Saving Gittisham and a Way of Life

Five years ago, on Wednesday 17 March 2004 the villagers of Gittisham found their way of life under threat after facing the eviction of 27 families. All their homes were to be put up for sale on the open market on April 7th 2004.

 

Tenants were given until 5th April to put in a formal offer at the Guide Price given by the Estate, or vacate their homes by 23rd June. With most villagers having limited income and no savings it was obvious that the villagers would be unable to purchase their homes and were facing eviction.

 

The village had been owned by the Marker family for several generations and held in the family Trust. Tenants believed that the village could not be sold for profit due to conditions within the Trust.  Accordingly, many had invested their own time and money improving and maintaining the homes in which they felt assured of a future.

 

The agents of the landlord went from house to house serving eviction notices on two thirds of the households in the village, and telling them that they would be evicted from their homes in three months. The mass eviction effected families with young children, pensioners and even an expectant mother. Most on incomes too low to allow them to purchase their homes.

 

The small tight-knit community met in the Church as they faced the fact that their way of life could vanish forever. The community were determined and worked together to find a way to save the village for their families, and to protect their way of life and  heritage. The Gittisham Group was formed.

 

Our plight received the attention of the world media, partly because affordable housing in many communities was becoming a real issue as house prices continued to rise beyond all reality, but more because people were genuinely shocked at how some people and organisations are happy to destroy long established communities and traditions purely in the pursuit of quick profit.

 

Rather than see their homes sold to the highest bidder, the villagers set out to help themselves by coming up with their own proposals for the village. After much hard work and sleepless nights burning the midnight oil, on Monday 5th April the community presented their own proposal document to Mr. Marker at the Combe Estate. These included a new concept of an Ethical Investment Partnership, a Housing Association or Property Trust, or the setting-up of a Charitable Trust perhaps with a major share purchaser with philanthropic intentions.

 

Through the efforts of the group, almost £7 million investment backing was found for the proposed Ethical Investment Partnership which would be based around community (as opposed to individual) ownership. The community felt certain that, given more time, the village could be saved without any evictions, based on their own proposals.

 

The efforts of the villages exposed the “profit driven” motives of the Agents who had little regard for the plight of the villagers and little understanding of community life, and that Mr. Marker did not fully understand the magnitude and impact of his actions. It was clear that the villagers were resourceful and determined.

 

With continued public support and intensive worldwide media pressure on Mr. Marker and the Agents, it was clear that the villagers would not leave. Mr. Marker would now have to consider the villagers right to stay in their homes or face an extensive and long campaign for their legal and moral right to do so.

 

Both Mr. Marker and the Agents were forced to re-think their strategy and ultimately entered into an agreement with a Property Trust whereby the villagers tenancies would continue.

 

On Tuesday 6th April a press conference was held by the Estate, the Agents and the new purchasers, Northumberland & Durham Property trust and the Villages could finally rest for the first time.

 

The campaign was a real example of how people can, and should, stand up for their rights and how profit and money cannot be allowed to ride roughshod over peoples lives. While not achieving our ideal objective of creating a new and novel Ethical Investment Partnership to run the Village ourselves, we were pleased that the homes would no longer be sold off as unoccupied properties, but instead Mr. Marker opted to sell to a Property Trust with an agreement to continue the tenancies.

 

The Gittisham group would like to thank all those who helped and supported us during our campaign and especially to those in the media who understood the significance of what was happening. We hope that our plight will be remembered and give inspiration and hope to other people facing similar situations, especially in these difficult times of recession.

 

 

The Gittisham Group

CONTACT FORM

RELATED SITES

 

Housing Repossessions

This site examines the processes involved in housing repossessions, how you can protect your home from repossession and what to do if you are evicted

http://www.housingrepossessions.co.uk