Brixton news, rumour and general chat - January 2015
- Thread starter FridgeMagnet
- Start date
- Status
As expected, given that Unite was hosting it, there was a lot of emphasis on the unions and persuading people to join them.
Which is fine as far as it goes, when campaigning for workers' rights. IMHO it's less useful when you're talking about housing estates under threat, where a lot of people are past pension age, unemployed, or unable to work. Unite allows unemployed etc people to join (now), but asking them for help isn't the same (yet) as what you think of when going to a union rep at work.
From the three New Era tenants, a lot was said about unity, keep talking to other tenants about everything you do and every little win, stand firm, recognise that it will be bloody hard work, use your contacts, get local celebs on side if you can, embarrass the hell out of the landlord (stick to non violence as far as possible). They were great, I'm not sure that everyone can achieve the same, but worth a go.
Representation from the Guinness Trust estate (no idea where this is, sorry): The housing association there is dead set against even a tenants' council being formed, and refuses to let the hall there be used for meetings associated with it. Tenants are struggling to get together and protest, even more than you'd expect because some live in fear of being deported. This coming Monday afternoon (2nd Feb between 3 and 4pm?), if any of you were to hang around in front of it, your supportive and peaceful presence would be very welcome.
An employee of St Mungos spoke about how they got on with their strike (a win) and the need for solidarity between the people living in accommodation and those staffing it. He emphasised the need to take a wider view - this isn't just about a handful of shelter staff, or a few estates; similar tactics are being used right across London.
A bit of what I'm trying to see as tough love from Green candidate Rashid Nicks for Brixton - maybe that's just his thing. Reminders about marching on Boris this weekend. Slight flurry of networking at the end.
editor
hiraethified
It's around the back of the Moorlands Estate:
Some background:
Guinness Trust, Somerleyton Rd, Brixton fights the landlords
Guinness trust estate campaign continues in Brixton [video]
Twitterstorm highlights concern over Guinness Trust regeneration of Loughborough Park Estate
Brixton Guinness Trust anti-evictions protest in photos
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I think that will be an historic photo very shortly. As far as I recall the tenants hall block, including the distinctive clock and logo as due to be demolished.It's around the back of the Moorlands Estate:
Some background:
Guinness Trust, Somerleyton Rd, Brixton fights the landlords
Guinness trust estate campaign continues in Brixton [video]
Twitterstorm highlights concern over Guinness Trust regeneration of Loughborough Park Estate
Brixton Guinness Trust anti-evictions protest in photos
It's a pity there currently is no concept of "development stress" applicable to (social) housing estates, similar to the one designating streets where conversions into flats are not permitted.
brixtonblade
Well-Known Member
Some anti-abortion folks givimg out leaflets outside Marie Stopes on Brixton Hill. Suprised they're allowed to.
DietCokeGirl
Fishing in the rivers of life
IIRC, the police can 'request' them to move a certain distance, so they're not blocking the entrance. Usually a few loud and enthusiastic pro-choice protesters are a much better deterrent.
DietCokeGirl
Fishing in the rivers of life
After neon-gate, Brixton Blog are now running a story about this planning application - http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/onli...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NGMCP2BO0GI00 plans to turn old Granada Cab office into restaurant, apparently to become a Thai chain I've not heard of before called Rosa's.
Last edited:
Thimble Queen
Called away to another place
Yum-D might suffer as well being only a few doors away 
Tolpuddle
Cooperative council-my arse.
In some parts of London councils charge for a licence to distribute free literature, not surprised Lambeth can't be arsed to put it in place, but quite surprised they've missed an opportunity to extort money.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I haven't read the Brixton Blog article yet, but I have looked at the application.
Rosa's is a chain of six restaurants, HQ in Shadwell. Registered company apparently bona fide.
More interesting though is the applicant - apparently some sort of estate agent - who calls themselves on their Planning Statement "Brixton Heritage Ltd". The guy in charge (a Mr Julian Pycraft) is a director of City Heritage Ltd and a couple of other companies based in Mayfair plus about 10 dissolved companies.
There is no Brixton Heritage Ltd listed at Companies House at the moment.
Seems to me this application is a blagging job where the applicant is pretending to be concerned and local.
Please note someone tried applying to have a restaurant there in 1998 and Lambeth turned them down. They appealed and the planning inspector confirmed Lambeth's refusal.
The present application is deliberately designed to avoid the reasons for refusal in 1998/9.
I will be objecting.
editor
hiraethified
This was announced back in July, with Alex and Saiphin Moore being introduced as the people behind Rosa’s Thai Cafe and Julian Pycraft from Brixton Heritage Ltd being the Building owner.
They described themselves as "an independent neighbourhood restaurant business."
(Warning: new businesses talking about "neighbourhood" and "community" tend to set my eyebrow rising high!)
passivejoe
Well-Known Member
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Why is Brixton Heritage Ltd not on the company register (yet?)?
I can't see that Mr Pycraft would be the freeholder - unless he also owns Connaught Mansions.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
It's really not necessary
The heron thing is a bit crap and inappropriate for the building anyway in my opinion.
The Heron is ok. I quite like it. The guff spouted by the artist about Herne (heron) Hill in an attempt to shoe horn her usual subject matter into some sort of local relevance was nauseating. Please don't get a quote from her!
Philistines! Its as relevant as the foxes and cherries on Electric ave. I like it.
I enjoy looking up, to check which way the wind is blowing when I go past on the bus in the mornings.
Maggi Hambling is a great woman who would no doubt have something blunt and pithy to say. If anyone could get her to comment it would be interesting. (though she may like LED displays for all we know)
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
There was an issue raised in 1998 about the effect on the roof terrace. The new application does not have extraction to the roof terrace.
In a way you are right - unless you take the view that Coldharbour Lane is getting like the indoor market - with restaurants and take aways crowding out other types of shop.
Not to mention distrubance etc. And nobody can say that Connaught Mansions wasn't there before these new attractions.
swampster
lurking
Have a look at this: http://cityheritageltd.com
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Thanks. So do you think Julian was calling his company "Brixton Heritage Ltd" as a way of flying under the radar? Or what?
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I didn't really mean that. I meant that if he had applied as "City Heritage Ltd" it automatically flags the case up as non-local and gentrifying to people like me!
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
"City Heritage Ltd, owned by Julian Pycraft, is a niche development company which specialises in regenerating obsolete commercial buildings and converting them into useable space for London's thriving leisure and business communities."
Fulham Road Rosa's: http://www.daviscofferlyons.co.uk/news/detail/rosa-s-secures-fulham-road-site/1072#.VMgQVFV1-uY
Fulham Road Rosa's: http://www.daviscofferlyons.co.uk/news/detail/rosa-s-secures-fulham-road-site/1072#.VMgQVFV1-uY
editor
hiraethified
Ooooh how I love Mayfair property investment and development companies doing their thing in my street.
Jangleballix
Better living through chemistry.
I emailed her agent yesterday, no response as yet. And it's a kingfisher not a heron.
swampster
lurking
I guess that's why Maggi calls it a heron. http://www.maggihambling.com/2013/09/the-brixton-heron-2/
leanderman
Street Party: July 2
Was about to use that as a quiz question until I checked the same page as you
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Easy mistake to make. I always said it looked more like a kingfisher or a kookaburra than a heron. But it's definitely meant to be a heron.I emailed her agent yesterday, no response as yet. And it's a kingfisher not a heron.
Remarkable indeed, Maggi.
- Status
Similar threads
