AS you have chosen to conduct your dialogue with the MBI group on the council via the local media, I am utilising the same process to reply to your comments. You make much speculative comment about the intentions of the council in relation to the future housing needs of Ryelands. You say that I intend to bulldoze the estate, utter nonsense! The media hype surrounding the survey of local tenants who live on Ryelands, fuelled by speculative headlines and political mischief-making, has done nothing to assist in shaping the future of the estate. It has frightened local people, misinformed them and allowed yet more negative statements about that estate to continue.

As you know, Mr Rowett, I attended a meeting of Ryelands tenants earlier this week, and assured those present that we have no grand plan, but we do have a desire to improve the Ryelands neighbourhood for the benefit of those who live there. We have as you rightly say some £4 million earmarked for the estate, and in line with a decision taken at the housing policy committee on July 5th, the Council has arranged for a survey of local residents, to ascertain their housing needs for the future and what initiatives they felt were needed to make the estate a better place.

As chairman of the committee I felt it important to inform local people of the survey and officers wrote to all tenants and residents to inform them of the impending work. I also held a press briefing, which explained to the local media that we were seeking local views first, ahead of any plans or proposals for the area. We are indeed intent on full and active participation. I said that if local people suggested radical solutions I would not be afraid to face them and that I want an estate fit for the 21st century.

Neither I nor my colleagues have any intention of "jack booting" the final solution through committee as you suggest. In fact the appointment of the survey company was approved by all parties on the council, and any future decisions about this or any other estate will be made in full, frank and open partnership with the people who live in those areas.

Mr Rowett, you may well be a tenant rep for Lancaster North, however you do not live on the Ryelands estate, in fact the estate has its own tenant representatives. I make no apology for informing the residents and tenants of Ryelands ahead of other local interested people. After all the survey affects them, it is their views I am seeking, it is their estate and my colleagues and I are giving them the opportunity to shape the future of their neighbourhood.

I sincerely hope that in future people will think before they jump in and hurl accusations. All we are doing is actively seeking tenant participation on an individual estate. I thought that was something even other tenants would support, obviously I was wrong.

Cllr Carol Broad

Housing Policy C/man

City Council

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