Brixton Market redevelopment?

[fbm]

URGENT: Get ready to fight for Brixton Market

As already noted by Gramsci, London Associated Properties are displaying their plans thursday, friday, saturday in Granville Arcade.

Thursday 22nd January 12 to 3
Friday 23rd January 2 to 5
Saturday 24th January 10 to 1

They are doing this as part of their supposed 'consultation' - which seems to consist of zero opportunity for actual feedback to be taken on board. They have already distributed a leaflet about the presentation which contains the line "The redevelopment will NOT change or alter the nature of the market in any way". What are they going to do then, leave it as it is?

Friends of Brixton Market are going to be distributing leaflets on these days giving the alternative view. If you are able to pop by and help, we'd be very grateful.

Please check the (new!!) FBM website: www.friendsofbrixtonmarket.org for more info or email us at brixtonmarket@googlemail.com

LAP's application is a very frightening development for Brixton. The proposal within itself would be disastrous for Brixton and were it to succeed would set a precedent that could see Brixton change beyond recognition into blandville in the next ten years.

What's especially frightening about LAP is their tactics in other developments around London.

In the past week or so, both the Islington Tribune and the Evening Standard have reported on two separate developments where LAP are destroying historic and much loved markets, riding roughshod over the desires of the community and local council and are quoted as "bullying" traders.

Evening Standard article about Antiquarius in King's Road, Chelsea

Antique Traders Gazette

Islington: LAP evict all traders

Islington: LAP try to turn market into nightclub

If you are in any doubt that this is serious, please read these articles.

When LAP's application is validated by the council, there will be a link on FBM's website to the Lambeth planning website where you can register your opposition.

Friends of Brixton Market and other local groups are working on alternative plans to safe guard the market for us all for the future.

None of them will go anywhere if LAP succeed. Beating their application will only be the first battle with them. Please tell everyone you know, and check back here and at www.friendsofbrixtonmarket.org

 

[newbie]

cooo. So in Islington they want to turn a posh antiques market into a "bohemian-style coffee shop, bar, and restaurant displaying and promoting works from local artists, photographers and musicians.". Brixton isn't Islington but I s'pose the local equivalent would be to turn Granville Arcade into a live music venue with stalls selling wet fish and live snails.

 

[Cowley]

Sure Brixton Market needs a bit of a tidy up, but it doesn't need some radical overhaul with a view to changing the architectual beauty of it. I don't like those drawings...they look awful, really awful.

It's really sad that most developers these days feel the need to reshape landmark sites with souless modern architecture. Why not just a sympathetic restore?

A prime example is Spitalfields Market which has been totally ruined over the past 5 years, I'm surprised they haven't gone the whole hog and pulled down those beautiful Grade II listed Huguenot Houses in the side streets off Spitalfields.

It's all about money, fuck the heritage

 

[Crispy]

These guys look like utter bastards. I'll come down on Saturday to look at the proposals.

 

[editor]

As already noted by Gramsci, London Associated Properties are displaying their plans thursday, friday, saturday in Granville Arcade.

Thursday 22nd January 12 to 3
Friday 23rd January 2 to 5
Saturday 24th January 10 to 1

I'll take a look today and see if I can grab some photos.

 

[tarannau]

May well pop down myself today and heckle my consultation.

I'll keep an eye out for the folks of FBM as well. I don't mind giving up a little time to help if this is spectacularly awful

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Brixton can’t cope with hundreds of new residents in new tower blocks.

especially yuppies

Awful idea and I hope they don't get away with it

 

[wjh]

Just been and had a look around at the presentation and talked to a guy from LAP and Barry Stanford (the architect). Managed to avoid the woman from the PR company thankfully.

Sounds like they are putting the planning application in 'cos they expect it to take a long time to get through and if it does they'll have three years to start the project. The project is to be wholly funded through the sale of the 112 residential units, so they're not going to start until the financial market picks up enough for them to get a return (I took that as the banks aren't going to give them any money any time soon.)

They reckon 18 months from start of demolition to the market opening again for business (with another six months work to finish the residential). This sounds like it'll be the end of a lot of the small businesses operating in the market as I don't see anywhere viable for them to move to in central brixton. The guy from LAP made an off the cuff remark about doing some deal on the Woolworths site to temporarily re-site the traders.

They seemed completely unaware that ASC (http://www.ascstudios.co.uk/) rent out the spaces above 5th and 6th avenue, so I showed them around. Doesn't sound like there's going to be any provision for studio spaces in the new build.

When questioned about social housing the answers were dismissive and they are doing all they can to reduce the amount of social housing in the development "in order to make it a viable project."

 

[editor]

Took a look. It's horribly out of scale and looks like the kind of rubbish bland development that would make Brixton blend into anytown.

Good to see hatboy there giving it full barrels to the developers. I quizzed the owner and he admitted that they haven;t the slightest interest in spending a penny on the market now - all they want is to get planning permission and start raking the cash in.

Seeing as it could take up to three years to get the permission, they'll probably just run the place down until it's such a shithole that residents will agree to anything.

Photos later.

 

[editor]

The've got these questionnaires that are totally geared to getting the 'right' answers - so there's no "Are you against this development YES/NO" option, only ones that can be spun by the developers.

 

[gaijingirl]

I'm going down tomorrow - I hate the sound of this. These greedy bloody tosspot developers with their crap questionnaires ...

 

[Xeno]

Why not a restore? Because refurbishment attracts VAT, unlike new-build. Also, it doesn't allow architects to get their rocks off with bold "statements" that other people have to live in, not them. Also, if/when the traders were invited to move back in, the current ones would not be able to afford the huge new rents. All Brixton character would be stripped out and carted off and replaced with franchise clone retail crud.

Jim Dickson. Yes, I think he's the guy who helped push through the chopping off of the corner of Brockwell Park. Let's all go down to the exhibitions and give them an earful. They have not applied for planning permission yet and if there is enough opposition they might adapt their plans.

Don't forget the first rule of urban redevelopment. After you have acquired the property you want to pull down, let it go to rack and ruin. That way, the mug punters won't realise that the buildings are quite sound, and they will object less when you propose demolition.

 

[shygirl]

I'm going down at 2 pm and gonna give out leaflets for FBM. Perhaps a couple of you guys could help with leafleting.

 

[Crispy]

Yes, I'm willing to do that. Gotta do some shopping anyway, so can ill a whole load of birds with one stone

 

[netbob]

Right, am plotting how to sort this out, me and niplsa are in the albert if anyone wants to join the plotting.

 

[Dan U]

good luck with this.

i work near the Antiques Market in Islington and these fuckers have been sniffing around for ages. The council there have already let too many 'chains' in to that side of Upper Street imo and once the market goes all 'trendy' it won't be long before other national retailers are sniffing around the remaining independents round Camden Passage etc.

makes me cross all this.

 

[quimcunx]

Right, am plotting how to sort this out, me and niplsa are in the albert if anyone wants to join the plotting.

I can't come down but good luck.

Has your victory earlier in the week bouyed you up?

 

[editor]

Right, am plotting how to sort this out, me and niplsa are in the albert if anyone wants to join the plotting.

I witnessed some of the later parts of that plotting tonight.

It was very interesting.

 

[netbob]

I witnessed some of the later parts of that plotting tonight.

It was very interesting.

hmm no dinner + guiness makes memesprings fall over

 

[Bob]

Right, am plotting how to sort this out, me and niplsa are in the albert if anyone wants to join the plotting.

I'll catch up with you by email....

 

[brix]

I'll be popping down around midday on my way to the Gaza demo outside BBC Broadcasting House.

This development would rip the soul out of the market. It's completely out of scale for the area and is monumentally ugly

 

[netbob]

I had quite good fun with them yesterday. They have no answers on:

- social impact of having a private park in the middle of town
- what they mean by affordable housing
- impact on already stretched services (parking etc)
- if they have any community support
- effects on a conservation area of a minging highrise building
- effect on general brixton economy of shutting a large part of the market for 2 years


and their questionnaire is utterly lame, i'm not going to submit one and just write to my councillor instead.

 

[editor]

I think we should set up our own questionnaire here that includes options like:
"Do you think Brixton will benefit from this development YES/NO"
"Do you trust the developers to deliver their promises?"

etc etc

 

[Mind]

Was there this morning.

Their PR people are a bunch of amateurs who are no doubt making things worse for the developer.
I'm not surprised that Jim Dickson is a director there.

Typical.

 

[netbob]

I've just fired off a few preliminary FOI requests:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_council_assessments_of_t
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_documents_submitted_to_l
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_meetings_between_lambeth_2
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/list_of_meetings_between_lambeth

 

[newbie]

the first one is about 'indoor meetings'. Is that a typo?

 

[netbob]

the first one is about 'indoor meetings'. Is that a typo?

doh


I seem to be fucking up everything I touch at the moment.

 

[Dan U]

nice one memespring.

i've said this a few times on here in relation to Lambeth and other councils, but working at a council i've observed the blind panic a well asked FOI question can bring.

an under used weapon in local campaigning imo. it's a huge positive thing organising petitions and challenging in public meetings etc but i think people often miss a trick and don't go after the decision making process or financial rationale behind things like this as well

i've sat in meetings where senior management are more worried about 'what the daily mail' might say as opposed to making a correct decision for a community.

 

[lang rabbie]

I've just fired off a few preliminary FOI requests:

I am writing to request a list of meetings between Lambeth Councillors and London and Associated Property

I am writing to request a list of meetings between Lambeth Council Officers and London and Associated Property

You might need to add one about meetings between consultants appointed by Lambeth and L&AC.

AFAIK much of the work on FutureBrixton - in which the first hints of a favourable atttiude to a high rise redevelopment of the site was expressed - was done by consultants retained by Lambeth rather than Lambeth officers.

 

[brix]

I went down today and had fun giving them a hard time. I asked them to show me any information they'd had printed in any of the local community languages. Of course they couldn't. I asked them how they were possibly hoping to engage the local community when many people don't have English as a first language - they shuffled around and looked a bit awkward.

I asked the guy from LAP if he was aware that his company had a reputation as bully boys. He did look a bit embarrassed at this point - there were a few poeple listening in. I advised them to spend 5 minutes googling the company.

The architect was there but neither he or the guy from LAP were able to give me a straight answer about the amount of social housing in the development. They also gave feeble answers to questions about their plans to keep the market going in a viable way while they redevelop.

The questionnaire, as memespring says, is rubbish. Again, I would rather make my views known to my local councillor and, when the time comes, in my objection to planning permission for the development.