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Issue:- 21 February 2013

Housing boost for Granby, Kensington and Picton

NEW plans have been put forward to bring 179 homes back into use in the Kensington, Granby and Picton areas of Liverpool. The Mayor's Cabinet will be asked to approve proposals on Friday, 22 February 2013, to breathe new life into the vacant properties in Granby Four Streets, Arnside Road and Webster Triangle East, over the next 3 years.

The initiatives include a pilot 'Homesteading' scheme, which would see up to 20 properties being given to local people for £1. Residents would be expected to refurbish properties to Decent Home Standard, which means they must be in a reasonable state of repair, be warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities. They would also be required to live in the property for 5 years and not sub-let it within that time.

The Homesteading scheme will also see the development of an 'Own Place' model, which will see the Council transferring vacant properties to The Riverside Group, who will refurbish them and offer them for sale at 25% less than market value. The model has already proved to be a success in other parts of the City, with The Riverside Group bringing 250 properties back into use.  Under the plans, small groups of properties may also be sold to private landlords. Those who bid for the properties will need to commit to refurbishing them to Decent Homes Standard, and will also be required to be a member of the Council's CLASS accreditation scheme for landlords.

The plans; which aim to drive up the quality of housing and build stronger, more sustainable neighbourhoods; replace a contract offer made to developer Leader1 Liverpool to deliver housing regeneration in the 3 areas, which was withdrawn last year.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Ann O'Byrne, said:- "We think that these plans provide a really good foundation for the future of housing in Granby, Kensington and Picton. We want to find innovative ways of bringing properties back into use and attracting people back into our neighbourhoods; whether that's through offering homes for £1, or working with Registered Providers to refurbish homes and selling them at discounted prices. Ultimately, it's about driving forward housing renewal, investing in the future of our communities and doing everything we can to provide good quality, affordable housing for the people who need it most. We have been working closely with the local community over the best way forward for these areas, and I hope that these new proposals will give them certainty that the housing renewal they have waited for, for so long, remains a priority for us."

The areas covered by the proposals consist mainly of vacant Victorian terraced properties. They are:-

► Granby, Four Streets in the Granby Renewal Area (City Centre South Zone) - The area, in close proximity to the City centre, is dominated by a mix of large Victorian houses and pre-1919 terraces

► Webster Triangle East in the Picton Renewal Area (Wavertree Zone) - Close to the City centre and Liverpool Women's Hospital, the area features a majority of pre-1919 terraces.

► Arnside Road in the Kensington Renewal Area (Wavertree Zone) - The area, close to the City centre, Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool University and Royal Liverpool Hospital, is again characterised by high density, pre-1919 terraces.

Residents who are interested in the 'homes for £1' scheme should contact the City Council's housing and development team on:- 0151 233 2148 for more information.

Wisdom in the Mountains says Walking Weatherman

AS weather experts predict cold weather ahead and with half-term and Easter holidays approaching, National Park Wardens, along with BBC Wales' weatherman Derek Brockway are encouraging walkers to prepare themselves before venturing into the mountains.

Careful planning is needed before every visit to Snowdonia's mountains and checking the mountain weather forecast for the current ground conditions, before setting off, is essential. As an experienced walker himself, Derek Brockway explained why we need to take the weather forecast seriously during the next few weeks.

"The snow on the mountains is very different to the snow we see in our gardens. When it's frozen hard, it is very slippery, making footpaths which are graded as moderate in the summer extremely treacherous. It's also very important to wrap up warmly. Temperatures in the mountains can be much lower than temperatures experienced on lower ground, with recent forecasts indicating wind chill temperatures as low as -15°C."


On behalf of the MountainSafe partnership, National Park Warden Gruff Owen added:- "Because of the current conditions in the mountains, visitors to the summits will need to carry an ice axe, crampons and more importantly, know how to use them. The days are still very short at this time of year, especially in the mountains, so it's wise to start early and aim to be back down by 17:00 at the latest. I carry a torch and spare batteries with me throughout the year, but during the winter they're essential. However, the best piece of equipment we carry with us sits on our shoulders. When we prepare well, understand our limitations and know when to turn back we're much more likely to enjoy ourselves."

For more details on the weather forecasts, visit:- bbc.co.uk/weather, or see metoffice.gov.uk for detailed information about the weather in Snowdonia. @eryridiogel and @safesnowodnia also tweet weather information, changing ground conditions on the mountains, as well as general advice on mountaineering and highlighting good practice of mountaineering.

GMB CONGRATULATES 86 LOCAL COUNCILS PLANNING TO RAISE COUNCIL TAX TO PROTECT FRONT LINE SERVICES

"THE UK Government is slashing its budgets and it's high time Councils said:- 'enough is enough' and it is totally disingenuous if government ministers criticise Councils trying to protect local communities..." says GMB.  GMB, the union for public services, commented on the report in Local Government Chronicle that 86 Councils plan to defy the government Council tax freeze. See notes to editors for table published this week.  Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary for Public Services said:- "The UK Government has slashed Council budgets and services and jobs and it's high time Councils said:- 'enough is enough'. Front line Council services have been pared to the bone and can't be cut any more. It will be totally disingenuous if government ministers criticise Councils who are trying to protect their local communities. Councils also need to do the right thing by their staff; after a 3 year pay freeze I hope that at a national negotiating meeting on Thursday, 21 February 2013, we will see an offer to begin rebuilding local authority pay."

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