Residents' protest calls for answers after flats are sold off as part of Lancaster estate refurb

A protest was held outside the latest full meeting of Lancaster City Council in Morecambe and tenants then asked questions during the meeting.

It came after two small blocks of flats, Lune House and Derby House, were sold to a developer by Lancaster City Council.

Protesters said they previously understood the flats were to be refurbished and kept as council homes by the city council, so would remain affordable housing.

However, Mainway regeneration arrangements including work with government body Homes England have changed a number of times, a leading councillor said during the meeting.

This meant new options were being looked at.

Speaking before the meeting, protester Anna Oakes-Monger, a member of Lancaster Tenants and Community Union, said: “I find it unbelievable that the council has decided to sell off council housing on Mainway to a private developer.

"We’re in a cost of living crisis, with rents rising and wages falling. Millions of us are living in the insecurity of the private rented sector, at the whim of landlords who can refuse us homes, hike up our rents, or evict us.

"Council housing is crucial to our society. As rents go up it is literally the only affordable housing for millions of people.

“Just in our district in Lancaster, there are 2,000 households waiting for social housing. Every single council home is precious. The last thing we should be doing is getting rid of them.

"So we’re fighting for Mainway, and we’re fighting for the massive increase in council homes that we need if we want to have a functioning society where people can afford to live.”

Another Lancaster resident, named only as Jim, said: “The regeneration of Mainway has been discussed for as long as I’ve lived there, five years. There was a trial project at Lune House and Derby House, which was supposed to show how things would go.

“As a trial, it has failed. It was short-sighted not to forecast the financials properly and as indicator to provide reassurance. The residents have lost faith about what the council can offer.

“We want a proper plan and not just lip service. We want to know what the main estate is going to look like, so it does not just fall into developers’ hands.

“I don’t think there is a budget to consult properly. We want to discuss things but we are told it’s too early. To me, it seems like mistakes and short-sightedness have affected the project. We can’t go on like this. In the vacuum, different speculation is flying around. Everyone is asking questions but nobody knows.”

Yvonne Garrett said she had lived in the Mainway area for 17 years in a maisonette.

Speaking before the council meeting, she said: “I’m frustrated and tired with it all. Things need sorting on our homes. Windows don’t fit, the walls are crumbling, the heating systems are old, security and cleaning isn’t good.

“I work. My son works. We are very ordinary people. We just want to know what’s happening with the houses but information keeps changing.

“This has been talked about for a few years. I was expecting new windows back in 2020 but then got a letter asking me about a new vision for Mainway. There was talk of knocking some buildings and building new ones. Then came the Covid pandemic. Now, three years later, Mainway has not changed.”

Morecambe couple Bonnie and Stuart Mitchell were at the protest, along with their pet dog Kipper. They live in a private rented property.

Bonnie said: “Our son lives on the Mainway estate and is worried. He likes his flat but he’s worried about the sale of the two blocks that were supposed to be done up but are now for sale. He worries about the future of housing, and I worry too about young people trying to get onto the housing ladder.”

Stuart added: “The way things are going, it’s impossible for people to get a home. I have also seen a few places in disrepair, and that dispirits people. We must hang on to the housing that we have and improve it.”

During the meeting, Green councillor Caroline Jackson, who is deputy city council leader and has a housing remit on the cabinet, confirmed that a sale had been agreed for the two blocks and was currently going through the official legal processes.

She added: “The need for work on Mainway has been on the radar for six or seven years because of the type of construction and age of the buildings. There are issues, such as the cladding breaking down, with it tending to suck in water rather than keep it out.”

Knocking down and rebuilding homes could have cost £100m but the city council could not simply borrow that sum.

“It’s difficult to work with changing circumstances and government decisions,” she added.

Now things have changed again, we can make a better plan about what we are doing with Skerton School. Mainway people may be able to decamp and we would be able to demolish and rebuild.

“I know it’s frustrating and it’s taken years. I share your frustrations. The best thing we can do is provide a plan as soon as we have one. All the documents we have should be shared with residents before. not after. We hope to keep you updated.

"We’re expecting a planning application for Skerton soon. We hope that will give a sense of what is going to happen and time scales.”

Overall, she said residents would get better housing in future. The city council was committed to social housing, highest building standards and secure, fair tenures.