The UK’s cheapest seaside village where £30k homes are being destroyed | UK | News
A village fights against the council while plans to destroy the progress of historical houses and calls a resident to him “social cleaning”. Durham District Council made a planning application to demolish 100 houses on the streets of HORDEN ‘.
The number of streets, which includes the first street of the village, was first built in the early 1900s for the Great Coal Mining Families Community in the region. Their destruction is part of a renewal plan of £ 10.7 million, and existing landlords are asked to sell their homes to the council, so that new houses can be built instead. However, the Daily Express, the inhabitants, said that they have opposed plans since the original consultation in 2019. A shelter community organizer Joe said at a Parish Council meeting, saying, “People are angry”, “what people don’t want”. The campaign group for HORDEN found that 72% of the community wanted to renew and only 2% were in favor of destruction.
Joe added: “The Council says it is widespread support. I beg to be different.” Shelter’s analysis shows that empty houses for social rent and renovation may require approximately 20% less than new structures after opening and compensation.
Raymond Bellingham has been living in a mortgage -free house on the third street since he was nine years old. It points to the 60th anniversary of residing this year.
The locals are opposed to plans by saying that they are looking for renovation to bring the region to life instead of demolishing people’s homes. A similar schema was completed in Green in Hartlepool and renewed Victoria instead of defeating their homes.
Raymond said: “Initially mentioned other plans – renewal, renewal, etc., but suddenly, all other options disappeared and the council went down the full demolition path. They ignore the people living here completely, they refuse to make another consultation.”
He insisted that the bad reputation of the streets was wrong, “wrong declaration” added that people added it as “people with gang loaded – dangerous dogs with machetes” – but this could not be more than the facts.
“Is there a better way to destroy the historical houses of the people who build that society, the historical houses of the people who build that society, the historical houses of the people who build that society?”
Raymond said, “There is not much to celebrate,” the Council wants to erase this community, build new houses and destroy her inheritance and history.
“It still affects people living here. They want to clean the space, they are trying to buy a house for £ 30,000 below the market price -35,000 £. This is what makes the space really unwanted.
“It may sound hard, but some kind of social cleaning. Good people live here and deported from their own homes, villages, communities. They don’t care about the people here; they don’t have feelings for this community.”
Joe said that Horden is one of the most unique places in the country: “The locals need something. He needs regeneration, but what cost?
“This plan should not come at the expense of the disintegration of people’s lives. If the council goes to renewal, it can do more for the numbered streets.”
There is a displacement package for the residents who sell their homes to the council, but Joe says, “Many of them think they’ll be financially worse,” he says. Leaving Horden would be expensive in addition to the personal cost of dismantling social networks and families. Joe said that it is just “maintaining a cycle of instability for many people.”
Michael Kelleher, the President of Planning and Housing at the Durham District Council, said, “Horden Masterplan received strong support from the residents after the comprehensive consultations for several years, which provided us the representation of community sensation representation in the region. We worked hard to make the residents feel and represented.
“Following our consultations in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the demolition, cleansing and provision of new houses has continuously ranked higher than renewing by the inhabitants.
“The aim of MasterPlan is to revive the village and to revitalize the village for the local people by supporting a large number of empty properties in the numbered streets, supporting people with housing needs, increasing community facilities and opening the path of the new Council residences that are really suitable.
“We understand that this is a disturbing time and we work closely with its owners and landlords to negotiate the purchase of their property and to find alternative accommodation if they need.”
