Anger is brewing over major £60m regeneration plans in Runcorn that householders fear could see their homes bulldozed to make way for redevelopment.
Residents on The Uplands in Palacefields have now formed an action group to challenge housing association Riverside over the early-stage proposals. Sandra Myndiuk-Davidson, 66, chair of The Uplands Residents Regeneration Society, said some homeowners are "totally distraught" and "devastated" at the prospect of leaving their "lovely family homes", particularly those who have spent thousands of pounds on renovations.
She said residents are "quite happy" with other aspects of the proposals such as demolishing The Knoll flats, rebuilding Bethesda church and the shops, and general landscaping, but householders do not want to leave their homes, even when offered the value of the property plus 10% to move out. Her own home would be protected due to its proximity to the Town Park and Halton Village conservation area, she said.
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"At least two" residents, however, have said they "can't sleep" because they're "so upset", Sandra said.
Asked whether there are any guarantees to ensure residents have a place at the front of the queue to move back into the area, she said such an assurance hasn't been given.
She said consultation events held by Riverside only offered "little information".
The Uplands is a sprawling estate within an estate, spanning three streets plus flats and totalling what Sandra said came to 359 properties, 29% of which she said are owned by Riverside.
The housing association told the ECHO it was "not currently pursuing any compulsory purchase orders" but it believes a degree of "demolition is required to affect the change the community is crying out for".
Riverside announced in September it was working on dramatic £60m plans to transform Palacefields and nearby Hallwood Park as it launched a public consultation of 2,500 residents in the Halton Lea local authority electoral ward.
This expanded on previously mooted plans for a £20m revamp of the two neighbourhoods announced in early 2019.
Unveiling the grander scope of the plans last month, Andrea Thorn, Riverside's director of homes and communities, said the "exciting" regeneration programme presented a "once in a lifetime" opportunity for the area, as she acknowledged it might also be an "uncertain and worrying time" for some.
She said Riverside had 90 years of experience in revitalising neighbourhoods and the design goals were still at a "first stage proposal" stage and "not set in stone".
Mike Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver Vale, has welcomed the plans.
Sandra said residents are invited to an open meeting scheduled to take place at Palacefields Community Centre from 1.15-2.15pm on Saturday, October 15, doors open at 1pm.
She said Mr Amesbury has declined an invitation due to his support for the proposals - a claim denied by the MP who said he could have attended had the meeting been in the morning . Cllr Alan Lowe is expected to attend.
Sandra and others are now hoping the formation of their group will ensure their concerns are heard.
She said: "Homeowners don't want to move. They (Riverside) want to knock houses down, which is a waste of money.
"We're safe because we're on the conservation side of the village. People are totally distraught."
Sandra added: "They just said 'if you're over 50 you can go in a care home'.
"You can imagine the reaction to that."
Following an approach for comment from the ECHO, a spokeswoman for Riverside said there are no plans "relating to care homes" but one option based on feedback and research by Halton Borough Council is creating an "extra care scheme" for people aged 55 years and older, providing an "independent living space" for households with a neighbourhood bistro and a several small businesses, with the proposal pending sufficient demand.
Addressing the issue of whether residents will have priority for new homes, she said Riverside is trying to "understand people’s housing needs for the future" and that once all the consultation information is gathered it can "create refined, more detailed plans", adding "where we do want to propose options like demolition or relocation, either temporary or permanent, we will provide customers with a clear offer which takes all these issues into account".
She added Riverside was "acutely aware" of residents' support for demolishing The Knoll and rebuilding the shops and church plus landscaping.
Hannah Fleming, Riverside regeneration manager, said: “We know there are some householders in Halton Lea who are concerned about how the changes we’re proposing will affect them.
"That’s totally understandable.
"There are also many who feel positive about this potential change.
“To try to be sensitive to everyone, we have taken things slowly, consulting with and investing in and listening to the community for almost three years.
"Based on the feedback we got during that period, we have now presented a broad picture of what we think we could possibly do to improve the area.
"We have also tried to arrange conversations with each household to seek their views and understand their housing needs, and are making good progress.
"To date 155 individual household discussions have taken place, with 140 scheduled and another 55 to be arranged.
"Six drop-in events have also been held in the past three weeks where people could share their views, concerns and comments on the regeneration as a whole.
“We purposely did not propose a hard and fast, detailed house-by-house plan.
"This is a genuine consultation.
"We will design plans based on the feedback we get.
"That does not mean that we won’t want to do some selective demolition to create the change that the community is crying out for, and we’ve been clear with people through the consultation on the areas we think that could possibly take place.
"But it does mean we won’t dive in with two feet and simply disregard views and press on with a set of plans regardless.
“Together with the community, the aim of this regeneration project is to create a neighbourhood with high quality homes that people will want to live in for many years to come, a place to build new and lasting memories.
"We want to create new homes that are fit for the future, provide safety and security, are spacious and are more energy efficient.
“We are listening and we’re answering specific questions on a daily basis and residents in Halton Lea can read all information about the regeneration, including a set of frequently asked questions, at www.riverside.org.uk/haltonlea.”
In response to the comment about not attending the meeting, Mr Amesbury told the ECHO: "I welcome up to £60m investment in the community as I have been lobbying for regeneration of our neighbourhoods since being elected in 2017.
“In terms of the actual proposals, residents are invited to help shape the scheme by taking part in Riverside’s ongoing consultation.
“I would encourage people to get involved and take up the offer of one-to-one consultation meetings.
“As a Member of Parliament, I am also here to listen to any concerns from my constituents and happy to make representations to Riverside on their behalf.
“I am unable to attend a meeting this Saturday afternoon but did offer to go along if it could be rescheduled for the morning.
"Unfortunately, this was not possible.”
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