Tomorrow's (Wednesday 19 April, 1pm) Council Executive meeting will now NOT be deciding whether to go ahead with the controversial Comprehensive Regeneration plan (the PFI) for Little London. The decision has been put back another month until the next Council Executive meeting on 17 May - another month of uncertainty and worry for our community. However, the Save Little London lobby outside Leeds Civic Hall at 12.30pm WILL be going ahead.
After six miserable years of broken promises, dodgy votes, council silence, more consultation and delays, we were hardly shocked to hear that Leeds City Council has once again failed to keep to its own timetable. But why has the decision been delayed again?
Could it be that the elected members of Leeds City Council - the councillors - are deliberately waiting until after the local elections on 4 May before they announce that they want to demolish or sell off 425 homes to private developers so as to avoid a backlash at the polls? Announcing that they want to go ahead with the PFI so shortly before the council elections would have certainly attracted a lot of negative publicity and tenants would have remembered only too well the public support given to the PFI by Lib Dem Councillor, Linda Rhodes-Clayton. It is worth remembering that Councillor Clayton, who will be defending her seat on 4 May, does not live in Little London but somewhere near Roundhay.
Or is that once again, Leeds City Council has failed to get its act together and is still trying to perform miracles with a calculator to make a business case to the government for the PFI scheme in Little London? This is probably more likely given the Council's past record. Remember Swarcliffe, anyone? The Council took six years to get a PFI contract signed for housing regeneration in the area.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Council spins consultation as ‘majority vote for PFI’
The results of February’s ‘consultation’ are now out and once again, Leeds City Council is trying to pull the wool over our eyes and treat us like fools.
‘LITTLE LONDON RESIDENTS BACK £85M REGENERATION SCHEME’, read the Council’s press release, which stated that ‘2/3rds’ of tenants support Comprehensive Regeneration.
The Yorkshire Evening Post simply reprinted the Council’s lies. Its headline, ‘CITY TENANTS VOTE FOR £85M REVAMP OF ESTATE HOMES’, was followed by misleading figures of ‘66%’ opting for the PFI scheme.
The Council now says it will go ahead with the Comprehensive Regeneration scheme subject to an Executive meeting on April 19 at 1pm at Leeds Civic Hall.
Consultation results: the truth
Remember, tenants and residents of Little London have NOT voted for anything. We were only ‘consulted’ on two lousy options to improve our homes and area, and asked to give a ‘preference’ for one of them, not a vote.
Having seen the full consultation results (see our website or ring us to request a free copy), we can tell you that 2/3rds of Little Londoners do not support Comprehensive Regeneration!
The key findings:
1. A huge 40% didn’t take part in the consultation
2. Only 37% of residents prefer Comprehensive Regeneration
3. 21% prefer Decent Homes
4. 63% don’t support the Council’s proposals
5. Council criticised for creating ‘ill-feeling’ among Tenants and Residents, failing to follow agreed process and produce ‘timely and detailed information’
The report into the consultation by Banks of the Wear shows just how confused tenants were by the Council’s questionnaire. Many people who will be kicked out of their homes under Comprehensive Regeneration strangely opted for demolition and thus eviction – but also stated that they wanted to ‘stay in Little London’?!?!?
Council ‘ignored agreed process’
Banks of Wear, the ‘Independent Tenants Advisor’ during the consultation could not hide their criticism of the Council:
"the process was hampered…by the lack of timely information being produced, and departures from the agreed and understood process"
Costing in excess of £2m of taxpayers’ money, the consul-tation was supposed to be fair and balanced. Yet the Council and North West Homes had already decided they wanted Comprehensive Regeneration – so how could a survey carried. out by them be ‘neutral’?
‘Con’-sultation
The ‘con was on’ from the beginning. The totally biased information given to tenants that emphasised all the negative aspects of the Decent Homes option and all the positive aspects of the PFI scheme; the failure to mention that a large number of residents would be forced to leave Little London under Comprehensive Regeneration, and that the Council could not guarantee that those forced to leave who wanted to stay would eventually be rehoused in Little London.
What happens next?
On 19 April, the Council Executive will meet at Leeds Civic Hall to rubber stamp the Comprehensive Regeneration Option. They will then ask the government for permission. A review will take place and by September we should know whether the government agrees with Leeds City Council or not.
WE CAN STILL SAVE LITTLE LONDON!
It may seem hopeless, but in fact we can stop the Council demolishing our homes and private developers making £millions out of our misery. The government is unlikely to go ahead if there are any more delays in the process. We can take legal action to stop them and pursue alternative regeneration schemes such as tenant self-management. The Council want us to believe that there is nothing we can do – don’t be fooled!
What you can do
Take legal action – contact us for advice
Vote for council candidates who are opposed to PFI
Come to Save Little London meetings – every Tuesday at 7pm in The Rifleman pub
Join the Save Little London lobby of the Council at 12.30pm, Wednesday 19 April, Leeds Civic Hall
Order a FREE banner, roll of stickers or posters from us to hang off your balcony or stick in your window.
‘LITTLE LONDON RESIDENTS BACK £85M REGENERATION SCHEME’, read the Council’s press release, which stated that ‘2/3rds’ of tenants support Comprehensive Regeneration.
The Yorkshire Evening Post simply reprinted the Council’s lies. Its headline, ‘CITY TENANTS VOTE FOR £85M REVAMP OF ESTATE HOMES’, was followed by misleading figures of ‘66%’ opting for the PFI scheme.
The Council now says it will go ahead with the Comprehensive Regeneration scheme subject to an Executive meeting on April 19 at 1pm at Leeds Civic Hall.
Consultation results: the truth
Remember, tenants and residents of Little London have NOT voted for anything. We were only ‘consulted’ on two lousy options to improve our homes and area, and asked to give a ‘preference’ for one of them, not a vote.
Having seen the full consultation results (see our website or ring us to request a free copy), we can tell you that 2/3rds of Little Londoners do not support Comprehensive Regeneration!
The key findings:
1. A huge 40% didn’t take part in the consultation
2. Only 37% of residents prefer Comprehensive Regeneration
3. 21% prefer Decent Homes
4. 63% don’t support the Council’s proposals
5. Council criticised for creating ‘ill-feeling’ among Tenants and Residents, failing to follow agreed process and produce ‘timely and detailed information’
The report into the consultation by Banks of the Wear shows just how confused tenants were by the Council’s questionnaire. Many people who will be kicked out of their homes under Comprehensive Regeneration strangely opted for demolition and thus eviction – but also stated that they wanted to ‘stay in Little London’?!?!?
Council ‘ignored agreed process’
Banks of Wear, the ‘Independent Tenants Advisor’ during the consultation could not hide their criticism of the Council:
"the process was hampered…by the lack of timely information being produced, and departures from the agreed and understood process"
Costing in excess of £2m of taxpayers’ money, the consul-tation was supposed to be fair and balanced. Yet the Council and North West Homes had already decided they wanted Comprehensive Regeneration – so how could a survey carried. out by them be ‘neutral’?
‘Con’-sultation
The ‘con was on’ from the beginning. The totally biased information given to tenants that emphasised all the negative aspects of the Decent Homes option and all the positive aspects of the PFI scheme; the failure to mention that a large number of residents would be forced to leave Little London under Comprehensive Regeneration, and that the Council could not guarantee that those forced to leave who wanted to stay would eventually be rehoused in Little London.
What happens next?
On 19 April, the Council Executive will meet at Leeds Civic Hall to rubber stamp the Comprehensive Regeneration Option. They will then ask the government for permission. A review will take place and by September we should know whether the government agrees with Leeds City Council or not.
WE CAN STILL SAVE LITTLE LONDON!
It may seem hopeless, but in fact we can stop the Council demolishing our homes and private developers making £millions out of our misery. The government is unlikely to go ahead if there are any more delays in the process. We can take legal action to stop them and pursue alternative regeneration schemes such as tenant self-management. The Council want us to believe that there is nothing we can do – don’t be fooled!
What you can do
Take legal action – contact us for advice
Vote for council candidates who are opposed to PFI
Come to Save Little London meetings – every Tuesday at 7pm in The Rifleman pub
Join the Save Little London lobby of the Council at 12.30pm, Wednesday 19 April, Leeds Civic Hall
Order a FREE banner, roll of stickers or posters from us to hang off your balcony or stick in your window.
Lobby the Council 19 April
On 19 April at 1pm, the Council Executive will meet at Leeds Civic Hall to rubber stamp the Comprehensive Regeneration Option. They will then ask the government for permission. A review will take place and by September we should know whether the government agrees with Leeds City Council or not.
WE CAN STILL SAVE LITTLE LONDON!
JOIN THE SAVE LITTLE LONDON LOBBY
MEET 12.30PM OUTSIDE LEEDS CIVIC HALL
WEDNESDAY 19TH APRIL
We will be there outside the Executive meeting next Wednesday to show the Council that we remain opposed to their plans.
It may seem hopeless, but in fact we can stop the Council demolishing our homes and private developers making £millions out of our misery. The government is unlikely to go ahead if there are any more delays in the process. We can take legal action to stop them and pursue alternative regeneration schemes such as tenant self-management. The Council want us to believe that there is nothing we can do – don’t be fooled!
WE CAN STILL SAVE LITTLE LONDON!
JOIN THE SAVE LITTLE LONDON LOBBY
MEET 12.30PM OUTSIDE LEEDS CIVIC HALL
WEDNESDAY 19TH APRIL
We will be there outside the Executive meeting next Wednesday to show the Council that we remain opposed to their plans.
It may seem hopeless, but in fact we can stop the Council demolishing our homes and private developers making £millions out of our misery. The government is unlikely to go ahead if there are any more delays in the process. We can take legal action to stop them and pursue alternative regeneration schemes such as tenant self-management. The Council want us to believe that there is nothing we can do – don’t be fooled!
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