Council reprieve for Halcon homes (From Somerset County Gazette)

Council reprieve for Halcon homes

3:00pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in Taunton

Jean Adkins

TENANTS have welcomed the scrapping of proposals to bulldoze hundreds of council houses which generate £1million a year in rent for the local authority.

Instead of replacing them with twice as many housing association homes, a smaller number of properties in Moorland, Beadon, Creechbarrow and Valley Roads in Taunton could be replaced.

The move at this month's executive meeting is widely supported as efforts are made to improve life for people in north Halcon.

Cllr Jean Adkins, housing services portfolio holder at Taunton Deane Council, said the revised scheme would help tackle deprivation and “reflect the aspirations” of the estate.

A consultation showed residents want to see issues ranging from anti-social behaviour to speeding addressed.

The council is working with other agencies to improve the area, including better access to health and other services.

A Deane spokeswoman said: “At the same time, existing properties owned by the council will be maintained and improved with any new housing built to the highest energy-efficient standards.”

Dustyn Etherington, Tenant Services Management Board chairman, said people were worried about the potential loss of council housing.

He said: “The tenants and residents were asked what they wanted and were listened to.

“The board was concerned over the loss of income and housing. This is a much better way forward.”

The North Halcon Tenants and Residents Association agreed that full-scale redevelopment was not necessary to address the area’s problems.

Halcon district councillor Tim Slattery, who supports the new approach, said: “Residents don’t want their community and houses demolished – they want to work together to build the area up.

“Housing is only a small part of the problem as Halcon is in the top 5% of most deprived wards in the country.

“We want to see money spent on rebuilding Halcon – we’re hoping to have a new health centre, and if I had a magic wand a new primary school would be built.”