Category #Walks   Show all

• Walking with Lancaster Councillors

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  On the 26^th of August, five councillors participated in the same walking activity with the intention of gaining their views on the refurbishment (renovation) or regeneration (rebuilding) options. In this regard, one councillor said:

  “We want to find out what the residents want so this estate can be reutilised as they please. For instance, the bin areas do not serve their purpose and they have been used to dumping other stuff.”

  All the councillors said that Mainway could be one of the most vibrant and thrilling urban areas in Lancaster, but they had different views on how to make it happen. One councillor focused on connecting the South-West side of the estate, divided by Owen Road, with the North-East side. Another one shared a vision where Mainway would become a village again:

  “I would make it a village again, stop thinking about houses. What’s a village look like? How do you know about the centre? How do you know your neighbours? How do you enjoy each other’s company? What things are around a village?”

  Another one said:

  “At the moment it is called Mainway, that is a road, and it doesn’t seem to me to be very attractive. I would move people closer together, so they could see each other, talk to each other”.

• Touring Walk around Mainway with its Residents

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  The first event was a walk around Mainway on 6^th August 2020. The idea was to explore Mainway from the residents perspective. There were there walks: one in the morning, one in the afternoon and the last one in the evening. 30 people joined us to talk about the outdoor and indoor spaces of Mainway.

  During each walk, residents picked the stops of the walk and shared their memories, pointed out some of the issues face, and highlighted things to change. Soon enough the residents said that the area suffers from issues such as drug and alcohol use/consumption.

  At the beginning of each walk, the residents discussed the redevelopment project with representatives from Lancaster City Council. Some residents expressed their scepticism about the whole engagement process. One of them believed that Lancaster City Council has already a redevelopment plan with less social homes and an increment of private houses. Additionally, some residents expressed that sometimes they need to share communal spaces or live door to door with dangerous people. They proposed to set up a tenant’s association as a way to enhance communications. In general, we found out that residents feel stressed and uncomfortable with the idea of being moved out if the redevelopment implies knocking down the buildings. As one of the residents said:

  “The main thing is that say we all have to get out. That is going to be a problem surely.”

  http://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk/update/touring-walk-around-mainway-with-its-residents/