Tenants worry over housing offices
WORRIED tenants are today concerned that the proposals to close some area housing offices are being rushed through.They claim they have had little chance to comment on the proposed move and were further angered when no politicians from the ruling administration at Grafton House turned up at a meeting called to discuss their concerns.
IPSWICH: Worried tenants are today concerned that the proposals to close some area housing offices are being rushed through.
They claim they have had little chance to comment on the proposed move and were further angered when no politicians from the ruling administration at Grafton House turned up at a meeting called to discuss their concerns.
Ipswich Borough Council announced at the end of last year that it was considering closing its three area housing offices at All Hallows, Chantry, and north west Ipswich and base its housing officers at Grafton House where staff could be contacted by phone or e-mail.
This move could lead to the loss of 15, mainly managerial, posts - although some of those displaced could be found alternative jobs at the borough.
Opposition housing spokesman John Mowles said many people felt the proposals were being rushed through - and there was widespread anger among tenants, many of whom had been happy with the service from the council in the past.
He said: “I have never seen tenants as upset about an issue as they are about this.”
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Mike Lloyd, one of the tenants' representatives, said no one would have known about the proposal had it not been for the tenants' forum IPCom.
He said: “The meeting was controlled but people were getting rather heated. We feel the whole proposal has been handled very badly.
“There has been very little consultation - and there were no Conservative or Liberal Democrat councillors at the meeting.”
Conservative housing spokesman for the borough Richard Pope said he had been unable to be at the meeting because he had another engagement - and rejected claims that there had been insufficient consultation.
“We have allowed two months for consultation. The proposals were first outlined at the beginning of December and people have until the end of this month to make their views known,” he said.
Has there been enough consultation over the proposed closures? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk >
