Brixton news, rumours and general chat

[teuchter]

In the absence of reforms I wonder if some kind of voluntary 'code of conduct' or similar would work. A bit like living wage - no-one has to comply with it but there is an incentive for them to do so, if they want to be seen to be doing the 'least bad' thing.

It could specify things like how repairs are dealt with, extended periods of notice, pegged rent rises, etc.

The price is not the only issue for private renters, it's also the lack of security and the knowledge that you can be kicked out of your home with minimum notice.

 

[editor]

Thank you for your reply. I didn't take umbrage, rather I was continuing your metaphor of the firing squad. I think you would agree that you do express in this forum a general dislike of private landlords and in that context I would like to make a couple of points.

43% of landlords, including myself, have only one property and I would expect have an amicable relationship with their tenants.

The flat in Coldharbour Lane which prompted your comment does not represent an example of exploitation. The flat has been recently been renovated and is also on the market for £315,000. Taking that valuation, a weekly rent of £277 and an allowance of 25% of that rent for expenses such as repairs, estate agent fees and empty periods etc, the return is 3.4% before tax. I don't think that can be considered excessive. Of course there is potential for capital gain, but again this would be taxed.

Finally, I believe further investment in the private sector, particularly by pension funds, would improve the situation with housing.

Let me make it even clearer: I have absolutely nothing against landlords who aren't exploitative. They provide a useful service.

 

[editor]

Probably not the right thread but does anyone know who Jason Cobb is and why he hates the council so much? Is the council “pocketing” £300,000 or will they use it to provide other services?

Lambeth Council set to pocket £300,000 as it gives the green light for three festivals to take place on Clapham Common over the Bank Holiday weekend

Lambeth Council is estimated to make over £300,000 in allowing three festivals to take place on Clapham Common over the Bank Holiday weekend in August.

www.brixtonbuzz.com

ducks for cover before being called a shill for the council

That all depends on whether you think public parks should be regularly fenced off for expensive private events, and how many events are too many.

 

[edcraw]

That all depends on whether you think public parks should be regularly fenced off for expensive private events, and how many events are too many.

That's what I mean - that's the issue, not getting paid for it when they do.

 

[Gramsci]

Probably not the right thread but does anyone know who Jason Cobb is and why he hates the council so much? Is the council “pocketing” £300,000 or will they use it to provide other services?

Lambeth Council set to pocket £300,000 as it gives the green light for three festivals to take place on Clapham Common over the Bank Holiday weekend

Lambeth Council is estimated to make over £300,000 in allowing three festivals to take place on Clapham Common over the Bank Holiday weekend in August.

www.brixtonbuzz.com

ducks for cover before being called a shill for the council

Makes me glad I give monthly donation to Brixton Buzz.

Jason has done a lot to cover issues of local importance over the years.

The Council hate him so much they blocked him from joining the Labour party. That is how petty the Progress Council can get at times.

 

[edcraw]

Makes me glad I give monthly donation to Brixton Buzz.

Jason has done a lot to cover issues of local importance over the years.

The Council hate him so much they blocked him from joining the Labour party. That is how petty the Progress Council can get at times.

I give as well and enjoy Jason's Hundreds coverage!

But the issue isn't the council 'pocketing' the money (what does that mean?) it's whether they should be handing over public space to private events.

 

[editor]

That's what I mean - that's the issue, not getting paid for it when they do.

The issue is them using public parks for profit with a growing number of private events.

 

[cuppa tee]

I give as well and enjoy Jason's Hundreds coverage!

But the issue isn't the council 'pocketing' the money (what does that mean?) it's whether they should be handing over public space to private events.

would they do if it wasn’t an earner tho’ ?

 

[edcraw]

would they do if it wasn’t an earner tho’ ?

presumably not - but they're not 'pocketing' it, are they, it's going on other services presumably.

Think the article misses a trick and is using the wrong language.

 

[cuppa tee]

presumably not - but they're not 'pocketing' it, are they, it's going on other services presumably.

Think the article misses a trick and is using the wrong language.

so it would appear a lot of your beef is with the style and efficacy of the journalism rather than the issue of commercialising public space... ?

 

[teuchter]

Of course they do it because it brings in revenue.

I can see why the word "pocketing" is a bit of an odd one to use because it implies more revenue = bad.

If an event is going to be allowed then surely from a resident's point of view, they should be extracting as much revenue as possible.

This came up with the event that was proposed in Ruskin park recently - it appeared that not only would the event have taken up public space but Lambeth would be getting hardly any cash in return.

For the record I'm completely against private events in public parks in principle. But if they are going to happen I'd hope Lambeth are extracting as much cash as possible, rather than giving away the space with something unsubstantial in return.

 

[editor]

presumably not - but they're not 'pocketing' it, are they, it's going on other services presumably.

Think the article misses a trick and is using the wrong language.

I don't but thanks for your opinion. It think it sums up what people feel when they find a huge chunk of their PUBLIC park being pimped out for private events.

 

[teuchter]

The headline should be "Lambeth paid only £300,000 for giving up highly valuable public space"

.... or "benefit of less than £1 per Lambeth resident"

 

[edcraw]

so it would appear a lot of your beef is with the style and efficacy of the journalism rather than the issue of commercialising public space... ?

No, I have an issue with the commercialising of public space but the article comes across as the issue being them them taking money for it.

 

[Rushy]

... all his articles use very biased language- it’s quite boring.

Oh the irony

 

[editor]

Any posters bubbling over with powerful insights and criticisms of how headlines should be written on a non profit local website are more than welcome to show off their expertise and contribute their own articles. For absolutely nothing, obviously.

 

[David Clapson]

That's not going to happen though, is it?

The question is what one should do at an individual level, if you have the opportunity to rent out a property. Should you just stay away from it, in which case someone else is going to do it instead, or should you do it and make an attempt to be a better landlord than might have been the case should someone else more ruthless have bought that property?

It has to be dealt with at a legislation level. There seems little point in telling individuals that they ought to be shot. Unless of course you manage to pass legislation that does allow you to shoot them.

Ok, at an individual level there is an ethical solution. You set up a housing coop to buy the property and sell shares to your tenants. They borrow. At first their payments will mostly go on repaying the loan. But as the years go by they get an appreciating asset. Later on they can buy you and each other out if one of them ends up with kids and wants the whole place.

 

[David Clapson]

Nothing to stop a group of sharers doing the above without your help, but these coops often struggle to buy because they can't raise the deposit or a big enough mortgage or do the paperwork as fast as a normal buyer.

 

[Gramsci]

I give as well and enjoy Jason's Hundreds coverage!

But the issue isn't the council 'pocketing' the money (what does that mean?) it's whether they should be handing over public space to private events.

You were asking about Jason. Who he is.

I pointed out that the hard right Progress Council blocked his membership to join Labour Party.

The hatred is on their side not his.

What is your view on that?

 

[Gramsci]

Issue here is Imo small landlords been made to feel uncomfortable about the resentment of the renter class.

Like my friend who was so angry that Miliband suggested mild reforms in favour of renters.

Thing is my friend , and I'm sure others with BTL flats , regarded it as her pension.

Any moves by Labour Party to mild reforms will be opposed by the sections of the Liberal middle class with BTL flats. And there are a lot of them. As this forum show periodically it gets this intervention.

The intervention runs along the don't blame me I'm only a cog in the system blame the system.

Why I suggested nationalising housing.

This would not be about personal ethics or about shooting landlords. Or having a go at posters here for being landlords.

It would be leaving landlords with a house to live in and taking the rest to be turned into Council housing.

Any posters here oppose this?

As a policy. Not whether it will happen or not.

Seems reasonable solution to the upset caused by editor saying shoot them. I'm not for shooting people.

 

[edcraw]

You were asking about Jason. Who he is.

I pointed out that the hard right Progress Council blocked his membership to join Labour Party.

The hatred is on their side not his.

What is your view on that?

I don’t know who he is or why they’d block his membership so hard to have a view.

 

[editor]

Seems reasonable solution to the upset caused by editor saying shoot them. I'm not for shooting people.

OK, I'll take that back. I'll make all the exploitative ones live in shit accommodation that they can barely afford, but still get evicted when their landlord manages to squeeze some more money out of their assets.

 

[domestos]

Lexadon seem to get its mits on all the big properties Lambeth flog off. Wonder why

 

[Gramsci]

I don’t know who he is or why they’d block his membership so hard to have a view.

Critical blogger banned from voting in Labour leadership election

Website editor Jason Cobb included in dossier of 'possible entryists' by local party

www.politics.co.uk

Cllr Alex. Right Winger.

Lambeth Labour Cllr takes to Twitter to post pics of cats on treadmills to mock local library campaigners

Whilst library campaigners prepared for a second night of occupation at the Carnegie library in protest of Lambeth Council cuts, a Labour Cllr instead took to Twitter to post gifs of yawning cats t…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[edcraw]

Critical blogger banned from voting in Labour leadership election

Website editor Jason Cobb included in dossier of 'possible entryists' by local party

www.politics.co.uk

Cllr Alex. Right Winger.

Lambeth Labour Cllr takes to Twitter to post pics of cats on treadmills to mock local library campaigners

Whilst library campaigners prepared for a second night of occupation at the Carnegie library in protest of Lambeth Council cuts, a Labour Cllr instead took to Twitter to post gifs of yawning cats t…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

I mean, saying you’re going to become an enemy within of a party you’re trying to join is slightly problematic.

Why had he left in the first place that he needed to rejoin?

 

[Gramsci]

I don’t know who he is or why they’d block his membership so hard to have a view.

Labour ‘purge’: South west London Jeremy Corbyn supporter barred from voting in leadership content | SWLondoner

A south west London Labour supporter has expressed his disbelief at being barred from voting in the leadership contest, as

www.swlondoner.co.uk

 

[editor]

Why had he left in the first place that he needed to rejoin?

Does it fucking matter? That's not the point, is it?

 

[Gramsci]

I mean, saying you’re going to become an enemy within of a party you’re trying to join is slightly problematic.

Why had he left in the first place that he needed to rejoin?

Im struggling here as usual with you to state the obvious.

A lot of people I know let their membership lapse. If you can't understand this I'm at a loss.

Iraq, move to right etc etc.

Really this is obvious stuff.

Lot of locals I know involved in community stuff rejoined when Corbyn became leader. Basically old Labour anti war people of a certain age.

The influx worried the Progress led Council.

They started to go through applications to join with a fine toothcomb.

Jason fell foul of it due to his journalism for Brixton Buzz.

 

[cuppa tee]

Lexadon seem to get its mits on all the big properties Lambeth flog off. Wonder why

They’ve got the....

 

[edcraw]

Im struggling here as usual with you to state the obvious.

A lot of people I know let their membership lapse. If you can't understand this I'm at a loss.

Iraq, move to right etc etc.

Really this is obvious stuff.

Lot of locals involved in community stuff rejoined when Corbyn became leader. Basically old Labour anti war people of a certain age.

The influx worried the Progress led Council.

They started to go through applications to join with a fine toothcomb.

Jason fell foul of it due to his journalism for Brixton Buzz.

You asked me to take a view on something I really don’t have one on. I read the article and can see why a party wouldn’t want someone to join that wrote critical articles about one of their councillors and said they wanted to be the enemy within. There’s no right to join a party.