THE news that their Elland homes are to be demolished has clearly devastated the elderly tenants of Elland Lane, Heathfield Avenue and Whitwell Grove ("Elderly are told: Homes are coming down", Courier, March 14).

I personally canvassed the residents there the day after reading your story. These are people who have invested their lives in their homes, not just their money.

Some were even having their homes redecorated when I called and, worryingly, some were oblivious to the news.

They share a deep disappointment that they were not consulted about their future and feel betrayed by Pennine Housing, which promised so much when it took over the houses from Calderdale Council.

If Pennine gets its way, residents fear the area will attract crime and anti-social behaviour. Properties will become an easy target as houses get boarded up when people leave and pride in the area evaporates.
Pennine Housing should come out of hiding and give some answers:

• When was the decision to demolish taken and by whom?


• Why weren't residents consulted from the outset – not after the decision was taken – in line with the principles of the tenant participation contract?


• Why are the properties deemed outdated and not meeting future needs? And, if this is true, why not renovate them to address those issues?


• Were ward councillors and MP Chris McCafferty consulted?


• Is it true that Elland ward councillors told Pennine they backed the demolition?

Elland councillor Bob Thompson – a Pennine employee – should also come out of hiding and explain any involvement in all this, including when he first knew about the proposals and whether he and the other Elland councillors are going to back constituents who want to stay in their homes.

I challenge Pennine Housing to hold a ballot to determine if residents would prefer their homes to be demolished or brought up to the standard Pennine says they should meet, and also to commission an independent analysis of the costs and benefits of clearance versus improvement.

Pennine's shabby treatment of these 40 households will send shockwaves to elderly tenants of Pennine elsewhere in Calderdale who thought they had homes for life, as social housing used to be known, but who will now understandably feel insecure and vulnerable, worried that the same might happen to them.

Stewart Brown
(Labour Prospective Candidate for Elland)