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Backlash over empty homes

A landlord and his tenant have blasted the East Riding Council for allowing properties on a run-down street in Goole go to rack-and-ruin.

Jack Carroll and his tenant Gordon Crook say it is high time the council made a firm decision on the future of Phoenix Street, whose terraced houses have been earmarked for demolition.

In a scathing letter to Sally Burns, the council's head of housing, Mr Carroll implored the ERYC either to get on with the job of issuing compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) on the properties - which is still the most likely scenario - or letting private landlords redevelop some of them to provide good-quality, affordable housing for local residents.

Mr Carroll, who wrote the letter on behalf of Phoenix Street tenant Mr Crook, said: "They (the council) are hanging fire and not dealing with the problem. I'm absolutely fed up with them.

"They keep promising they will issue CPOs and pull the properties down, but they never do."

Mr Carroll, who is based in Leeds, says the living conditions endured by the few remaining residents on Phoenix Street and neighbouring Richard Cooper Street - where boarded-up properties have also been earmarked for demolition - were getting worse by the day. He said his own tenant had to live in a damp house which could only be improved by redevelopment. He added: "The houses on either side of my tenant are empty, so we can't get in them to damp-proof the solid brick walls."

Mr Carroll said that since the two streets were cleared of occupants they had become crime hotspots where break-ins, drug-taking and arson attackss were common.

"People are breaking into the empty properties," said Mr Carroll. "They are cutting the water pipes and the water pressure is dropping in the whole street because the burglars get in through the roof space and can go through each house. My tenant is so frustrated and I'm frustrated by it all. If they (the council) want the people out they should just give them a good offer. They are not going to go for under the market value (of the properties)."

Mr Crook (60), one of just nine remaining tenants on Phoenix Street and the only resident on his side of the road, said: "They (the council) keep saying they want the CPOs but they are making the place unliveable.

"The security here is non-existent; we've had a lot of break-ins because they can get in through the roof spaces." He added: "If they (the council) are so sure they can knock these houses down, then they should issue the CPOs. I've been here six years now and when I first came these houses were great. It was such a happy area but now it's no longer a place where people can live because people have moved out and the council has let the houses go down the pan.

"If they are so sure people want to leave, then they should go for it and go ahead with the CPOs. However, I should add that the people here want to keep the houses going."

Mr Crook and his landlord believe the council is, for whatever reason, procrastinating over issuing the CPOs. They are also concerned that the council - which owns the vast majority of the houses on the two streets - might offer less than the market value for the properties. This would present a major stumbling block as the private landlords who own the rest want the full price for their houses.

'PEOPLE IN TEARS'

"People are being told that if they don't go they'll lose everything," said Mr Crook. "I've seen people down here in tears because of what they've been told by the council."

Mr Crook, who lives alone, added: "These are good houses and the majority of people in Goole want them redeveloped. They can't believe what's happening.

"It's about time the East Riding Council listened to people in Goole and not Beverley. Beverley is calling the shots, not Goole."

There were originally 117 properties on the two streets but the council wants to knock them all down and build new properties for first-time buyers and housing-authority tenants.

Mr Crook believes this will ratchet house prices up elsewhere in Goole, making it harder for people to get on the property ladder.

He added: "If they redeveloped the houses it would be a great opportunity for people to get on the property ladder. It's a great town to live in - I want to live here until the last days of my life."

An ERYC spokesperson said: "East Riding of Yorkshire Council recently released its development brief for the site and is seeking expressions of interest from developers keen to work with the council. The closing date for this initial stage of the process is October 29. The council is committed to buying the remaining properties on Phoenix Street and Richard Cooper Street to allow the redevelopment scheme to progress as quickly as possible, and the Cabinet has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing compulsory purchase orders if necessary.

"The safety and security of the tenants of a small number of properties still in the ownership of private landlords is of paramount importance to the council and thousands of pounds have been spent on ensuring that the vacant properties are secure and safe. There are no owner-occupiers living on the streets as they took the opportunity to sell their properties to the council and its partners, and are now living in better housing elsewhere.

"The area has been affected by vandalism and other forms of anti-social behaviour for a number of years now - many of the houses were boarded up prior to the council announcing its intention to redevelop the site. The police have been made aware of the recent problems and council officers visit the site daily to ensure that any properties that have been broken into are made secure as a matter of urgency. The council is also carrying out emergency work to prevent potential movement in three vacant properties in an increasingly poor state of repair, two of which are owned by private landlords. We are also looking at the possibility of introducing CCTV cameras and/or wardens to patrol the site.

"Crime and anti-social behaviour is one of the issues that we hope to tackle with the redevelopment of the site by providing a range of affordable housing in attractive surroundings, where people feel safe and the potential for crime and anti-social behaviour is minimised through careful lay-out and design."

Published on 28th August 2008 in News.

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