10/08/2006 - Resident fears she will be forced out of 'unsafe' home
"A resident of the doomed Richard Cooper Street fears that the houses around her could be knocked down - and that she could be forced to move out of her home.
Patricia Tomlinson told the Goole Times that an East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) officer visited Richard Cooper Street last Friday.
As a result, she understands that anyone who refuses to sell their houses to the ERYC...will find that the empty houses on either side of them are to be bulldozed.
According to Ms Tomlinson, the ERYC wants to buy the properties that are left for 30 per cent less than similar houses in neighbouring streets.
...However, a spokesperson for the ERYC's Public Protection Department denied this was the case. "The council will always pay full market value for properties purchased, including those purchased by compulsary purchase order (CPO). In the event that properties are to be purchased by CPO, they will be valued by an external, independent valuation officer. With regard to the demolition of properties, the council would never take any action that would leave a property in an unsafe condition."
Urban regeneration specialists Westdale Services are still hoping that the houses can be redeveloped rather than knocked down.
Director Malcolm Kitching said the company was in the process of organising an open day at Goole Leisure Centre on Thursday, September 14.
Members of the public will be able to comment on the house types and improvements proposed by Westdale, see a proposed layout and formally express interest in purchasing an improved property.
Mr Kitching said: "It is our intention to make the improved houses subject to discounts of up to 25 per cent of value for persons who have previously lived in the streets and other discounts to nearby residents and people who have lived in Goole for over four years".