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Brixton Clifton Mansions former squats - background, 2011 evictions and latest news

It's just typical Police Doublespeak. Any operation which attracts criticism has to be justified by a nonsensical public statement.
 
subtonic said:
On*Tuesday 12 July 2011 the police plan to block off Coldharbour Lane
and enforce the eviction of all the people living in Clifton*Mansions. *Making the astonishing claim that evicting Clifton*Mansions will somehow solve the problem of drug crime in Brixton,
Click to expand...

Seems an ambitious claim. Where did they say that?
 
Got this from Defend Council Housing:



Please support this campaign and protest against the eviction of the squat at Clifton Mansions which has been going since the 1990's.


Resist the evictions at Clifton Mansions July 12 8am


Clifton Mansions On Coldharbour Lane is a community of squatters in the heart of Brixton. Squatted since the 1990's the 22 flats are home to a large and diverse group of people. The residents have repaired and maintained the properties after Lambeth Council left them empty and neglected. Clustered around a central courtyard Clifton Mansions is a safe and vibrant community where violence and abuse are not tolerated.


On Tuesday 12 July 2011 the police plan to block off Coldharbour Lane and enforce the eviction of all the people living in Clifton Mansions. Making the astonishing claim that evicting Clifton Mansions will somehow solve the problem of drug crime in Brixton, the police failed to consult with local councillors before pushing ahead with this plan. Clifton Mansions residents have received only two weeks notice that they are to be evicted from their homes.


Following the evictions, Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions. The squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes?


Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community.


Please contact the council and the police to let them know what you think.


Show your support on eviction day:

12 July – 8am – Clifton Mansions – 429 Coldharbour Lane



They're closing the street so lets have a party
 
I cannot confirm if the Police have been saying that this is about drugs, whether the Council are getting Camelot in or if the Council are going for quick sale.
 
Gramsci said:
I cannot confirm if the Police have been saying that this is about drugs, whether the Council are getting Camelot in or if the Council are going for quick sale.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is about drugs. The council is definitely planning to sell. They have a legal responsibility to get the best open market price they can for it so will want to sell it with vacant possession - I guess they are unable to guarantee that with the current occupants. They got Camelot in on Rosslyn and the other block on Rushcroft after the eviction so guess they plan to do the same here.
 
Clearing squats is part of the council's long-term plan.

From item five of the minutes of the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee Thursday, 23rd June, 2011

7.2
Lambeth Living, who is responsible for 136 of these 143 [squated properties], started their anti-squatting initiative in September 2010. This has resulted in 47 properties being repossessed and the number of squatted properties reducing from 93 to 66. Repossession of squatted properties was postponed after January 2011 in order to reduce incidences of re-squatting. Given the large number of long term vacant properties in the borough there were plenty of opportunities for evicted squatters to move into another void. The successful reduction in long term voids, currently only 92, makes re-squatting less likely so the last phase of the anti-squatting initiative is due to start in July. In preparation for this the Tenancy Enforcement Teams have already obtained Possession Orders on 60% of the 66 properties and most of the remainder have court hearing dates. The aim is to reduce the number of squatted properties to around 20 in this financial year and LL is well on target to achieve it.
Click to expand...

Full minutes of the meeting here:
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=7635
 
What a curious turn of phrase:
Given the large number of long term vacant properties in the borough there were plenty of opportunities for evicted squatters to move into another void
Click to expand...
 
Fwiw, I was curious about the 'hotel' on Coldharbour that was talked about in another thread and so popped in there; turns out it's not a hotel in the usual sense but is entirely booked out indefinitely by Lambeth BC for people on the housing list - no cash ever involved, just direct debits straight from Lambeth to the owner/s.
 
That's fairly common in London. Westminster often houses people in "hotels" in Hackney.
 
Gramsci said:
Got this from Defend Council Housing:



Please support this campaign and protest against the eviction of the squat at Clifton Mansions which has been going since the 1990's.

more info from


Resist the evictions at Clifton Mansions July 12 8am


Clifton Mansions On Coldharbour Lane is a community of squatters in the heart of Brixton. Squatted since the 1990's the 22 flats are home to a large and diverse group of people. The residents have repaired and maintained the properties after Lambeth Council left them empty and neglected. Clustered around a central courtyard Clifton Mansions is a safe and vibrant community where violence and abuse are not tolerated.


On Tuesday 12 July 2011 the police plan to block off Coldharbour Lane and enforce the eviction of all the people living in Clifton Mansions. Making the astonishing claim that evicting Clifton Mansions will somehow solve the problem of drug crime in Brixton, the police failed to consult with local councillors before pushing ahead with this plan. Clifton Mansions residents have received only two weeks notice that they are to be evicted from their homes.


Following the evictions, Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions. The squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes?


Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community.


Please contact the council and the police to let them know what you think.


Show your support on eviction day:

12 July – 8am – Clifton Mansions – 429 Coldharbour Lane



They're closing the street so lets have a party
Click to expand...

you might want to edit out that email address
 
I met some people loading up a van outside Clifton on Sat. I asked them if they were really going. They said yes.

Makes me sad and angry that people can get pushed out of Brixton in this way.
 
So is there any evidence that the evictions are happening this week, or is it just rumours?


Why would the council/police tell people about the date in advance? Surely it's in their interests to turn up out of the blue.
 
Maggot said:
So is there any evidence that the evictions are happening this week, or is it just rumours?


Why would the council/police tell people about the date in advance? Surely it's in their interests to turn up out of the blue.
Click to expand...

wrong.
by letting them know in advance they make sure that most people will have cleared their possessions out and have arranged alternate accommodations in case it does happen (which it most certainly look like it will) therefore making the whole process easier for the council/police and saving them the expense of having to put the squatters possession in storage (as their are duty bound to do).
Or it could just be a bluff, as did happen with St Agnes Place for example, the rationale behind this being: you can only cry wolf so many times before people ignore you and cease turning up to support you; it certainly worked there.
 
i'm sad for those losing their home like that and hope people are coping.
I also hope there will be organised local opposition to any future sell off of these flats.
 
I wonder if people who enjoy the "cheap" rents of Camelot et al realise that they are playing a part in making others homeless
 
Clifton Mansions was destroyed as a decent place to live by crack dealers - ++++++ and his assorted dogsbodies. They controlled much of the trade in central Brixton. R+++ in particular, was, and remains, very violent. Until about 2004, it was a great place to live, and then ++++++ moved in. He tried unsuccessfully to drive various residents from their homes, thumping folk and kicking in doors as he went. For a while he would stand in the courtyard of Clifton Mansions and proclaim that he would burn the building down.
 
Not everyone seems happy about the party that has been planned:

WHOSE FUCKING IDEA IS THIS??? I've been living in one of the 22 flats for the last 10 years, with my young son... There r few more children and all sort of people living here at the moment..No way we r gonna let some stupid teen agers high on E trash the place we call 'home'... night before the eviction or not... BE AWARE
Click to expand...
 
There were numerous meetings with the police and council, mainly about ++++++' violence. The crack trade was certainly mentioned. We had the opportunity to have ++++++ ASBOed but the squatters were too scared to put their names against any statement even though their names, according to my understanding, would not have been uttered in open court but only, in private, in judge's chambers.
 
Emet said:
There were numerous meetings with the police and council, mainly about Reynolds' violence. The crack trade was certainly mentioned. We had the opportunity to have Reynolds ASBOed but the squatters were too scared to put their names against any statement even though their names, according to my understanding, would not have been uttered in open court but only, in private, in judge's chambers.
Click to expand...

Sadly ive heard rumours about some heavy people moving in. Its the downside to squatting.
 
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