ALARM bells rang when I read of the idea being muted by certain councillors of demolishing the Ryelands estate in order to 'start afresh.'

In the sixties and seventies the same idea was adapted to cellar so called slum properties in many parts of the country. Councillors tried to make a name for themselves with grandiose schemes and architects were allowed free rein to create their ideas of perfect new living spaces. And of course neither group had to live in the subsequent badly designed, poorly built and problem prone high rise and low rise properties. It would be ironic indeed if Lancaster, where we luckily escaped the worst excesses of this policy in the past, was to go down that road now when it has been so thoroughly discredited. It has been shown repeatedly that it was not even a cheap solution, especially if the replacement housing had itself to be demolished leaving councils with large loans to pay back and no houses at all!

The implication of such a proposal is that the problems of the estate are caused by the fabric of the buildings. While this is no doubt a contributory factor, it is most definitely not the whole picture. And is it not only about fifteen years ago that extensive renovation work was carried out on the estate? Yet this has not prevented its current problems. If Cllr Broad really wants to "grasp the nettle" she should be pointing out the whole range of problems which need addressing; revolving around social exclusion and the effects of several generations of relative poverty. The Ryelands estate, in common with many similarly troubled estates has been too long used as a dumping ground for people nobody else wants to live near and people who have fallen through the safety net.' Without such considerations being addressed new buildings will not be any kind of quick fix.

It is at least pleasing to hear that the residents will be part of the process but this must be a real and extensive involvement and not a paper exercise which simply allows the council to claim it has been done. Experience to date in this area suggests such cynical behaviour is quite probable rather than just possible. Radical ways of involving the residents must also be considered such as degrees of self build which allow the pole of Ryelands to become both more skilled and more confident during the process. To the residents of the estate: if you plan and build it you will surely care much more what happens to it in the future! I would urge anyone to whom this letter makes sense to read the following book: 'The Good, The Bad and the Ugly' by Rod Hackney (nothing to do with Clint Eastwood) and in particular I would urge the residents of the Ryelands estate to demand a proper role in any future developments and to firmly reject the attempts of any councillors to further their own ambitions at your expense. This could be your chance to find a way out of the problems so many of which have been imposed on you.

Paul Speight

Wolseley Street

Dry Dock

Lancaster

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.