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CALL FOR SOLIDARITY FROM St. Agnes Place and the Kennington Play Project

Raw SslaC

Well-Known Member
CALL FOR SOLIDARITY FROM St. Agnes Place and the Kennington Play Project
Please Forward this to people in South London.

On Wednesday 23rd November 2005 at Brixton Town Hall, Lambeth Council will be holding a full council meeting. We want to discuss the future of St Agnes Place and the nearby Kennington Play Project. Their plan is to close the playground and knock down twenty one properties (52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 and 91) in a £16m deal with London Quadrant Housing who want to buy the land.

For more than 30 years, the squatters of St Agnes Place have formed one of Britain's most distinctive communities and have established themselves as a positive part of the wider community. The Kennington Play Project has offered a safe open-access play facility for local children which is as in demand now as it was over 25 years ago when it opened. Once the council takes a decision like this, the likelihood of further land sales and demolition in the area increases. Where will this stop and where will the children who use the playground go to play?

The demolition notice has already been served, and it is now a matter of time before they act on it. Lambeth Council has been trying to get rid of the residents of St Agnes Place for years - Councillor Keith Fitchett recently described them as “parasites”. This is the same man who is at the centre of a Council Housing fraud scandal which has recently cost £2.8m of tax payer’s money. Police fear this money may never be recovered and Fitchett may be forced to resign as a result. We are being expected to put our trust in a council which is knee deep in scandal and financial mismanagement.

The meeting on the 23rd is your opportunity to make your views heard. We need to let Lambeth know that their plans are totally unacceptable and will have an extremely negative impact on the local residents. The more people we can get down to Brixton Town Hall the better. Please pass this information on to your friends and arrange to meet at 6:00pm.

For further information please feel free to call: 07795 542 458
 
Posted by pootle on the main thread in General, very recently (Monday am) :

pootle said:
I went through St Agnes Place about 15 minutes ago on my way to work, and there were vans with Lambeth Council on them putting up "ROAD CLOSED" signs at either end of the street.

Last week, parking suspension notices went up saying parking was suspended from Monday 21st November to "indefinate"...
 
PirateTV (St Agnes based) has just posted on one of the other threads that he's heard demolition day is scheduled for next Wednesday (30th November), possibly the actual eviction would precede ...
 
is it worth

people coming for the eviction - if it might make it take any longer, i may well do that.

I have two friends staying there at the mo already in fact.
Completely randomly, they aren't political at all.
 
SAVE ST AGNES PLACE SAVE KENNINGTON PLAY PROJECT

Regenerate by Restoration not Demolition

Certain elements of Lambeth council have been demonising St Agnes Place. This vintage street has a strong community spirit and colourful history spanning more than 30 years. The rescue of these houses from dereliction from the 60's to the present day has been due to the efforts of the residents.

The council now has plans to demolish the childrens' One o Clock club, Kennington Adventure Playground and a number of historic houses. These facilitate a diverse community delivering housing and social services for a whole spectrum of ages and cultures.

DON'T ALLOW THE COUNCIL TO DESTROY THIS UNIQUE COMMUNITY

FULL COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY !

Lambeth Town Hall Brixton
7pm Wednesday 23rd November 2005

MEET and DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE FROM 6pm

The latest version of the Unitary Development Plan clearly states the street is to be restored. Huge amounts of work, from both community groups and various authorities, have gone in this direction.
Now suddenly the council has surreptitiously obtained possession orders on a basis of demolition. They are going to demolish the whole community with no official redevelopment plans in place. This ruthless haste is threatening to render more than 150 people homeless this winter, an obvious dismissal of basic human rights.

THIS MAY BE OUR ONLY CHANCE TO DEMONSTRATE DIRECTLY AGAINST THE DISHONEST INDIVIDUALS WHO THREATEN THE COMMUNITY

Join us to question the Lib Dem councillor Fitchett to ask what he has been doing with public funds and why he has created a smokescreen by targetting St Agnes Place.

Fitchett faces a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE for claims of misconduct

Help us expose him and show your support for the street

More info: Agnes Cafe - 0207 820 9162 stagnescoop@yahoo.com
 
LATEST -- Eviction expected tomorrow (Tuesday 29th November)

Just posted by Pirate TV on the Brixton Forum thread ...

piratetv said:
PRESS RELEASE
EVICTION tuesday 29th November

St Agnes Place Community
Kennington Park


The baliffs and police will be on the street tomorrow morning to start the evictions for demolition to commence. Please come along and show your support as early as you can (by 8am preferably). This eviction if successful will mean an end to 30 years of this multicultural community, and will leave 150 people homeless and facing winter conditions with nowhere to go :(

how to get there.....
http://www.stagnesplace.net/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=5
 
RIOT POLICE ARRIVED and street blocked off!!!

Posted by me earlier, on main St Agnes thread, in General

William of Walworth said:
The eviction will almost certainly be this morning (Tuesday 29th November) -- at about 8:15 am this morning there were approx. 15 empty Police waggons (minibus size -- personnel carriers, with riot shields up) parked up at Vauxhall Cross :(

Before reaching there, I went through St Agnes, about 8 am. Two banners ("Save St. Agnes" and "Homes 4 All") stretched across the street at first floor level. Others ("Merry Christmas Gritchett Ya Grinch" and "LambethNO!") pined to a fence and to a ground floor window. One or two doors already gates and locked -- whether by the Couincil from an earlier eviction/vacancy, or by the inhabitant(s), it was hard to say. Sound system blasting from a first floor window, but very few people about -- presumably getting ready in their homes!! :eek:

The traffic signs at either end of St Agnes had been 'altered' -- they'd been put up about ten days ago to close off the street, but now read : "Save St Agnes" and "Peoples Republic of Kennington"

I felt really bad cycling off again without making contact with anyone, but I had little choice -- work called :( -- and I'm sure they were all busy getting ready, and bracing themselves for the imminent eviction -- THIS MORNING!!!

St. Agnes Place, Kennington, SE11= : nearest tubes Oval and Kennington.
Street not yet blocked off but I suspect this will not last ...

Please, please please can anyone with a bit of free time Get down there to join any protest, be legal witnesses, take photographs, etc.

I will return as soon after 5:30 as I can!!

BUT NEW, BREAKING NEWS!!!

New thread started on General THIS MORNING by pirate tv with ongoing news of the RIOT POLICE'S ARRIVAL and ONGOING EVICTION!!... -- RIGHT NOW, 10:45 am, Tuesday ...

Please get down there if you can -- I cannot return til later, but will as soon after 5:30 as I can ... :(
 
Evictions going on RIGHT NOW!!!!

Lots going on -- evictions continuing -- streets blocked off -- heavy riot Police presence -- Lambeth Council spin starting in mainstream media -- CHECK THE OTHER THREAD!!

Link above ...
 
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