Are landlords holding back progress?

Published on 17th July 2008 in Letters

Sir - I am writing with regard to the recent exchanges between the ERYC and Alan Wilson of the Shuffleton-based Goole Action Group.

I must admit that, as a resident of a village just outside Goole, I have not really been paying close attention to the debate over the regeneration of this area of the town [Richard Cooper and Phoenix Streets]. Like many of your readers, I have perhaps been content to believe the scaremongering of what appeared to be some sort of residents' action group and have, as a consequence, seen ERYC as the 'bad guy', forcing people out of their homes and needlessly planning to demolish what are perfectly good houses.

However, I was surprised to learn that there are no longer any owner-occupiers living in Richard Cooper Street and Phoenix Street - nor, indeed, have there been for some time - and that all the brouhaha is actually being created by a small group of private landlords who obviously have a commercial interest in preserving the properties, regardless of whether or not their concerns over other aspects of the redevelopment are genuine.

I also understand that all of the people who owned their own homes on the streets in question have already accepted the council's offer and moved on, with none of them, as far as I am aware, having ever voiced any discontent with the situation in your newspaper.

It is not for me to say whether or not regeneration is the solution, but the fact that the residents appear to have seized the opportunity to get out and are long gone perhaps answers that question.

It is time for the action group to be transparent in their motives. Let's not forget that these people don't live on the streets themselves and their interest in what happens to the area is mainly a commercial one.

It really does beg the question whether this is a case of a small group of people holding back progress for their own gain, rather than thinking about the needs of the wider community.

SARA BACKHOUSE

Airmyn