Lancaster Town Hall protest as tempers flare over Skerton high-rise flats

The protesters – who highlighted concerns about the future of affordable council homes, plus the cost of private rented accommodation and mortgages – also handed over a letter to the city council.

They are calling for a guarantee of like-for-like replacement council homes if old 1960s blocks of flats in Lancaster are sold or demolished. Some said they are stuck in expensive private property paying rent to private landlords with no affordable homes to buy or rent, nor affordable mortgages.

The members of Lancaster and Morecambe Tenants and Community Union called for a halt on the sale of the Lune and Derby House smaller blocks of flats in Lancaster’s Mainway area. They also highlighted concerns about high-rise Bridge House, a tower block which faces demolition because of structural and repair challenges.

Lancaster City Council has plans and ambitions to regenerate the city’s Mainway and Skerton areas, along with other locations, which includes building some new homes – but it says many factors such as costs and government funding rules around new homes to rent or buy influence what can be done.

Earlier this year, the council said some existing Bridge House tenants, such as older people, may want to consider potential new homes at Skerton High School site, a move to sheltered housing or live with their families. Discussions would be held.

Speaking at the town hall protest, Jame Aigh from the Tenants and Community Union said: “We outlined our opposition to the sell-off of council houses and public land in our district, and called on the council to commit to urgently expand the number of council houses available to people.

“There are over 2,000 people registered as waiting for social homes locally with many more, including most of the members of our union, stuck in an increasingly expensive private rental market, unable to access or afford a mortgage and unable to access council housing either.

“The city council’s commissioned business plan for housing development estimates that there are more than 60,000 households with affordable housing needs in the district. Yet since the council has embarked on its current redevelopment plan we have seen a net loss of council rented homes in the district.

“The sale of Lune and Derby House resulted in the loss of a dozen homes and now residents are being moved out of Bridge House, potentially in anticipation of its demolition, leading to a loss of another 44 home, without any guarantee that these homes will be replaced by like-for-like council rented properties.

The union said it stands in solidarity with Bridge House residents, resisting what it described as their ‘eviction and dispersal to other parts of the district’. It said it wants Lancaster City Council to call an immediate stop to the ‘sell-off and destruction of council homes’, and outline a clear plan for the expansion, not reduction, of council housing.

If Bridge House is to be demolished, campaigners said the city council must guarantee that at least as many council homes are rebuilt and that public land is not sold to private developers.

Marisha Nolan, a Bridge House resident, said: “I’ve been here for just under two years. I live here with my son and this is our home. We want to stay here. This building doesn’t need ripping down. It needs renovating and reviving. No-one should be having homes ripped out from under their feet."

She claimed the whole way the council has handled this situation has been very elusive. “I know more from the tenants union putting letters through our doors than anything that’s come from the council,” she said. “At first they said it just needed work, now they’re suddenly kicking us out to demolish it.

“The council are meant to be the people’s landlords. We’re people, we’re not just a building. If the areas they’re trying to knock down or sell actually got the attention they needed, we wouldn’t be in this position.”

Valerie Hunt, who also lives at Bridge House, said: “I’ve been here 14 years. I don’t want to move out at all. This is my home and I want to stay here.

“Moving would have a big impact on me. I’ve only got 23 per cent lung function so that’s a big concern for me. This is so much stress, it’s not good for any of us. and regarding the whole Mainway development, through seeing what’s happened so far I think there’s going to be a lot of council housing lost.”

A Lancaster City Council spokesperson said: “We are proud to be one of the local authorities to have retained its stock of council housing and our ambition is to provide even more affordable housing for local people.

“Whilst we recognise the disappointment regarding the sale of Lune House and Derby House voiced by Tenants and Community Union, the situation is extremely complex.

“Both buildings require significant investment. While the council initially had plans to retain the blocks and complete the refurbishment itself, the economic realities rapidly and unexpectedly changed.

“Significantly high rates of inflation led to increased borrowing and building costs making the initial plan impossible.

“The council liaised directly with those residents who were affected and they were assisted to find alternative housing solutions, either on Mainway or elsewhere within the council’s housing stock. They have been supported financially with moving costs and where appropriate, received compensation.

“This situation is not unique to Lancaster and is replicated across the country. And whilst it highlights the very real demand for significant investment in social housing, the council remains committed to the positive regeneration of areas and supporting all those requiring housing, not just council housing.

“We recognise that the loss of council homes in Lune House and Derby House is not ideal.

“Therefore, whilst their sale is conditional on delivering a quality scheme which contributes to the wider regeneration of Mainway, the council continues to progress plans for the delivery of new council housing, initially focusing on Skerton School site and the delivery of more than 130 new council homes.

“Demolition of the former school has progressed well as the first milestone on this journey, with planning permission expected to be submitted imminently for the new housing scheme.

“We have been clear with wider Mainway residents about this development and what it may mean for them, their homes and the time-scales that it may take. It is initially expected that some residents currently on Mainway will move into the new, energy-efficient, modern homes when they are completed and this will help the council progress future phases to include housing of different tenures.”

The spokesperson added: “The council has publicly stated that it is seeking to deliver as much council housing as possible across Skerton and Mainway, and as a minimum keeping the amount currently available.

“However, the Tenants and Community Union’s request that all housing be retained by the council is an unattainable goal.

“The current funding regime for housing through Homes England [a government body] dictates that schemes need to be mixed-tenure to secure funding, and funding available for regeneration is insufficient to cover what is needed on top of currently high inflation and borrowing rates. The council continues to raise this issue alongside many other councils and housing providers at a national level.

“Since the beginning of 2020, significant and on-going engagement has taken place with residents and the council has endeavoured to keep them updated through on-going written communication, in-person events, the creation of a dedicated tenants’ group and opening a local office on the estate.

“We will continue to seek opportunities to engage and involve residents as the Mainway project continues and would encourage residents to get in touch with the council directly should they have any questions or concerns.”