Report in the Mail

heth · 03-01-2013, 23:43

Just come across this on Daily Mail, my first thought is why did they take the pictures in the dark with a spotlight....................................make it look worst why dont you?!

Rows of boarded-up terraced houses in Accrington to be brought back to life with £10m revamp | Mail Online

Rob249 · 03-01-2013, 23:48

bbc news cameras have been filming in woodnook today it must have been on the news about 10 times today.It looks grim.

ToffeeGuy · 04-01-2013, 00:03

Mmm. Typical Daily Mail.

I just hope Hyndburn Borough Council have a press officer who can issue a response to this. But typical of a lot of streets in East Lancashire at the moment since the government pulled the plug on the HMR programme. I personally think they have done a good job on the new build houses on Blackburn Road.

Unfortunately the type of people who these types of houses might have attracted in the past have disappeared and don't want to live in these areas. First time buyers with small families. Families with two incomes can afford to live elsewhere.

Some streets nearby will no doubt be overcrowded with large families and in the normal course of events they would move to semis on the edge of town. But they want to remain in these streets with uncles, aunts, etc living across the road. They are prepared to wait until houses in these derelict streets are converted into 2into1s so that they can remain within the tight knit community. It is up to other to judge if this is good for the town and leads to a vibrant community for all residents of Accrington.

BERNADETTE · 04-01-2013, 00:22

The area looks just as it is, a damn disgrace. Heres hoping that money will be invested to creat affordable options for buying for people on low wages rather than renting off rogue landlords who really don't give a toss about the state of the properties they rent out. Since most social housing was sold off some people on low incomes have very little as to where they rent. Hopefully the area will be brought back to life with affordable options to buy for decent people. Not all people who live in this area are scum but maybe the council should have addressed the situation sooner. Other arreas of the borough have had more than their fair share of regeneration funds, why was Woodnook allowed to get in the state it is in to start with. Makes my blood boil that some areas get all the funding whilst others are left to rot.

ToffeeGuy · 04-01-2013, 00:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

The area looks just as it is, a damn disgrace. Heres hoping that money will be invested to creat affordable options for buying for people on low wages rather than renting off rogue landlords who really don't give a toss about the state of the properties they rent out. Since most social housing was sold off some people on low incomes have very little as to where they rent. Hopefully the area will be brought back to life with affordable options to buy for decent people. Not all people who live in this area are scum but maybe the council should have addressed the situation sooner. Other arreas of the borough have had more than their fair share of regeneration funds, why was Woodnook allowed to get in the state it is in to start with. Makes my blood boil that some areas get all the funding whilst others are left to rot.

I would think that council would have some sort of 'part-buy' scheme in place so that those on low incomes can afford these renovated houses.

I am almost certain that these houses WON'T be sold to rogue landlords once renovated and that Hyndburn Council will have a social landlord on board with the scheme, someone like Twin Valley Homes, who will oversee responsible letting and maintenance of properties. Plus anyone buying these homes once renovated will probably have conditions attached to the deeds of the property so that they can't be sold on quickly either for a profit or to 'rogue' landlords.

A similar scheme in Nelson was shown on the BBC's Empty Homes show and this has had generally good publicity. Streets of fully renovated properties which people are keen to buy because they have been knocked 2into1 making large four bedroom properties. The Daily Mail should show these.

It is very sad that Woodnook is looking like this. The best thing is probably to demolish them. But in other areas of East Lancashire heritage groups have objected to demolition on the grounds that these types of properties are of historic value. I don't know if this has happened in Accrington.

As for other areas getting the cash first. I don't work for Hyndburn Council. But the Housing Market Renewal scheme was meant to last for 15 years and the ConDem government pulled the plug about 6 years into that period. Unfortunately this has probably meant that some areas which were next now wouldn't get help or help will be delayed until sums are available from other sources. This is what I would guess from articles I have read.

susie123 · 04-01-2013, 01:00

I posted a comment to the DM article earlier this evening and they haven't even published it though 240 odd others have got through at the time of posting this message. Many of those are so ignorant about life in this part of the world that it made my blood boil, though that wasn't what my comment was about. It was about folks that don't even bother to read the article and then comment on the wrong facts. GRRR!

BERNADETTE · 04-01-2013, 01:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToffeeGuy

I would think that council would have some sort of 'part-buy' scheme in place so that those on low incomes can afford these renovated houses.

I am almost certain that these houses WON'T be sold to rogue landlords once renovated and that Hyndburn Council will have a social landlord on board with the scheme, someone like Twin Valley Homes, who will oversee responsible letting and maintenance of properties. Plus anyone buying these homes once renovated will probably have conditions attached to the deeds of the property so that they can't be sold on quickly either for a profit or to 'rogue' landlords.

A similar scheme in Nelson was shown on the BBC's Empty Homes show and this has had generally good publicity. Streets of fully renovated properties which people are keen to buy because they have been knocked 2into1 making large four bedroom properties. The Daily Mail should show these.

It is very sad that Woodnook is looking like this. The best thing is probably to demolish them. But in other areas of East Lancashire heritage groups have objected to demolition on the grounds that these types of properties are of historic value. I don't know if this has happened in Accrington.

As for other areas getting the cash first. I don't work for Hyndburn Council. But the Housing Market Renewal scheme was meant to last for 15 years and the ConDem government pulled the plug about 6 years into that period. Unfortunately this has probably meant that some areas which were next now wouldn't get help or help will be delayed until sums are available from other sources. This is what I would guess from articles I have read.

From my understanding there is to be a system where families on lower incomes will be offered the chance of as you say "let to buy schemes" and not before time IMHO. The infrastrucure of our borough has long gone and unless you are able to find reasonably paid employment outside of manufacturing work your chances of earning decent wages went with the factories. Hopefully these properties when renovated will be affordable to those on the lowest incomes who take pride in going out to "earn a crust" so to speak.
As for the Housing Market Renewal, only the blind wouldn't be able to see where it went when it should have been spread throughout the borough. Hopefully this new scheme will see Woodnook restored to it's former glory, we must wait and see. It is no more than the long suffering residents deserve IMHO

ToffeeGuy · 04-01-2013, 02:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by susie123

I posted a comment to the DM article earlier this evening and they haven't even published it though 240 odd others have got through at the time of posting this message. Many of those are so ignorant about life in this part of the world that it made my blood boil, though that wasn't what my comment was about. It was about folks that don't even bother to read the article and then comment on the wrong facts. GRRR!

Don't worry. Your comment was probably intelligent and reasoned so they didn't think it was worthy of publishing alongside the right-wing nut-jobs who occupy their comments section.

Luckily the article is now well down the Daily Mail homepage (replaced by the goons in the Big Bother house no doubt). As most DM readers have the attention span of a gnat Accrington's moment in the spotlight will soon be forgotten.

Margaret Pilkington · 04-01-2013, 08:45

I grew up in the area in the fifties, it was a lovely place to live......but It is now horribly run down.
I go past these houses most days of the week to visit my mum who is in her 80's and still lives in the area. She says it is not a very nice place to live, but cannot face the upheaval of a move at her time of life(she owns her home).
Her front door is locked most of the time because she feels it isn't safe anymore.

I hope the houses are made fit to live in. I hope that families can regenerate the area, but I hope the homes are not let out to all one ethnicity.

jaysay · 04-01-2013, 10:14

I saw the BBC footage yesterday, couldn't actually work out where it was at first, until Clair Pritchard was interviewed, just a little thread wonder here, Is it just me or does anybody else think that Clair is like a one man band at HBC, it appears every report I read in the Obs or LT, comments are from Clair she seems to be running the council single handed

Neil · 04-01-2013, 13:17

I still think they should knock them down and build some modern shoe box houses

lancsdave · 04-01-2013, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToffeeGuy

Mmm. Typical Daily Mail.

I just hope Hyndburn Borough Council have a press officer who can issue a response to this. .

Why would they need to respond, I would imagine they or the developers contacted the Daily Mail. The article is about the fact something is being done, it wouldn't need doing if it wasn't run down and grim, hence the storyline.

ToffeeGuy · 04-01-2013, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Why would they need to respond, I would imagine they or the developers contacted the Daily Mail. The article is about the fact something is being done, it wouldn't need doing if it wasn't run down and grim, hence the storyline.

If that is the case I just hope the Daily Mail come back when the houses are renovated and do a more positive article.

Margaret Pilkington · 04-01-2013, 16:21

If the Mail are representing the area in its true light then what is the problem/issue....it is a very rundown area.......how can this be portrayed any differently?
The area is similar to many areas in northern industrial towns, where industry has left and poverty has moved in.
The poverty isn't just in the financial sense, but in ideas and expectations too.
The fact that someone has spotted the potential to do something constructive with these houses is a good thing...and that they are going to be rented out at below the market rental price...isn't that positive?
Isn't it positive that 10million pounds is going to be spent on the regeneration of five streets in this area?
Who can tell if this will lead to a model that can be used in other towns, to bring much needed housing at an affordable cost to families who are desperate for decent accommodation...isn't that positive?

And I am not getting at you or being 'fly', I am just trying to point out that if you read the article, it isn't negative at all.
If it works out(and we should invest a bit of trust that it will) it will be good news for the Woodnook area.....and ultimately for the town in general.

Less · 04-01-2013, 17:13

It isn't the only area of Accy like that, I just wonder, who will move in? Obviously the town has lost one heck of alot of people for street upon street to be boarded up. If the houses are refurbished, without jobs in the area who will move in?
Perhaps the people already in similar standard properties?
Then we'll have other streets unoccupied boarded up and need another article in the Mail.
These houses have gone down hill over the last 20/30 years because no-one has invested in the important part of the area, jobs.
With jobs that generates pride in an area and people invest in their own property, without jobs, those that can move to where the jobs are.