UKRAINE BREAKTHROUGH, AND HERE TOO...?

 

Our lives also at

stake , say freezing Riverside tenants

A breakthrough to end the conflict in  Ukraine, we all wonder, as more peace talks are planned for Wednesday. And possibly also, a breakthrough here in Longtown and Carlisle in the  conflict  with Riverside Housing Association?

Many lives are at stake in Ukraine. In  Longtown,  the freezing Riverside tenants warn that lives are potentially equally  at stake in that town also... from the effects of the unrelieved bitter cold.

It is the tenants` third ice box winter of unrelieved bitter cold. They cannot afford  heat because of rocketing power bills caused by dodgy Riverside boilers in their homes.

What then of the possible breakthrough in Longtown and Carlisle?

It comes with news that after many months and years, councillors are at long last wanting to be involved in the continuing serious and fast-deteriorating Riverside  situation.

Councillors are to have an informal meeting  in a couple of days about what  they can do about it.

The meeting is between three senior councillors: Heather Bradley, a cabinet member of the Labour council , Ray Bloxham a former mayor and a leading Conservative, and Michael Gee, a Liberal Democrat and a leading critic of Riverside.Councillor Gee initiated the informal meeting.The city mayor, Councillor Steven Bowditch, may also attend.

Councillor Bloxham is one of the two Longtown  city councillors and  has been  at the sharp end of  criticism of Riverside from the ice-box tenants who  are his constituents.

News of the meeting was welcomed today by Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation which has campaigned continuously to get the city council involved since the city`s council housing  stock was privatised twelve years ago  and handed to Riverside.

A Federation spokesman said " All the political parties will be represented at this meeting. We wish them well and feel sure they will come up with something to help the freezing  tenants of Longtown and the many other tenants and leaseholders who have serious problems with Riverside.”

Last week a  Cumberland News (Carlisle) article on the Longtown scandal  highlighted the story of Annie Graham. She  is 77 and  is struggling  with a £2,500 power bill which includes £110 for eight days during a recent cold snap.