Article on Hamiltonhill in The Burgh Angel
This article is from The Burgh Angel, a local paper...
Residents of Hamiltonhill met last week to discuss the problems facing their area.
The packed public meeting, held at an old shop run by the local Family Learning Centre, on Ellesmere Street, was attended by almost 70 local people, including members of the Board of Queen's Cross Housing Association, who administer Hamiltonhill on the GHA's behalf. Many attendees were unable to get into the meeting room due to the overwhelming attendance.
The meeting discussed problems like rotting floorboards and masonry, the presence of heroin addicts on Hamiltonhill and the threat of demolition. Many residents are unhappy about the way they are being treated. As a result an action group has emerged to organise another meeting and to think about ways to start addressing the problems of Hamiltonhill.
Hamiltonhill has ageing accommodation, much of which has seen little attention in recent years. Rumours are constantly circulating about the possibility of the demolition of the central section of
the old Council estate, and even the whole area.
Graffiti is everywhere, and many streets have rusting fences and broken windows. One local woman even knew two people whose bathroom ceilings had caved in, just in the past two months.
Homeowners who bought their Council houses under the right-to-buy scheme are also
being charged as much as £9000 for re-cladding work, by the Glasgow Housing Association, who undertake repairs for ex-tenants. Some of these people are among the poorest in Britain, in an area where unemployment runs at around 40%.
Whatever the difficulties faced by the tenants and homeowners of Hamiltonhill, there was a sense of satisfaction by the end of the meeting, with many residents offering to contact the authorities on behalf of everyone and a solid campaign is in the offing.
Residents of Hamiltonhill met last week to discuss the problems facing their area.The packed public meeting, held at an old shop run by the local Family Learning Centre, on Ellesmere Street, was attended by almost 70 local people, including members of the Board of Queen's Cross Housing Association, who administer Hamiltonhill on the GHA's behalf. Many attendees were unable to get into the meeting room due to the overwhelming attendance.
The meeting discussed problems like rotting floorboards and masonry, the presence of heroin addicts on Hamiltonhill and the threat of demolition. Many residents are unhappy about the way they are being treated. As a result an action group has emerged to organise another meeting and to think about ways to start addressing the problems of Hamiltonhill.
Hamiltonhill has ageing accommodation, much of which has seen little attention in recent years. Rumours are constantly circulating about the possibility of the demolition of the central section of
the old Council estate, and even the whole area.
Graffiti is everywhere, and many streets have rusting fences and broken windows. One local woman even knew two people whose bathroom ceilings had caved in, just in the past two months.
Homeowners who bought their Council houses under the right-to-buy scheme are also
being charged as much as £9000 for re-cladding work, by the Glasgow Housing Association, who undertake repairs for ex-tenants. Some of these people are among the poorest in Britain, in an area where unemployment runs at around 40%.
Whatever the difficulties faced by the tenants and homeowners of Hamiltonhill, there was a sense of satisfaction by the end of the meeting, with many residents offering to contact the authorities on behalf of everyone and a solid campaign is in the offing.
posted by From the hill at Friday, March 31, 2006
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