Knock down flats, not streets
Published on 5th April 2007 in Letters
Sir - I have read about Goole Action Group's battle to save 117 homes in Richard Cooper and Phoenix Street. It is only after buying a copy of the Big Issue that I realised their battle meant so much more.
Doesn't the East Riding Council realise that the demolition of these terraced homes will reduce the number of affordable rents for low income families and individuals? With no new council houses being built in the area and more landlords refusing to take social security tenants, there will either be a higher risk of homeless people or a mass exodus of those on lower incomes out of the town. Is this the driving force behind the council's plans?
Will Goole operate a 'door policy' letting in certain people and ejecting others who don't drive a flash car? People from areas where accommodation prices are high are finding locations such as Goole ideal for commuting to the office in York and Leeds and airports without having to pay the high prices to live close to them. The two streets are lived in by ordinary people. People who are unsure of their rights and less likely to put up much of a fight against large organisations such as councils.
By looking at house prices in Goole it seems that new houses aimed at the first time buyer are classified as affordable at £115,000! What first-time buyer earning £5.50 an hour can afford to live in a first-time buyer's home?
We have all read that in this area of town there is 'Low demand , poor housing, a bad reputation, vandalism and dog fouling'. In this case would not the land occupied by Eastgate flats and some of its surrounding area be a better choice?
Commenting in the February 12 Big Issue, Ms Sally Burns of ERYC is quoted as saying 'Shuffleton was becoming a ghetto of high crime and low demand.' Ms Burns, where are you from? Do you not know that Eastgate has for a long time, much longer than Richard Cooper or Phoenix Street, had a terrible reputation? Vandalism is rife. The crime level is appalling. As for 'lack of demand' and 'poor housing'! In October, 2004 I was offered tenancy of a flat in Eastgate. I had to take it. I was desperate. The condition of the flat was reminiscent of a tenement in the poorest district of Glasgow. This flat had been passed as 'liveable' by housing inspectors. Thankfully, I have a wonderful family. We scrubbed, bleached and swept that flat until, finally, two months later it was ready to be decorated. However, one night after cleaning I found a young man using the communal hallway as a toilet… in the worst sense. I handed in both my keys to the council the next week and left.
Mine was not the only flat in a bad state or repair. In my block most tenants complained of the constant smell that permeated the corridors. There were the windows that leaked; the central heating that didn't work. Mice! Though all was well, the housing department had assured the lady in question that it couldn't be mice. They don't like living in concrete flats.
I know there ARE decent people in Eastgate flats. And, amongst the private homes in Richard Cooper and Phoenix Street, there are decent people also. They feel safe and secure in their own homes. Something that belongs to them. With a bit of help they could all have a real sense of community. Why are people who live in their own homes being made to move on when there is a larger area, with people who are council tenants, perfect for re development? Surely re-settling council tenants from council property would be a better use of the money to re develop a 'brownfield site'.
If you own a house in Humber Street, Manuel Street, Jackson or any street of a similar age to these, look around you.Where else is there that you could realistically afford? This is happening to someone else at the moment. If you allow it to happen it will come to your door, too, in time.
Oh come on Goole AND OLD GOOLE! …WAKE UP! I consider that ERYC are using their favourite tactic: under-handedness. I believe that this is the thin end of the wedge and it's about being dictated to by a council that seemingly cares for nothing but profit and appears determined to push working class people into a corner where they have no control.
The final word, though, I would like to give to Ms Sally Burns of the ERYC, (Big Issue, Feb 2007): "But in any case, clearance will be going ahead." Yes, Ms Burns, just like Holland House was going to be a secure unit.
Justin Lancaster
Exeter, Devon