YOU TURN IF YOU WANT TO, THE COUNCIL IS FOR TURNINg.

Press statement
RIVERSIDE CRISIS:

CITY COUNCILLORS 

TO ACT

Problems  facing Riverside Housing Association and its tenants are to be discussed by Carlisle city councillors following a meeting of a group of councillors yesterday, it was revealed today.

The meeting was later described as positive and critics of Riverside hope that the councillors` intervention will end the  crisis at Longtown where Riverside  tenants are suffering their third winter in freezing homes which they cannot  afford to heat.

Critics of Riverside also hope that the councillors` intervention will end  another crisis, involving Riverside`s excessive charges and rents to  many of its 6,000 tenants and leaseholders throughout the Carlisle area.

No details of yesterday`s meeting of councillors have been released. The meeting follows criticism by a recently- formed all-party  protest body, Cumbria Riverside Action Group which last week decided to lobby city councillors to get them to intervene.

Previously, the  Riverside crisis had been growing after the Riverside Carlisle regional director, Mr Dean Butterworth was  criticised at the city council`s Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

The criticism came from the Dalston Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Gee who said that Riverside had been bossy and unhelpful in dealings with its Dalston leaseholders.

Critics of Riverside also welcomed the councillors` intervention as historic because this is the city council`s first  intervention  since the city council houses were privatised and handed to Riverside twelve years ago.

Critics of Riverside  have been led by the Carlisle community group, Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation. For many years, the Federation has been urging the council to intervene.

A Federation spokesman said today: “The council has always backed away from intervening against Riverside. It said Riverside  was a separate body and the council had no power to intervene.

“This intervention is therefore historic and marks a clear change in the policy of councillors from the policy that has continued for  12 years.

“ We wish the councillors well in this intervention and hope that it brings a quick resolution of all the many problems that Riverside tenants and leaseholders  are now battling with.”

On a separate issue, the Federation has made a formal complaint to the council`s Chief Executive, Mr Jason Gooding about  a ruling by his deputy, Mr Darren Crossley.

Mr Crossley ruled that the Federation had failed to engage with the council in two oral questions about Riverside put to the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel. Mr Cro ssley also accused the Federation of using the panel to  make statements of discontent.

A Federation spokesman said:”We find Mr Crossley`s ruling insulting and offensive, particularly as we always had excellent relations with the council and were encouraged to ask questions.

 “Clearly, there has been a dramatic change in the council`s attitude to the Federation which now appears to be quite hostile”

Issued by Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation

For further information, please ring 01228 522277 or 01228 532803

February 11 2015