News Streets to be demolished in two years
The houses on Phoenix Street and Richard Cooper Street will not be pulled down for at least two years, according to East Riding housing managers.
Peter Jackson, housing renewal manager, and Phil Bristow, housing support officer, met with Goole Town Council this week to discuss the sites.
Mr Jackson said: "The Changing Streets Scheme is very positive and so far four streets have been completed in the scheme. We have learned a lot from phase one and things have improved - it is now much more that just face-lifting houses."
Discussing Richard Cooper Street and Phoenix Street, Mr Jackson, added: "We are now very close to having a development brief and once this is done the planners will move in. Then we will go to the courts for Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs). It will be a minimum of two years before the houses are pulled down - probably more.
"At the moment we have all manner of problems with the market and the money we thought we would get for that site we would get no where near that now.
"However, a house we recently acquired at the bottom of Phoenix Street is still getting the value of several years ago - not today's value - so they are coming out of it very well. We are making very generous offers but some don't care about that they are more interested in embarrassing the council."
Cllr Pat O'Neil added: "I still think the church housing on Richard Cooper Street would be fantastic with some refurbishment - I think there is still some mileage in that. Perhaps this is an avenue where some talks could take place. It would be extraordinary as a monument to Goole and the people that lived in that area and I'm getting that view from others too. The church buildings are worth saving."
Mr Jackson said: "I honestly can't tell you what would happen with that."
Mr Jackson also stressed that the council was spending thousands of pounds every year boarding the houses up: "Yobs are slowly carrying out our work for us - taking the houses down brick by brick. It worries me that you can see what is coming - there are bricks and tiles everywhere, it is horrendous and we are being stopped by the actions of Goole Action Group (GAG).
"It is them - otherwise some of the houses would have been down already, make no mistake about it."
Cllr Keith Moore said: "To be frank, I think it is a bit of a get-out to blame GAG. The CPOs should have been given out years ago. Why were they not issued?"
Mr Jackson added: "We are constantly battling with GAG, who are trying to ridicule and rubbish the council and my officers."
* Alan Wilson, who owns a property on Richard Cooper Street and is a member of GAG, said: "The fact that they turned up to the meeting unannounced is cowardly. It shows that they are afraid to face the public.
"East Riding has a highly-paid, highly-educated legal team and if they had a right to demolish those properties then why haven't they done it in four years?
"After all this time they would find it difficult to demonstrate that there is a high public need for new houses in Goole. It is a total cop-out to blame GAG for the delay. It's a total shambles."
Mr Wilson added: "I think the council don't care about the people of Goole. If they had real concerns they would be supporting GAG in renovating the properties to provide low-cost housing. They refuse on every occasion to discuss refurbishment."
Published on 17th July 2008 in News.
Add to: Digg | del.icio.us | Reddit
Comments
There are currently no comments
Comment
All comments are subject to moderation (during normal office hours) and may be amended.
Email addresses are required for administration purposes only.
By contributing your comments, you accept our terms and conditions.