Tell me about BrixtonGreen - a "community led development" on Somerleyton Road

[editor]

I'm seeing more flyers and posters around town for this lot but don't know anything about them or anyone involved.

Here's what they're offering:

BRIXTON GREEN is about local people leading the development of the neglected site along Somerleyton Road, central Brixton, London.
No one knows what an area needs more than the people who live and work there.

BRIXTON GREEN IS:

A registered mutual society set up by local people.
One of the Government’s 10 community share pilots.
Not for profit – all assets have to be used for the benefit of the community.
Inclusive – all parts of the local community are welcome to be part of this.
Anyone who lives or works in central Brixton (Coldharbour, Ferndale, Brixton Hill, Herne Hill or Tulse Hill wards) can buy one share in Brixton Green for £1.

Shareholders receive a social return, not a financial return.

Shares are available now at Opus Café, 89 Acre Lane, London SW2 5TN

Here's what they're proposing:

It has 3 key elements:

Creative hub – bringing together three established Brixton arts organisations, a chefs school, post office/credit union and more.
The visitors and activity this will attract will extend Brixton town centre, drawing vistors through the market and encouraging regeneration towards Loughborough Junction.
Community hub – using community activity to make the alley a welcoming connection between Mayall Road and Somerleyton Road. This will include a children’s’ nursery, health care/dentist, hair & beauty training salon, chemist/corner shop.
Street facing, sustainably built homes - Family units on the ground floor, front gardens, and communal rear gardens/allotments.

And here's their board of trustees:

Landa Acevedo-Scott: Director of Colombiage, a festival of Colombian arts and culture.
Pete Blake: Business consultant and communications specialist with*20 years experience in public and private sector.
Philippe Castaing(Chair): Local business owner and London Leader for Sustainable Development.
Phyllis Dunipace OBE: Previously Director of Children’s and Young People Services, London Borough of Lambeth
Dennis Gyamfi: Founding member of Endz2Endz internet magazine, and Co-director of “A Mother’s Tear”, an anti-gun crime film.
Prof. Robin Matthews(Treasurer): Director of Kingston University’s research centre on International Business Policy and JM Keynes Professor of Management at the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences.
Dinah Roake: Senior Professional, Homes and Communities Agency.
Margot Rodway-Brown: Owner of the successful hair and beauty business, Adornment 365.

There was an older thread on here that posted up their plans but from what I've gathered these have changed.
http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/threads/314389-Brixton-Green

Website: http://www.brixtongreen.org/

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Wasn't this the thing featured on BBC london news a few weeks back?

Can't read the links as I'm on mobile at the moment but will do later.

Not sure why residents of Vassall Ward can't buy shares - we're only a few mins from central Brixton and much closer than Tulse Hill!

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Having read the links a little more closely I'd say this looks like a profit-making housing development dressed up as a green community initiative.

But I'm happy to be proved wrong.

 

[Rushy]

Having read the links a little more closely I'd say this looks like a profit-making housing development dressed up as a green community initiative.

But I'm happy to be proved wrong.

I'm pretty certain that its aims are very genuine. Easiest person to speak to about it is probably Philippe Castaing (Chair). He's the chap who owns and is often about at Opus and Upstairs. I believe they have been promised the land by the council as well as a pretty huge development grant from central sources if they can raise a certain amount of cash to put in. I think they are pretty keen for community involvement so will welcome enquiries.

 

[gaijingirl]

Not sure why residents of Vassall Ward can't buy shares - we're only a few mins from central Brixton and much closer than Tulse Hill!

I don't know why Vassall Ward can't buy.. but Tulse Hill Ward is not the same as Tulse Hill station (it doesn't even include TH station) - it does, however, include St Matthew's Church and all the area sandwiched between Brixton Hill and Effra Road/Tulse Hill (the road not the station), for example, so obviously lots of it is completely central. (Looking at the Vassall Ward map it is considerably less central if you take the Town Hal as being the central point (which you might not I suppose) - I don't mean this as a criticism by the way - or a justification as to why it shouldn't be included.

 

[Gramsci]

It fits in with the Labour party Cooperative Council and the Tories Big Society.

As someone said to me it ticks all the right boxes for politicians and policy makers.

The Government could of course decide to fund Council housing and build it to house people in a way that is affordable. Neither the Tories and Labour will do this. Or put funding into affordable housing. The Big Society makes it seem like the ordinary person has a real say but in practise its offloading responsibility onto people who havent much anyway.

As someone said to me they are busy keeping there head above water economically. Realistically they havent the time or energy for a lot of time consuming meetings.

 

[Gramsci]

This article in Independant:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...er-regenerate-wasted-urban-space-2225102.html

From article:

"Brixton Green currently has a board of local people, aged 18 to 65, and is setting up a separate company – an "arms-length delivery vehicle", in investors' jargon – to work with funding companies and negotiate with developers"

What is ALDV needed for?

"Instead Castaing, the chair of Brixton Green Community Land Trust, has persuaded Lambeth Council to release the plot, which has been vacant for more than 30 years, and is now selling community shares to residents and traders. "The revenue will be nothing like enough for the development but it will give local people a stake in what is happening and show large-scale private investors that we operate in a business-like fashion," he says"

Actually it has not been vacant for 30 years. It irritates me they keep saying this to press. People live in the site, its used by the Council refuse vehicle depot and a school/ educational building has been on the site for many years.

As far as I know the plot has not been released to BG. The Council are still deciding what to do with it.

 

[Gramsci]

A lot of the ideas for the Somerleyton road site come from the Council run Brixton Masterplanning consultation. Does not seem to be acknowledged on the BG website.

 

[Rushy]

The plans keep changing.

From what I can tell everything is in early stages - it is only natural that they will change or, put more positively, evolve - hopefully in order to make their realisation more feasible.

I have been following this and am skeptical. Though not against the idea in principle. I have concerns. Looks good in principle. But the devil is in the detail.

Nothing wrong with a little healthy scepticism or concerns. I appreciate that you say you like the idea in principle but you do not say much positive about it. What do you like about it in principle?

I have practical experience of Cooperative working (unlike the Board). I am concerned how it will work in practise rather than grand phrases about community involvement.

Although it has been around a while it still seems to be in pretty developmental stages. I for one don't really understand it. But the group seem to be crying out for involvement. I wouldn't put too much weight on the info in a couple of Googled articles. If you feel that you have valuable practical experience and insight that the board do not - why not go along and speak to them? Traditional coop arrangements might not be considered appropriate by everyone for getting maximum use from the space at the start - or even managing it later on. But with your coop experience you might be able to educate the board about both the positives and the pitfalls of such a model.

 

[Rushy]

What is ALDV needed for?

Fair question.

 

[editor]

Their site says:

BRIXTON GREEN is about local people leading the development of the neglected site along Somerleyton Road, central Brixton, London.

I'm very 'local' and we've never spoken to anyone from Brixton Green, seen anyone from Brixton Green or even heard from anyone from Brixton Green - and they've been going quite a few years now.

All I've ever seen is a poster in the market and without bigging up this site too much, you might think they would have made the effort to communicate here seeing as 'Somerleyton Road' is number #1, #2 and #4 in Google.

In fact, we're also #2 for 'BrixtonGreen' so they can hardly be unaware of the site.

 

[Dan U]

Fair question.

I wonder if an ALDV would find it easier to access loans etc than a social enterprise.

I assume quite large sums are involved, it is possible its a legal measure?

 

[Rushy]

Their site says:
I'm very 'local' and we've never spoken to anyone from Brixton Green, seen anyone from Brixton Green or even heard from anyone from Brixton Green - and they've been going quite a few years now.

All I've ever seen is a poster in the market and without bigging up this site too much, you might think they would have made the effort to communicate here seeing as 'Somerleyton Road' is number #1, #2 and #4 in Google.

In fact, we're also #2 for 'BrixtonGreen' so they can hardly be unaware of the site.

I have been handed flyers a couple of times in the early evening outside your block. Both times I was in a rush so didn't stop to chat.

 

[editor]

I have been handed flyers a couple of times in the early evening outside your block. Both times I was in a rush so didn't stop to chat.

I've never seen anyone and to my knowledge they certainly haven't flyered the residents of the block or even left flyers at the concierge at any point in the last five years. And, of course, they've never posted here or contacted me.

 

[Rushy]

I wonder if an ALDV would find it easier to access loans etc than a social enterprise.

I assume quite large sums are involved, it is possible its a legal measure?

I imagine you are right. There just needs to be some clarity to reassure people that the ALDV is not a profit making vehicle (other than for the benefit of the project).

 

[Rushy]

I've never seen anyone and to my knowledge they certainly haven't flyered the residents of the block or even left flyers at the concierge at any point in the last five years. And, of course, they've never posted here or contacted me.

Not everyone is aware of the joys of U75 or spends time checking their Google ranking. Why don't you pop them an email and invite them to post here? An invite might also help avoid an accusation often made of first time posters that they have not spent time interacting with the board and just 'using it'. Whilst people are entitled to that opinion I can equally understand why someone would look at the boards and think it is not really a constructive place to post on.

 

[Dan U]

I think Ed sometimes assumes that the first point of contact for anyone doing anything in Brixton is some bloke who runs a night in The Albert and his website.

Having said that, if i was doing something like this in Brixton, this would be a first point of call for me. But then i know about this website.

 

[editor]

I think Ed sometimes assumes that the first point of contact for anyone doing anything in Brixton is some bloke who runs a night in The Albert and his website.

No, I don't think that at all and it's annoying to see you post up such a gross misrepresentation, but I imagine most people's first port of call if they're doing something in an area is to research it fully, and that would clearly involve Google.

And, as I explained, not only does the road they're basing their business on come up with an urban75 result THREE times in the top four results, but the site comes up second if they search for their own company name.

It's not my job to chase up local businesses to ask them to comment here, but I'm certainly a little disappointed as a local resident.

 

[Rushy]

It's not my job to chase up local businesses to ask them to comment here, but I'm certainly a little disappointed as a local resident.

I may have misunderstood you but it seems that you have aspirations for U75 to be a primary resource for dissemination of information and constructive debating of local issues but you don't want to put in the effort to promote it as a credible place for organisations to do so?

 

[editor]

I may have misunderstood you but it seems that you have aspirations for U75 to be a primary resource for dissemination of information and constructive debating of local issues but you don't want to put in the effort to promote it as a credible place for organisations to do so?

urban75 is here for those who wish to interact with it and I'm not going to start chasing after local businesses, if that's what you're suggesting.

This is a hobby, not a job, in case you've forgotten, and if BrixtonGreen aren't interested in explaining what they're up to the community here, then that's up to them. I find it hard to believe that they're not aware of the site though.

You are, of course, welcome to chase them up yourself and post up your thoughts here.

 

[Dan U]

No, I don't think that at all and it's annoying to see you post up such a gross misrepresentation, but I imagine most people's first port of call if they're doing something in an area is to research it fully, and that would clearly involve Google.

And, as I explained, not only does the road they're basing their business on come up with an urban75 result THREE times in the top four results, but the site comes up second if they search for their own company name.It's not my job to chase up local businesses to ask them to comment here, but I'm certainly a little disappointed as a local

I wasn't intentionally misrepresenting you, just interpreting this, perhaps incorrectly -

And, of course, they've never posted here or contacted me.

i read that as you being a bit affronted that someone doing something in Brixton hadn't searched out your website

anyway, not after a fight so if i was wrong, then sorry

 

[Gramsci]

From what I can tell everything is in early stages - it is only natural that they will change or, put more positively, evolve - hopefully in order to make their realisation more feasible.



Nothing wrong with a little healthy scepticism or concerns. I appreciate that you say you like the idea in principle but you do not say much positive about it. What do you like about it in principle?



Although it has been around a while it still seems to be in pretty developmental stages. I for one don't really understand it. But the group seem to be crying out for involvement. I wouldn't put too much weight on the info in a couple of Googled articles. If you feel that you have valuable practical experience and insight that the board do not - why not go along and speak to them? Traditional coop arrangements might not be considered appropriate by everyone for getting maximum use from the space at the start - or even managing it later on. But with your coop experience you might be able to educate the board about both the positives and the pitfalls of such a model.

Im not happy with getting into this on the boards in detail. As it goes into one of my other roles where I represent other people . But I have spoken to them. I have been following it.

 

[Gramsci]

Not everyone is aware of the joys of U75 or spends time checking their Google ranking. Why don't you pop them an email and invite them to post here? An invite might also help avoid an accusation often made of first time posters that they have not spent time interacting with the board and just 'using it'. Whilst people are entitled to that opinion I can equally understand why someone would look at the boards and think it is not really a constructive place to post on.

Really get tired of people posting up here then slagging the site off.

I have found this site very useful.

 

[Gramsci]

Their site says:
I'm very 'local' and we've never spoken to anyone from Brixton Green, seen anyone from Brixton Green or even heard from anyone from Brixton Green - and they've been going quite a few years now.

All I've ever seen is a poster in the market and without bigging up this site too much, you might think they would have made the effort to communicate here seeing as 'Somerleyton Road' is number #1, #2 and #4 in Google.

In fact, we're also #2 for 'BrixtonGreen' so they can hardly be unaware of the site.

I agree with this.

 

[editor]

i read that as you being a bit affronted that someone doing something in Brixton hadn't searched out your website

I wasn't "affronted" just surprised that a venture whose entire business model involves encouraging locals to get involved (they're trying flog 5,000 community shares) doesn't appear to have been very pro active in that aim.

Forget about the online stuff: I live less than 100m from the site and I've never seen or heard anything in the five years they've been going. Apart from on here, of course.

Gramsci: can you PM me your info?

 

[OpalFruit]

A lot of the ideas for the Somerleyton road site come from the Council run Brixton Masterplanning consultation. Does not seem to be acknowledged on the BG website.

To be fair, Brixton Green were (if my memory of that process serves me right) active in responding to the Re-Vitalise and then Future Brixton endless masterplanning excercise, and were feeding in ideas for that site, which were refelcted in the planning. I saw them at open consultation meetings. But I seem to remember community greenhouses being part of it. No longer talked of - and replaced by other things that do sound good.

Brixton Green have also been represented at various community and council forums. I have come across them, and heard their plans at Brixton Town Forum / Business Forum meetings, I think.

If it comes off, if it is not-for-profit, if there is 'affordable' housing in the mix it sounds good to me. Something needs to happen to make that stretch more residential-friendly.

 

[Dan U]

Forget about the online stuff: I live less than 100m from the site and I've never seen or heard anything in the five years they've been going. Apart from on here, of course.

yeah that does seem a bit odd. you'd think they could raise their 5,000 £1's almost on your estate alone (that might be a slight exageration)

 

[OpalFruit]

Ed - if you've seen a poster - contact them!

 

[Rushy]

urban75 is here for those who wish to interact with it and I'm not going to start chasing after local businesses, if that's what you're suggesting.

This is a hobby, not a job, in case you've forgotten, and if BrixtonGreen aren't interested in explaining what they're up to the community here, then that's up to them. I find it hard to believe that they're not aware of the site though.

You are, of course, welcome to chase them up yourself and post up your thoughts here.

If it is just your hobby and you are not prepared to forge links yourself then why are you so offended when organisations don't take U75 seriously enough to want to interact with it? If they valued it as a tool surely they would. No one is asking you to chase them but it seems to be you who wants them and not the other way around.

 

[editor]

If it is just your hobby and you are not prepared to forge links yourself then why are you so offended when organisations don't take U75 seriously enough to want to interact with it? If they valued it as a tool surely they would. No one is asking you to chase them but it seems to be you who wants them and not the other way around.

This is a community site. That means it's not up to me to chase after companies and spoon-feed users information about local ventures.

And I'm neither "offended" nor "affronted" by the fact that they've elected to ignore this site and not reached out to me as a local resident.

Like I've repeatedly said, I'm just rather surprised seeing as their entire business model and stated aims seem to be reliant on interacting with the local community.