Published: Tuesday, 2nd February, 2010 1:56pm

TENANTS GIVE DEMANDS TO IHA

Print | Email

ANGRY residents who shot down plans to get Irvine Housing Association charitable status said they have met with officials from the group to "clear the air".

And, after refusing to back changes to the IHA constitution, they said they wanted certain issues addressed before they would continue discussions about a possible merger with Liverpool-based housing provider Riverside.

Pennyburn Tenants and Residents Association chair Eileen Kerr said her group had delivered their demands to IHA officials "in no uncertain terms" at a meeting after the vote.

She said: "Feelings prior to the meeting ran high due to IHA continuing to avoid issues we've raised.

"We therefore took the opportunity to clear the air and set out quite clearly the issues which IHA must address prior to any discussion taking place on the Riverside constitutional partnership.

"We were particularly concerned that IHA felt that community concerns on this issue had been laid to rest.

"This is clearly not the case."

And she also said that the demands her group had laid out were "straightforward and long-standing", before adding: "The ball is in IHA's court."

IHA previously said that receiving charity status would save them up to $40,000 a year which could be spent on bathrooms and kitchens.

A spokesperson for IHA said: "The Association has written to Eileen Kerr as Chairperson of Pennyburn Tenants And Residents Association following last week's meeting."