-year solar panel heating dispute with its  Longtown (Cumbria) tenants, he said today in a message to the tenants.

The Penrith and The Border M.P., who  continues to express full support for the tenants, said he had been discussing  with Riverside the latest development- a second independent report on the dispute.

The report has been commissioned by  the Liverpool-based housing association and is due to be published this month.

Mr  Stewart says he is seeking a definitive end to the problem.His message is in an email to Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation which is  backing the tenants and  acting for them.

Mr Stewart says:“I have asked to be kept updated on when this second report is released and hope to meet Mr Butterworth, the Riverside regional director soon afterwards to discuss what will subsequently be done to address this issue definitively and without further delay.”

Mr Stewart`s message will be a boost to the  estimated 60 tenants at the third meeting next Tuesday of their Longtown Action for Heat support group which is fighting for  heating they can afford in the homes they rent from Riverside.

The tenants say they have had two winters without heat they can afford –in the face of  rocketing energy bills-and dread the prospect of a third winter.

Riverside is also facing strong criticism from Dalston Carlisle city councillor Michael 

Gee who is campaigning against what he calls “the authoritarian culture of Riverside”.

Councillor Gee asked about this culture last week at a meeting of the city council`s Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel when he said that Riverside leaseholders in Dalston were unable to get answers to letters to association.

The leaseholders were unable to cope with the situation and had asked him to act  for them, he said.

He said he had met Mr Butterworth who had told him that the culture of Riverside  needed to be changed and he had been  attempting to change this culture  among the Riverside staff since his arrival in Carlisle nearly a year ago.

Mr Gee  got an assurance from the Riverside Head of Operations, Mr Paul Taylor that  Mr Butterworth would continue to attempt to change  the culture.

After the meeting Mr Gee said that Riverside was too authoritarian. He said the authoritarian attitude of the staff needed to change.”For too long the attitude has been” We are the great Riverside and we are here.”

Mr Gee said he had been contacted by many Riverside leaseholders and tenants “ from all over Carlisle and district” with complaints about Riverside and was determined to find out what was happening within the organisation.

There was also complaints about the charges being made by Riverside which needed to be investigated.

ISSUED BY CARLISLE TENANTS AND RESIDENTS`FEDERATION

August 5 2014