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Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents

Greebo said:
Edited to add: Lambeth's second best showed a touching concern for our safety and ability to locate the Town Hall. Two PCSOs turned up outside the rotunda and were exceptionally keen to escort us down the road and watch over us outside the Town Hall.

So keen that they even posed for photos with one of the organisers. ;)
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Where's that pic then?
 
editor said:
I was there today. Next march is Saturday, 11.30am. They really could use a bit more support from the community.
http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2014/11/...mbeth-town-hall-for-the-third-time-in-photos/
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The Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) carried out a survey of over 100 households with around 80% saying they wanted to have repairs carried out in order that they could stay on the estate. The council also employed an independent company, Social Life, who carried out their own survey of residents with around 109 respondents, and their results confirmed the TRA findings. The attitude in summary of the majority of residents is regeneration is not needed or wanted.

Lambeth council claim the regeneration project will ease pressure on the waiting list but no new social housing is promised while leasehold properties would be replaced with private housing. Lambeth, calling themselves a co-operative council, originally stating they were prepared to listen to residents are now threatening a shotgun consultation with four “workshops” open to residents in the space of two and a half weeks.
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This "Cooperative Council" idea is a load of bollox. Its also sad to see the TRA is getting no support from Cllrs. Lambeth is now run as a one party state.
 
Just got back from the protest outside tonight's town hall meeting, about 40 people there. The cold weather is making it harder for a lot of the older residents to attend, so please show some support if you can.
 
DietCokeGirl said:
Just got back from the protest outside tonight's town hall meeting, about 40 people there. The cold weather is making it harder for a lot of the older residents to attend, so please show some support if you can.
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Shit, I forgot about tonight's meeting. Did you get any pics I could use?
 
FWIW you might come across a few newbies signing up with urban and trying to find this thread in the next few months - I was referring anyone here (and to Brixton Buzz) who said they don't do facebook.
 
editor said:
They're fine! Could you maybe just put together a paragraph or two - it would be good to keep this issue in the news.

I was talking to them a while back about maybe trying to sort out some ideas for some more publicity too - I could maybe sort out a benefit gig, and we've already discussed a tie-in with Hamlet.
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Sure, will do this evening. There was a positive response generally from people passing by, but I agree, more publicity would be great. Prerhaps getting posters up in local shops, businesses, public spaces would be a good start?
 
There was a deputation from Cressingham Gardens at full council. The points were well made, and the petition handed in - despite the Mayor calling time.

Cllr Matthew Bennett (cabinet member for housing) in responding ignored the fact that the majority of residents have twice elected for option 1 (repairs to bring the stock up to standard with no extra development).

Cllr Bennett really let rip though when Cllr Scott Ainslie (St Leonards - Green) asked about the same issue in a formal councillor's tabled question.

Cllr Bennett's response: "Oh you've come in from Oxford have you?" (I assume this means that Ainslie is either living or working in Oxford and Labour are using this to needle him)

Cllr Ainslie was a bit rattled - understandably since he is new to the job. He rather indignantly insisted on a a proper answer to his question, to which Cllr Bennett replied: "You're a Streatham councillor. Ask me a question about your ward in Streatham".

Cllr Ainslie then walked out. Job done - congratulations Cllr Bennett!

Seems to me Cllr Matthew Bennett is a clone of Tom Franklin. Cllr Franklin was the right-wing new Labour councillor who went from Chair of Housing to Lambeth Council leader in a coup in 2000, only to lose the subsequent election to the Lib Dems in 2002. Tom Franklin also had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly.
 
As well as his £38,000 Cabinet role, Cllr Bennett's day job is as 'Head of Office' for Steve Reed (remember him?) the MP for Croydon North / Lambeth South.

Which might tell you where Cllr Bennett is coming from...

The level of political debate is sometimes cringeworthy.

If the Comrades want to reduce it to playground tittle tattle and take the piss out of a Cllr for having the job of an actor, they could always look towards their own Cabinet Deputy Leader (who is also a very decent local Cllr btw...)

Here's a couple of our Labour Cllrs exchanging some ideas last night from within the Chamber.







 
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Tricky Skills said:
As well as his £38,000 Cabinet role, Cllr Bennett's day job is as 'Head of Office' for Steve Reed (remember him?) the MP for Croydon North / Lambeth South.

Which might tell you where Cllr Bennett is coming from...

The level of political debate is sometimes cringeworthy.

If the Comrades want to reduce it to playground tittle tattle and take the piss out of a Cllr for having the job of an actor, they could always look towards their own Cabinet Deputy Leader (who is also a very decent local Cllr btw...)

Here's a couple of our Labour Cllrs exchanging some ideas last night from within the Chamber.







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Actually I was disgusted - it was like they thought they were doing "PMQs".
The other pathetic thing is how the Labour councillors ask planted questions of the Tory opposition - again like PMQs.

The part of the full council meeting agenda for striking poses is "Motions" right at the end.
 
CH1 said:
Seems to me Cllr Matthew Bennett is a clone of Tom Franklin. Cllr Franklin was the right-wing new Labour councillor who went from Chair of Housing to Lambeth Council leader in a coup in 2000, only to lose the subsequent election to the Lib Dems in 2002. Tom Franklin also had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly.
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Tom Franklin fought to keep Lambeth's Shortlife Housing Co-ops in the face of Tory/LibDem plans to get rid of us.
Bennett is (currently) determined to exterminate every last co-op. The Tories and LibDems (currently) support our fight.

Life as one of Lambeth's political footballs is proving rather stressful.
 
dotdotdot said:
Tom Franklin fought to keep Lambeth's Shortlife Housing Co-ops in the face of Tory/LibDem plans to get rid of us.
Bennett is (currently) determined to exterminate every last co-op. The Tories and LibDems (currently) support our fight.

Life as one of Lambeth's political footballs is proving rather stressful.
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Probably the most shameful and spineless behaviour has been from Clapham Town Labour councillors Wellbelove (former mayor) and Haselden who promised to stick by their shortlife co-op constituents up to the 2010 election, and once that was out of the way deserted them, falling into line with Messrs Reed and Peck.
A longer account of this at http://www.lambethunitedhousingco-op.org.uk/?page_id=925
 
Kutuzov said:
Probably the most shameful and spineless behaviour has been from Clapham Town Labour councillors Wellbelove (former mayor) and Haselden who promised to stick by their shortlife co-op constituents up to the 2010 election, and once that was out of the way deserted them <snip>
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Thanks for the link
 
I was up at Cressinghan Gardens distributing Lambeth Housing Activist newsletter ( ran out so did half the estate) and notice of Unite Community meeting to all flats.

Had a chat to resident. He had moved into Cressingham when he was a kid. One of the first families to move into the estate when it was first finished.

He had lived there for 38 years. Knew all his neighbours. Liked the estate and did not see why something that worked should be demolished.

He said , originally, the one person flats were for the elderly. That when he was young they used to help the old people out.

Greebo

So the original design was a mixture of ages and household sizes.

Going around the estate this evening the layout means short sections of different sized houses and flats are made around a "walk". Encouraging a feeling of community rather than large blocks of flats and houses.

It really is a good design.

I noticed that loads of flats had "Option 1" posters in there windows. ( Option 1 is keeping and refurbishing the existing estate. )
 
10410637_852053224816026_2836755977687217098_n.jpg
10805680_852053174816031_259918574526335986_n.jpg
 
CH1 said:
There was a deputation from Cressingham Gardens at full council. The points were well made, and the petition handed in - despite the Mayor calling time.

Cllr Matthew Bennett (cabinet member for housing) in responding ignored the fact that the majority of residents have twice elected for option 1 (repairs to bring the stock up to standard with no extra development).

Cllr Bennett really let rip though when Cllr Scott Ainslie (St Leonards - Green) asked about the same issue in a formal councillor's tabled question.

Cllr Bennett's response: "Oh you've come in from Oxford have you?" (I assume this means that Ainslie is either living or working in Oxford and Labour are using this to needle him)

Cllr Ainslie was a bit rattled - understandably since he is new to the job. He rather indignantly insisted on a a proper answer to his question, to which Cllr Bennett replied: "You're a Streatham councillor. Ask me a question about your ward in Streatham".

Cllr Ainslie then walked out. Job done - congratulations Cllr Bennett!

Seems to me Cllr Matthew Bennett is a clone of Tom Franklin. Cllr Franklin was the right-wing new Labour councillor who went from Chair of Housing to Lambeth Council leader in a coup in 2000, only to lose the subsequent election to the Lib Dems in 2002. Tom Franklin also had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly.
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The Minutes for Full Council have now been published. Theres not one mention of this childish attack by Cllr Bennett.
 
CH1 said:
What's the story there then? Is this another Guinness Trust/Cressingham situation (in other words increase density and create private accommodation to pay for it)?
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Is density a bad thing?

Or do we have enough vacant land to build the required (vast) number of homes?
 
Greebo said:
Do we want estates, which work by dint of being low density, being built on until what makes them work (as fit places to live) no longer exists?
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I wouldn't think so - and knocking down Cressingham seems especially dumb if the buildings can be fixed economically.

But, more generally, low density and green beltery has helped get us into this housing shortage/price frenzy.
 
Greebo said:
So has allowing developers to wriggle out of the obligation to include social housing (or any for an affordable rent) if they don't build more than 15 dwellings on a plot.
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Sure. But that is a separate issue.

I was more interested in the new-to-me idea of (estate) density, introduced by CH1.

In theory, Lambeth could CPO the bits of Leander Road they don't own and build upward, a la Cressingham.
 
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leanderman said:
Sure. But that is a separate issue.

I was more interested in the new-to-me idea of (estate) density, introduced by CH1.

In theory, Lambeth could CPO the bits of Leander Road they don't own and build upward, a la Cressingham.
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Exactly. And that would be a much better idea than ripping up Cressingham because Leander Road doesn't have any of that "community" nonsense :thumbs:
 
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