INTERVIEW: Residents speak of "anger and anxiety" over Lancaster housing estate revamp plan

Residents are fearing for the future of their homes after the council announced they will sell off two blocks to a private developer as part of a major Lancaster housing estate revamp.

Beyond Radio has spoken to people living on Mainway at Skerton who are worried about Lancaster City Council's 'masterplan' for revitalising the estate after the sell-off was revealed.

They say that residents were moved out of Lune House and Derby House on the promise that their homes would be refurbished and then they could go back.

But with the revamp now being carried out privately, both blocks will no longer be council-owned, sparking fears that tenants will be priced out of living on Mainway in future.

Campaigners plan to hold a protest against the selling off of Lune and Derby Houses at Morecambe Town Hall on Wednesday (September 27).

LISTEN to our interview with Anna Oakes-Monger and Catherine Stott from Lancaster Tenants and Community Union (TACU), and Mainway resident Jim

Jim, who lives on Mainway, told Beyond Radio: "I think the sale of Lune House and Derby House is short-sighted on the council's behalf. 

"We're talking about families here and people who have been forced to move out on the basis of something that has never materialised.

"Some of us who have been living on the estate for years, a lot of the issues with the buildings are long-standing. None of those issues are yet to be addressed. People who are still living here have no answers.

"When you look at the evidence of the pilot project, how are we to believe they are going to hold up their end of the bargain?"

Anna Oakes-Monger from the Lancaster Tenants and Community Union (TACU) said: "People on the estate have been told that Mainway is going to be redeveloped and there's this big refurbishment plan.

"The people in Lune and Derby House were told this is the pilot building for the refurbishment. Everybody was moved out, they were told the flats are going to be done up. Then a couple of months ago the council announced actually, we're selling these to a developer, you can't come back. 

Derby House is pictured below

"There are 257 homes on this estate and everybody is now wondering, what's going to happen to our homes? Is it going to be the same story? Are these going to get sold off? And if not, how long are we going to be sat waiting for this to happen? There's quite a lot of anger, questions, confusion and anxiety, and they want answers. That's why we're holding this protest.

"We don't know how much of it is going to be council housing. And we don't know what the rents are going to be. Are the people on Mainway going to be able to afford these rents? We're really concerned about that and we want guarantees from the council that they're going to replace this housing.

"We need more council housing in the area. Rents are going up in the private sector. We are at the whim of landlords who can evict us. Secure tenancies that people have in council homes are goldust. We need to have more than this. There are many many people in the city who want council houses. The last thing we should be doing is getting rid of them."

Catherine Stott, also from Lancaster TACU, said: "Our priority is to make sure that the council is held accountable and residents are communicated with.

"It feels like what the council are saying they are doing and what we're hearing from residents is contradictory at the moment."

Residents are hoping to have the chance to speak to councillors about their concerns, at the Lancaster City Council meeting on Wednesday.

Councillor Caroline Jackson, deputy Lancaster City Council leader and cabinet member with responsibility for housing (pictured below), said: “Our commitment to revitalise the Mainway estate and to provide more quality social and affordable housing that meets a diverse range of needs remains strong.

“As we continue to work with our partner Place Capital First to deliver this ambitious project, we will continue to provide regular updates to all those tenants involved in the Mainway project and have a number of ways in which residents can raise concerns as well as offer ideas towards developing its future.

“The latest exciting news is the purchasing of Skerton High School and surrounding grounds as part of the wider plans to improve the Mainway estate.  This will pave the way for the building of approximately 130 new affordable homes to rent and a full planning application is expected to be submitted later this year. 

“With regard to Lune and Derby House, due to a number of reasons, particularly the increase in costs resulting from changes to the wider economy and the lack of financial contributions/subsidy available from the Government, we are no longer in a position to be able to deliver the refurbishment of Lune and Derby House as originally planned.   

“The refurbishment of these blocks will now be delivered by a developer and whilst these particular homes won’t be council owned properties for rent, the refurbishment will be designed to meet local housing needs for affordable rented housing.”

The council's masterplan to transform Mainway began with the purchase of the closed-down Skerton High School (below).

Redeveloping Skerton High is phase 1 of the plan, with the aim of creating around 140 new homes on the site.

The council said that Phase 1a will come first, to build three blocks of flats (83 new homes in total) overlooking the playing fields.

They said they will be affordable social rented homes owned by Lancaster City Council, and with the council as landlord.

Plans include a new access road to the site from Owen Road, tree blocks of new, energy efficient flats, indoor community space/facilities on the ground floor of one of the blocks, three rows of houses, sited on “playable” or pedestrian friendly streets, retention of the playing fields and the cherry trees, creation of a children’s play park, and routes into and through the estate forming links between Ryelands Park and the riverside

The council said the situation at the school is different to Lune and Derby House, as they have been able to apply for government funding to support the development.

They aim to have built and completed the first new homes on the site by early 2026.

However, there was a setback earlier this week when the council's planning application for demolition to begin on the site, was rejected by the council's own planning committee of councillors, due to concerns over cherry trees.

Read more: Plans to demolish Skerton High School delayed over cherry trees - Beyond Radio

The council has said that homes on the rest of the Mainway Estate – the current blocks of flats  - "are not being forgotten and will be included in future phases of the project".

Bridge House on Mainway is pictured below

"The reason we are looking to build new homes on the school site first of all is so that we have homes for existing residents across Mainway to move into to allow us to then develop the other blocks of flats," said a council newsletter.

"It is far too soon to discuss the details of either the work that will take place in these future phases or how (residents) might be directly affected, but if you have any concerns at this point please feel free to drop into the Mainway Hub on Owen Road, or contact us using the details below.

"What we can say is that is likely that homes across the Mainway Estate will be a mix of tenures. This means that it is likely some will be council owned, while others may be for private rent, shared ownership, or owned and managed by another housing provider.

"Our aim is to provide at least the current number of council homes (257) across the new Mainway Estate as a minimum with additional homes of other tenure types creating a new Mainway estate of well over 400 homes.

"Now that the school site has been bought you will begin to see contractors starting some preparatory works before the demolition of the school buildings begins. We hope to retain some of the art deco features of the school building for decorative use across the new phase 1 of Mainway. We are currently working on timescales for the demolition and hope this will take place around autumn 2023."