Edge Lane campaigner Elizabeth Pascoe finally moves out

[Dale Street Blues]

More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LiverpoolDailyPost-DaleStreetBlues/~3/KJmDo6ier_g/edge-lane-campaigner-elizabeth.html)

[George]

So she's run up a legal bill of £55,000 and lets say she get £120.000? - 55 = £65,000 what a silly old duffer.

I bet you when she bought the house it was somewhere in the region of 60k/70k...shoulda taken the 95k dear.

Someone shoulda told her that you cannot stand in the way of progress ie its inevitable that a CPO will be slapped on the house,you just can't win with gov.

[fortinian]

Good riddence. Now somethin can be done about the eyesore that is Edge-Lane.

[JMLE]

The only thing she's achieved is to delay the inevitable and as mentioned above, incur costs. Some blame has got to be laid at the feet of the many people who encouraged her to continue with the futile action. I only hope that they helped her with her costs.

[pablo42]

I'm for her. Them houses on Edge Lane are good solid houses. It's just a road widening exercise that gets cars quicker into the city, so they get blocked up in the city streets.

[JMLE]

I'm for her. Them houses on Edge Lane are good solid houses. It's just a road widening exercise that gets cars quicker into the city, so they get blocked up in the city streets.

They may well be good solid houses Pablo, but the people who owned them, many of which looked like bedsits, didn't carry out any upkeep. They've been an eyesore for many years prior to the cpo's placed on them.

[Cadfael]

At the start of the campaign, the facts were simple. The Council wanted an extra 2 metres for the carriageway to be extended and thus earmarked certain houses and streets to be demolished. Adderley Street was earmarked for demolition, at a time the road itself was in good shape. Lots of residents living there in large spacious houses who were happy.

Elizabeth couldn't see why her house was going to be demolished as it was over 100ft away from the '2 metre' zone and decided to see what could be done. At her time of life, she didn't want to start 'all over again' and move to a new area when infact she was happy with what she had.

BEVEL was formed (Better Environmental Vision for Edge Lane) which didn't campaign straight away to keep the houses standing, they offered an alternative solution to local traffic needs and the flow of cars on Edge Lane. This idea (which can be found at www.edge-lane.info) is actually a more sensible solution overall than the high cost of new roads and poor traffic management that we are having at the moment. BEVEL put a clear and concise case forward.
At the same time, Elizabeth then campaigned to oppose the scheme because her house was going to be demolished - a house that was in perfectly good condition, as was many other houses at the time.

Fast forward a few years and we see one lady who shut the door on her house for the last time. A grandmother in not amazing health has now got to pay for another mortgage on a house in which they will give her 12 years (because of her age). She said many a time that she will either pass away before the mortgage is finished or get to the 12 years and risk being evicted from the new property.

This isn't about the big picture, but about how underhand the whole situation is. Edge Lane was purposely run down to make it look very unattractive and thus more and more people were fed up and left. It is very true to say that in certain houses, they suffered from **** and rot and people were glad to leave.

But at your time of life, why should you have to be forced out of a house you have maintained to the highest standard? That you have a well kept house - the only house left in the street.

It is SO easy to point the finger at Elizabeth and call her all the names under the sun, but ask yourself two things. Would you like YOUR house to be taken away from you so easily and what if this was happening to your mum or nan?

She showed what people power can do (exactly what I did when I took on the demolition of St John Fairfield) and held up a situation for many years - because she had the right to, just like it was apparent that the city council 'had the right' to take someone's perfectly good house from them at their time of life.

Shame on anyone who makes money from this.

[pablo42]

They were in poor condition that's true. But they are still lovely houses. They don't make them like that no more.

[Ged]

Furthermore, it should be the council's policy to make rogue private landlords making money out of bedsits upkeep their properties. It is true that when people started moving out, it suited the council for the area to become run down, like they did with Gerard Gardens and not supply maintenance teams like they used to.

At the end of the day, the delays she caused were legal because the stupid council hadn't done their homework properly so any anger over costs incurred should be directed at councils who once again put cars above peoples needs and allow themselves to be taken to court and lose.

[pablo42]

Well said Cad and Ged. These people think they can ride rough shod over the little man.

[George]

It is SO easy to point the finger at Elizabeth and call her all the names under the sun, but ask yourself two things. Would you like YOUR house to be taken away from you so easily and what if this was happening to your mum or nan?



Of course not but we hae to weigh up the pros and cons here in this sort of situation,the campaign was a minority,most of those houses are were owned by council,private landlords,housing associations so therefore these private landlords will overule the campaign simply because they cannot find long term occupants in a rundown area and so take what was offered for the house at the time which was in the region of anything between 80k and 110k depending on the valuation? now I'm no Landlord but if one or two of my properties reside in a rundown area with no insight into getting permanent occupants then it doesn't take a genius to work out whats best if I'm offered 90k(ball park figure)for a property I bought in the 70's? for 50k/60k and had ome rent out of it the time I had it.

She campaigned and the campaigners left her holding the bill,that has got to be the most stupid thing for a person to be left with,she should have asked took the 95k because as I said you cannot fight a CPO if more than half the area has sold out.

[Spike]

I'm for her. Them houses on Edge Lane are good solid houses. It's just a road widening exercise that gets cars quicker into the city, so they get blocked up in the city streets.

Hey your all for the waterfront, dont change your mind.

Good on her for taking so long. I would have stayed put. Sod the road.

[Ged]

Why don't the council just do the honourable thing then and make you a decent offer. It's not just the cost of a place which incidentally fell through the council's policy, nothing else. If you've finished or nearly finished your mortgage, why should you start worrying about having to get another one at that age, why not a decent house swap at least? It's a case of David and Goliath and they ride roughshod over you if they can get away with it.

[Cadfael]

that has got to be the most stupid thing for a person to be left with

She left with her pride. That means much more to most people than any legal bill.

[George]

Well said Cad and Ged. These people think they can ride rough shod over the little man.

They can and they have,the only way this CPO crap is quashed is for all home owners all over the country to lobby a fight against it outside parliment.
A minority doesn't work as we have seen this happen so many times.

On saying this though we own the houses but the crown owns the land. :-)

[Ged]

Yes but in the heat of the battle when it concerns you yourself, it's different isn't it. Remember the two old ladies in Kemlyn Road that kept Lfc waiting for years so it can be done, granted they can't issue CPO's but imagine you owned a house full of memories on Northumberland terrace George and they decided they were widening a road a good distance from you and wanted to offer you below the market rate for it then moved people out of their rented houses alongside it so it became an undesirable area. Apart from not having the money to start new mortgage arrangements, wouldn't you feel you'd string it out on principal just for the hell of it to cause inconvenience or in the hope of a better offer at least, no make that, a morally better offer.

[George]

Who's to say they didn't make her an offer of another home and money to boot? she hasn't disclosed much on that side?

Usually the case when there's one or two left waving the flag and are being stubborn,which is what happened with the two sisters on kremlin rd.

oops! "Kemlyn"

[Cadfael]

As we've said before - the video says it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWcFWQ_m-jE

What is probably the funniest story in the sad situation is that the Council themselves decided to list St Cyp's on the corner years ago before this project of the 'new Edge Lane' came about. No matter how many new houses or roads they build, you will still have that large church on the corner taking up a massive part of the roadway. And that is sheer class.

[burkhilly]

I feel really sorry for the woman being moved out of her home, I think she was very brave to have taken on the establishment. The houses on Edge Lane are beautiful houses and could be refurbished easily. However, I knew someone who lived on Edge Lane and the noise and pollution levels were horrendous. Having said this Edge Lane Drive has housing either side and seems to cope ok.

I do not like to see quality houses being knocked down, particularly as this is to widen the road. The road does need a bit of widening at the junction of Edge Lane and Deane Road, but the rest of the road is ok.

We've lost too many building in this city and so it continues.

[pablo42]

Hey your all for the waterfront, dont change your mind.

Good on her for taking so long. I would have stayed put. Sod the road.

Yes, I love what they've done and hopefully the'll keep going. I don't wanna see good houses come down for a road. If the road was going straight through, then I'd agree. But the traffic will hit the City streets and grind to a halt ther.

[Cadfael]

Because there was no offer on the table for her. She was given a price for her home which she had to take because the sale on the house she is in now would have fallen through. If they had given her an offer then she would have made it very public - she wasn't to be bought at any cost.

[Cadfael]

One of the last video's I took in the house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiaS4QbAOk

[pablo42]

One of the last video's I took in the house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiaS4QbAOk

Nice one Cad.