Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Camapign group and local community centre hold housing meeting
Some members of Cedar Tenants Association have been helping to publicize the following meeting. A few of us are involved with helping to run The George's X Chalkboard. I received this news release about the event this morning.
The George's X Chalkboard has been the venue for Cedar Tenants Association meetings since the GHA banned Cedar Tenants Association from using our tenants meeting room (see previous posts for further details). The Chalkboard exists to promote active community participation, direct democracy and to help groups (such as Residents Associations) get together that will take this forward:-
Public meeting organised jointly by "Georges X Chalkboard" and "Save our Homes Campaign" Thursday 16th March 7: 30 at the Woodside Hall, 36 Glenfarg Street, Glasgow G20 7QF (Map)
The George's X Chalkboard has been the venue for Cedar Tenants Association meetings since the GHA banned Cedar Tenants Association from using our tenants meeting room (see previous posts for further details). The Chalkboard exists to promote active community participation, direct democracy and to help groups (such as Residents Associations) get together that will take this forward:-
Public meeting organised jointly by "Georges X Chalkboard" and "Save our Homes Campaign" Thursday 16th March 7: 30 at the Woodside Hall, 36 Glenfarg Street, Glasgow G20 7QF (Map)FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
Public meeting organised jointly by "Georges X Chalkboard" and "Save our
Homes Campaign" Thursday 16th March 7:30pm at the Woodside Hall, 36
Glenfarg Street, Glasgow G20 7QF
"The need to know. The publics right to be informed"
The meeting was called to address and demystify a range of issues
including: Second stage transfer - What is the future of your home and
your community.
"Save Our Homes Campaign" is a group who recognise the need for joined
up thinking, and cooperation - and that the housing problems and
confusion that tenants are experiencing, is city wide and systematic.
The George's X Chalkboard is a small drop-in social centre, set up and run by
volunteers. We have been involved in a range of activities, from local
history projects, music, local group meetings and cater to all ages.
What the group is finding more and more through talking to local people,
is a need to discuss housing problems which is becoming one
of the staple occupations of the shop. There is confusion and insecurity
amongst local people on issues such as where they will be in a year or two,
whether
their house will be demolished, will they get one of the new houses that
have been promised. This is having a drastic effect on the community.
Compounded by the private development that is sprouting up all around them,
there is insecurity due to the lack of repairs to rented property, or the over
pricing for work carried out to "Right to buy" house owners. This frustration
has fueled the need for a meeting.
The Chalkboard has risen to the challenge of assisting tenants to independently
decipher the plans, strategies and promises, of organisations such as the
Glasgow Housing Association, and Glasgow City Council, who spend great deals of
money selling ideas to the public and very little, on allotting costs towards
public representation.
This meeting will attempt to address and explain the wider issues that will
eventually have an effect on all of our houses and the social, as well as the
financial costs to ourselves created by the upheaval of property development
that is consuming our city.
The George's X Chalkboard is in receipt of no public funding, is independent,
and is not affiliated to any political party.
Georges X Chalkboard,
34 Clarendon Place,
Glasgow, G20 7PZ,
0141 332 2902
http://www.chalkboard.org.uk/
info@chalkboard.org.uk
--------------------------------------------------------
---------Info on flier---------------
What does GHA's business plan mean for you?
Is your home under threat of demolition, and if so why?
What is second stage transfer
and what does it mean for
Woodside?
What is the future of GHA
rental guarantees – will rents
go up?
GHA's planned doubling of
charges for homeowners, what
does it mean for you? Are
you already being charged too much?
Whether you are a tenant of the GHA or a homeowner GHA's latest business plan
is likely to have implications for you. This is a joint meeting being held by
the Save Our Homes Campaign and the George's X Chalkboard.
Invited speakers include:-
- Sean Clerkin (Save Our Homes Campaign, Chair)
- The George's X Chalkboard
Friday, March 10, 2006
Press release - longsuffering residents in Cedar Court furious as lifts break down constantly
Last week the lifts in the front block broke down three times. At the Tenants Association meeting last Thursday (2/3/06) it was decided to issue a press statement.
---
Longsuffering tenants of a tower block in Maryhill are becoming
increasingly frustrated as their lift was off[1] three times in one
week. Last week Mark Rooney, himself disabled, helped a young mother
struggling to carry her baby, pram and shopping up three flights of
stairs[2].
"I find this totally unacceptable. These lifts have been off on a
number of occasions - this is really affecting people's quality of
life. Stephen McAvoy [3] wouldn't put with this, why should we have
to?" Mark Rooney said.
This is not the first time lifts in the three tower blocks have been
off.[4] In addition to regular short periods of breakdown, two years
ago a lift in number 9 block was off for several months, and lift in
block 65 was off for four and a half months last year. This prompted
tenants to hold a public meeting on the issue, and form a tenants
association.
A member of the tenants association commented, "Two children that we
know have been stuck in lifts in the past few months.[5] We are
conducting a survey to find out how many people this has happened to."
Residents have also raised questions about the safety of lifts.
"These lifts are constantly breaking down. Not only is this an
inconvenience but it's also a really alarming safety issue.[6] What
if the brakes fail, the next time it breaks down?" Mark went on to
say.
At a recent public meeting called by the tenants association Steven
McAvoy agreed that the lifts would be replaced but only after new
kitchens and bathrooms were fitted. This has yet to be finalised
leaving the tenants unsure if and when this will happen. In the
meantime access to and from their homes remains a daily stress and
potentially hazardous.
---
Article Ends
EDITORS NOTES:-
1. lift for even floors was not working, in block 104.
2. Mothers have been forced to push prams up and down three flights of
stairs via the backstairs/fire-escape and elderly residents were left
unable to leave the building.
3. Stephen McAvoy, refered to in the article, is the community housing
manager for the Glasgow Housing Association, who own and manage the
Cedar Court scheme.
4. Lifts have been breaking down intermittently in the three tower
blocks for several years.
5. There was a child stuck in a lift a couple of months ago in 104
block. The police were called as the child was terrified. There was a
boy stuck in the lift in number 65 block for half an hour on the 25th
of October.
6. When in use lifts in the front block have been marking alarming noises.
Additionally both lifts in the front block were off for most of the
day in block 104 in mid November for servicing (after tenants were
forewarned), and both lifts were off in block 65, again for
serivicing, on Friday 4th November (without prior warning. Under
agreement by Glasgow City Council historically it has always been the
case that housing authorities would not put both lifts off
simultaneously for repair. It marks a precedent for tenants that GHA
has done this.
Cedar Tenants Association, which covers the area, was set up in July.
It exists to promote tenants and homeowners interests in the area and
to campaign for tenants and homeowners to get repairs and maintenance
carried out.
---
Longsuffering tenants of a tower block in Maryhill are becoming
increasingly frustrated as their lift was off[1] three times in one
week. Last week Mark Rooney, himself disabled, helped a young mother
struggling to carry her baby, pram and shopping up three flights of
stairs[2].
"I find this totally unacceptable. These lifts have been off on a
number of occasions - this is really affecting people's quality of
life. Stephen McAvoy [3] wouldn't put with this, why should we have
to?" Mark Rooney said.
This is not the first time lifts in the three tower blocks have been
off.[4] In addition to regular short periods of breakdown, two years
ago a lift in number 9 block was off for several months, and lift in
block 65 was off for four and a half months last year. This prompted
tenants to hold a public meeting on the issue, and form a tenants
association.
A member of the tenants association commented, "Two children that we
know have been stuck in lifts in the past few months.[5] We are
conducting a survey to find out how many people this has happened to."
Residents have also raised questions about the safety of lifts.
"These lifts are constantly breaking down. Not only is this an
inconvenience but it's also a really alarming safety issue.[6] What
if the brakes fail, the next time it breaks down?" Mark went on to
say.
At a recent public meeting called by the tenants association Steven
McAvoy agreed that the lifts would be replaced but only after new
kitchens and bathrooms were fitted. This has yet to be finalised
leaving the tenants unsure if and when this will happen. In the
meantime access to and from their homes remains a daily stress and
potentially hazardous.
---
Article Ends
EDITORS NOTES:-
1. lift for even floors was not working, in block 104.
2. Mothers have been forced to push prams up and down three flights of
stairs via the backstairs/fire-escape and elderly residents were left
unable to leave the building.
3. Stephen McAvoy, refered to in the article, is the community housing
manager for the Glasgow Housing Association, who own and manage the
Cedar Court scheme.
4. Lifts have been breaking down intermittently in the three tower
blocks for several years.
5. There was a child stuck in a lift a couple of months ago in 104
block. The police were called as the child was terrified. There was a
boy stuck in the lift in number 65 block for half an hour on the 25th
of October.
6. When in use lifts in the front block have been marking alarming noises.
Additionally both lifts in the front block were off for most of the
day in block 104 in mid November for servicing (after tenants were
forewarned), and both lifts were off in block 65, again for
serivicing, on Friday 4th November (without prior warning. Under
agreement by Glasgow City Council historically it has always been the
case that housing authorities would not put both lifts off
simultaneously for repair. It marks a precedent for tenants that GHA
has done this.
Cedar Tenants Association, which covers the area, was set up in July.
It exists to promote tenants and homeowners interests in the area and
to campaign for tenants and homeowners to get repairs and maintenance
carried out.
