A vision of housing for Ulverston

A model for the country !

"I'm fed up with hearing people whinge about house prices and do nothing" states Geoff Dellow. "So here's a challenge: Give up your telly and six pack for an hour and join others in the community who are going to stand up and be counted. The Old Friends can supply the beer and the people there, the entertainment - better than Wimbledon - next Tuesday 1st July 7:30."

"I have a cunning plan" he promises!

Why is he involved? - Having lived in the Town for most of the last 45 years he enjoys working with the people in the town. "They're a great bunch. And get 'stuck in' to produce wonderful results"

Starting with Pathfinders at St Mary's in 1960 when he came to work for Glaxo he continued with the Town Mill project in 1975, followed by The Carnival in The Gill in the 80s with Welfare State. Then he campaigned for the Mill Dam Playground when it was left as a heap of rubble next to the old people's Homes by the Council. He again got campaigning over The Rusland Beeches in 1996. More recently he supported the Flag Fortnight and the Lantern Procession with a web site devoted to Ulverston - myulverston.co.uk together with features on Youtube. He has several blogs - myulverston.blogspot.com and inquisitivity.blogspot.com for example.

Why Housing Now? "I feel for the young people of similar age to me when I first came to the town to work for Glaxo."

" I was able to buy a substantial house in Beech Bank for £900 which then was the same as my annual wage. Now I wouldn't stand a chance of buying anything similar. So I'm going to do something about the situation by bringing people together to shout for what they want. Then some people will listen - there are always people who help others who help themselves.

"My dream is to create a Housing Association or Community Trust that enables the building of a wide variety of houses on Stone Cross land. This would bring together a wide range of people -some building their own small timber frame houses to much large properties for the well heeled with some creative use of small flats. We don't want the worst of the estate culture nor do we want gated communities that keep the 'thugs' out. Ulverston is a town where most people know each other and there is great friendliness - lets continue the tradition.

99% of people get on well with each other when they get to become acquainted. It's the stereotypes that cause the problem. Even now those seeking Affordable Housing are seen as the dregs of society if you read SLDC documents. There's a Not-in-my-back-yard attitude to this kind of development - so lets mix people up a bit with a variety of houses with a variety of people living in them.

Stone Cross offers the opportunity to create something special - lets not leave it to the Land developers like Persimmon with their ticky tacky houses that are all the same.

Let's think big and aim high.
"Can't isn't in my vocabulary"

Difficult - yes. Very Difficult - definitely. Impossible - never!.

Geoff Dellow
Aha ! is being formed.
We could be 'storming' the Neighbourhood Forum later in the month to get the politicians to take note!

Come back for details.

Aha !

Affordable Housing Action will have its first meeting at The Old Friends, Soutergate, Ulverston at 7.30 pm July 1st.

To discuss the alternatives to achieve this in Ulverston.

In particular self-build (timber frame houses) at Stone Cross within a Housing Association framework.

Contact Geoff Dellow - gd at tygh.co.uk if interested.