Livin have just delivered a leaflet to every house on the Estate in the Western Area Regeneration scheme informing residents that they will no longer produce a master plan, and no longer hold a public ballot. They will no longer proceed with Option 3. Livin are now encouraging all residents to get involved to help decide what is next for the Estate.
Livin indicate in their figures that residents were 51% in favour of option 3 but this is questioned by Cllr Arun Chandran, Secretary of Great Aycliffe Residents Association (GARA). Arun stated “we currently at this time have 340 houses out of 514 signed up to the petition against option 3, thats 66% of the residents against, not the 51% Livin quote as being in Favour of course our petition can be validated, we still had 100 houses to get a response from” he said.
Cllr. Arun Chandran, Secretary of GARA together with Cllr. Ken Robson, Vice Chairman, spent from May till now calling on every house, the vast majority of owners, tenants and private landlords were totally united against Livin’s plans for demolition, GARA were ready to take out High Court proceedings for a Judicial Review if planning permission was granted, Foxhill Residents Association in Bath won a similar case, and we were ready to oppose Compulsory Purchase as per the Secretary of States promise to us, following the Aylesbury CPO Enquiry in London.
Arun said “this is a tremendous victory for the residents of the estate, united, we stood our ground and won. Now we need to make Livin keep its word and work with residents to make option 2 viable and sucessful for Residents and Livin together. Cllr. Arun Chandran and Cllr. Ken Robson led the campaign from the outset, was backed unanimously by the Great Aycliffe Residents Association who took up the campaign and the Town Council said “Livin are to be congratulated on backing down, their figures are questionable to say the least but at least they are not wasting anymore Government money on a lost cause and saves us all round having legal costs and giving people that reassurance about their homes and the future. Noble in motive and far reaching in purpose. Our MP and County Councillors were less than useless, this was a victory for the Residents, GARA and the Town Council working together to serve the public” he added.
