Brixton Somerleyton Road development, Ovalhouse and Brixton Green - funding, proposed rents etc

[CH1]

Further to my December 14th post, I received this notification on 2nd March 2017:

The Community Trust has been set up!!​

Somerleyton Trust is now an official legal entity!
The Somerleyton Trust is now registered with Companies House.
This community trust has been set up to lease the site from Lambeth for 250 years.

Full time Director for the Trust
During the next two weeks, the Transition Director for the Trust will be appointed. Twenty-five impressive candidates have applied.


TONIGHT: AGM & Housing Debate
Venue: Pop Brixton, 49 Station Road, SW9 8PQ

6.30pm Annual General Meeting

7.30pm Housing Debate
Can community-led solutions help solve the housing crisis?

Panel:
Patrick Smith(Chair) Senior reporter @ BuzzFeed UK
Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive, Power to Change
Laura Gardiner, Resolution Foundation
Dinah Roake, Brixton Green

Our mailing address is:
Brixton Green Ltd
89 Acre Lane
London, Greater london SW2 5TN
United Kingdom
​

Sorry I can't reproduce he graphics. But just now I did check whether it was indeed true that the Somerleyton Trust is registered with Companies House.

Having checked I can reveal the following information:
SOMERLEYTON TRUST (reg 28/2/17)
Company number 10644154
1 officer / 0 resignations
ALCOCK, David
Correspondence address
134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, Uk, B3 2ES
Role Active Director
Date of birth February 1969
Appointed on 28 February 2017
Nationality British
Country of residence Uk
Occupation Solicitor

I find this all a bit bizarre. Brixton Green is constantly going on about its local credentials, yet they are apparently still in the process of taking over a company from a company formations solicitor and have not yet registered any Brixton based director.

In retrospect I should have gone to the AGM - but there was no notice at all. I would have been interested to hear what the Resolution Foundation had to say about Brixton Green business model.

​

 

[ricbake]

Still using Opus 89 Acre Lane as the mailing address but have dissolved the bit with "Community Land"...
Is that some sort of Freudian slip?

From Company House

 

[editor]

Still using Opus 89 Acre Lane as the mailing address but have dissolved the bit with "Community Land"...
Is that some sort of Freudian slip?

From Company House
View attachment 101741

It comes over so fucking slapdash and dodgy.

 

[CH1]

News of the Brixton Green AGM.

Resolution Foundation led a discussion about the situation regarding housing and unaffordability. The Resolution Foundation PowerPoint slides can be found here, though without context all I can say is it looks like standard middle of the road analysis. They do at least point out that with the collapse in interest rates, housing has become an income investment (buy-to-let) which is obviously true.

Sadly we see the departure of Brad Carroll (!?!)

With the employment of the Transition Director funded by Power to Change, Brad Carroll is stepping down as director of Brixton Green, a role he has carried out on a voluntary basis since 2008.

Brad said: "I am so proud to have been part of this amazing project. Our community has developed a solution which could provide over 50% affordable homes, an accountable landlord and support for public services. This could change how public land is developed in London. Over 1300 local people are now shareholders, we have a great transition director and an impressive board. I look forward to the day that Lambeth Council sign the lease, and even more, I look forward to seeing this wonderful project built!"

BG have not yet announced who the "Transition Director" is AFAIK.

 

[editor]

News of the Brixton Green AGM.

Resolution Foundation led a discussion about the situation regarding housing and unaffordability. The Resolution Foundation PowerPoint slides can be found here, though without context all I can say is it looks like standard middle of the road analysis. They do at least point out that with the collapse in interest rates, housing has become an income investment (buy-to-let) which is obviously true.

Sadly we see the departure of Brad Carroll (!?!)

With the employment of the Transition Director funded by Power to Change, Brad Carroll is stepping down as director of Brixton Green, a role he has carried out on a voluntary basis since 2008.

Brad said: "I am so proud to have been part of this amazing project. Our community has developed a solution which could provide over 50% affordable homes, an accountable landlord and support for public services. This could change how public land is developed in London. Over 1300 local people are now shareholders, we have a great transition director and an impressive board. I look forward to the day that Lambeth Council sign the lease, and even more, I look forward to seeing this wonderful project built!"

BG have not yet announced who the "Transition Director" is AFAIK.

The notable part (my bold and caps)

"Our community has developed a solution which COULD provide over 50% affordable homes, an accountable landlord and support for public services"

I have zero respect for Brixton Green.

 

[Gramsci]

News of the Brixton Green AGM.

Resolution Foundation led a discussion about the situation regarding housing and unaffordability. The Resolution Foundation PowerPoint slides can be found here, though without context all I can say is it looks like standard middle of the road analysis. They do at least point out that with the collapse in interest rates, housing has become an income investment (buy-to-let) which is obviously true.

Sadly we see the departure of Brad Carroll (!?!)

With the employment of the Transition Director funded by Power to Change, Brad Carroll is stepping down as director of Brixton Green, a role he has carried out on a voluntary basis since 2008.

Brad said: "I am so proud to have been part of this amazing project. Our community has developed a solution which could provide over 50% affordable homes, an accountable landlord and support for public services. This could change how public land is developed in London. Over 1300 local people are now shareholders, we have a great transition director and an impressive board. I look forward to the day that Lambeth Council sign the lease, and even more, I look forward to seeing this wonderful project built!"

BG have not yet announced who the "Transition Director" is AFAIK.

I'm not one to support the Council. But this is bollox. The scheme to develop the site as a Council owned one with some attempt at affordable housing has nothing to do with Brixton Green.

Why the Council let BG get away with this is beyond me.

 

[CH1]

I'm not one to support the Council. But this is bollox. The scheme to develop the site as a Council owned one with some attempt at affordable housing has nothing to do with Brixton Green.

Why the Council let BG get away with this is beyond me.

Presumably the fact there seems to be zero progress on the site it tied up with this.

 

[Gramsci]

Presumably the fact there seems to be zero progress on the site it tied up with this.

One thing that could be an issue is the Special Purpose Vehicle. A big reason for doing this is to stop RTB. If there is RTB the financial model will not work.

Looks now that this government regards that as a loophole exploited by Councils. So will change legislation to allow RTB in SPVs.

 

[equationgirl]

Interesting to see Brad Carroll stepping aside, wonder what pies he's now got his fingers in.

 

[editor]

Brad out, planning permission in.

 

[CH1]

Brad out, planning permission in.
View attachment 102779

But what does that mean? True the decision notice is issued today - 18 months after the original application.

But do you think that the Milegate application on 16-20 Somerleyton Road - approved on 5 August 2016 - will not now go ahead? And/or are the parties even now sorting out a "compromise agreement"? I think we should be told.

NB The Lambeth housing planning application agent has an interesting address:

London Borough Of Lambeth
c/o Ms Hilary Satchwell
19 Maltings Place
169 Tower Bridge Road
London
SE1 3JB

 

[CH1]

Following my shock discovery this morning that the Angela Davis Trading Estate has now been completely demolished (in about 2 weeks work according to a local man I spoke to) I did some digging around.

Lambeth apparently considered a report about the Compulsory Purchase of 16-22 Somerleyton Road on 28th October 2016.

This put forward a revised schedule for the Somerleyton Road Flagship scheme:
Planning application submitted December 2015
Planning committee December 2015
Planning permission issued November 2016
Start on site June 2017
CPO confirmed Autumn 2017
First units completed July 2018
Project completed December 2019

I guess the report must've been adopted/approved. There is a confidential part II report dealing with the financial aspects .This is not publicly available - unless we could persuade Wikileaks??

I guess whoever funded the Milegate planning application may well be collecting an enhanced fee for their trouble getting in an architect. And Lambeth of course losing out. Why did Lambeth not proceed with the CPO as soon as they realised it was needed? One possible explanation lies in section 3 (Finance) on page 7 of the report attached: the land acquisition costs were to be taken in phase II of the project - 2016 or after.

There is likely to be a pubic enquiry into the CPO,unless agreement is reached - timetable here:

 

[CH1]

Was just reading this obituary of the poet James Berry (b. 1924 Jamaica d. 20 June 2017)
James Berry lived for part of his life in Somerleyton Road, and in 1978 was writer in residence at Vauxhall Manor School.
Later moved to Brighton.
James Berry obituary

Just thought I'd post this up. Poetry came out of Somerleyton Road once before - and hopefully will again.

Fantasy of an African Boy
by James Berry
Such a peculiar lot
we are, we people
without money, in daylong
yearlong sunlight, knowing
money is somewhere, somewhere.

Everybody says it’s big
bigger brain bother now,
money. Such millions and millions
of us don’t manage at all
without it, like war going on.

And we can’t eat it. Yet
without it our heads alone
stay big, as lots and lots do,
coming from nowhere joyful,
going nowhere happy.

We can’t drink it up. Yet
without it we shrivel when small
and stop forever
where we stopped, as lots and lots do.

We can’t read money for books.
Yet without it we don’t
read, don’t write numbers,
don’t open gates in other countries,
as lots and lots never do.

We can’t use money to bandage
sores, can’t pound it
to powder for sick eyes
and sick bellies. Yet without
it, flesh melts from our bones.

Such walled-round gentlemen
overseas minding money! Such
bigtime gentlemen, body guarded
because of too much respect
and too many wishes on them:

too many wishes, everywhere,
wanting them to let go
magic of money, and let it fly
away, everywhere, day and night,
just like dropped leaves in wind!

James Berry
James Berry was a Jamaican poet who settled in England in the 1940s. He won the 1981 National Poetry Competition with his poem 'Fantasy of an African Boy'.

 

[editor]

The ship is leaking

Lambeth Council’s regeneration of Somerleyton Road has a funding gap of £778,000. The Council expects to meet this shortfall through increased borrowing. The extra debt has come about after the Council failed to gain control of 16-22 Somerleyton Road.

Brixton Buzz reported in May 2016 how the owner of the site, Milegate, has submitted its own planning application to demolish the warehouse and build 74 new homes. Sensing a Compulsory Purchase Order was coming from the Council, the owner took a DIY approach.

Planning permission was granted by the Planning Applications Committee in May 2016. It was a split vote 3:3. Chair Cllr Clair Wilcox voted in favour of the private development.

This decision has had a financial throwback on the entire Somerleyton Road regeneration. A Council report [pdf] authored by Sue Foster, Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods and Growth, admits:

“In addition, a Section 106 contribution of £778,000 from the other blocks at Somerleyton Road (C to F) was previously allocated towards the block B theatre costs, but given the delay on works for those blocks there may be a funding gap of £778,000 which would increase Council borrowing.”

The Milegate application replaces affordable rents with intermediate rents. Social and private units will also be built on the site.

Somerleyton Road regeneration needs an extra £778K as Lambeth Council loses control of key site area

 

[editor]

I liked this reader comment on Buzz:

“Commercial confidentiality” in the game of FoI with Lambeth is the equivalent of a “hit” in the game of “Battleship”

 

[Gramsci]

Read Jason's article in Brixton Buzz. Also read the officers report linked into Brixton Buzz article. It's written in technical language. So I may not have understood all of it.

So Ovalhouse and Carlton Mansions ( Blocks B and A in report) will be built first. No explanation given in report on why rest of scheme isn't starting at same time.

Ovalhouse will fund theatre on grant funding and from sale of the site they own in the Oval. What is missing is the section 106 money which was to be put towards Blocks A and B from building the rest of the site.

There is a lot in report about Ovalhouse. The theatre in Brixton will be new build. Unlike Carlton Mansions. Which will be working with old building. There is little in report on the Mansions. Somewhat concerning. I can't make it out from the report if the Mansions will be dealt with as a separate " risk" . Or if the whole Block A and B are being treated as one scheme.

 

[CH1]

The ship is leaking
Somerleyton Road regeneration needs an extra £778K as Lambeth Council loses control of key site area

Looking on the Brixton Green link from Jason's Buzz article - hoping for news (of Somerleyton).
Quirky article relating to a talk by Dinah Roake at Pop Brixton about housing quality and equality at Pop Brixton.

Whilst this stuff has its heart it the right place, where was Brixton Green when the council fucked up on the warehouse units at 16-20 Somerleyton Road, and why aren't they asking Lambeth Council to release details of the current situation to public scrutiny?

The fact that Brixton Green has no current news on its website indicates they are either not in the loop (highly likely) or they are party to information which is being withheld from the public (always a possibility).

 

[editor]

Looking on the Brixton Green link from Jason's Buzz article - hoping for news (of Somerleyton).
Quirky article relating to a talk by Dinah Roake at Pop Brixton about housing quality and equality at Pop Brixton.

Whilst this stuff has its heart it the right place, where was Brixton Green when the council fucked up on the warehouse units at 16-20 Somerleyton Road, and why aren't they asking Lambeth Council to release details of the current situation to public scrutiny?

The fact that Brixton Green has no current news on its website indicates they are either not in the loop (highly likely) or they are party to information which is being withheld from the public (always a possibility).

Brixton Green represents little more than the interested of those people behind it.

 

[Angellic]

I liked this reader comment on Buzz:

Can anyone explain the Clapham reference in the comments? Without it being libellous?

 

[Gramsci]

Looking on the Brixton Green link from Jason's Buzz article - hoping for news (of Somerleyton).
Quirky article relating to a talk by Dinah Roake at Pop Brixton about housing quality and equality at Pop Brixton.

Whilst this stuff has its heart it the right place, where was Brixton Green when the council fucked up on the warehouse units at 16-20 Somerleyton Road, and why aren't they asking Lambeth Council to release details of the current situation to public scrutiny?

The fact that Brixton Green has no current news on its website indicates they are either not in the loop (highly likely) or they are party to information which is being withheld from the public (always a possibility).

Imo they are party to information being withheld from the public. As Brixton Buzz article says the Steering Group minutes are being withheld due to "commercial confidentiality".

This despite in early days of this project that openness was important part of this supposedly community minded project.

As I've said before, as someone who lived on the site and took part in consultation on this site and Brixton, Brixton Green number one aim is to gain control of the site.

Fortunately they won't get there hands on Carlton Mansions. As that's going to Oval house. Who I trust. Why I'm a bit concerned by the recent report. I'm wondering if things may change.

 

[editor]

Imo they are party to information being withheld from the public. As Brixton Buzz article says the Steering Group minutes are being withheld due to "commercial confidentiality".

This despite in early days of this project that openness was important part of this supposedly community minded project.

As I've said before, as someone who lived on the site and took part in consultation on this site and Brixton, Brixton Green number one aim is to gain control of the site.

Fortunately they won't get there hands on Carlton Mansions. As that's going to Oval house. Who I trust. Why I'm a bit concerned by the recent report. I'm wondering if things may change.

Just to make sure I've got this straight: Brixton Green put themselves forward as representing the views of the local community, but then that community can't actually see the minutes of the meetings where they're there claiming to be representing their views?

 

[ricbake]

"Commercially Sensitive" = we don't want you to know that we sold you down the Effra...

 

[Gramsci]

Just to make sure I've got this straight: Brixton Green put themselves forward as representing the views of the local community, but then that community can't actually see the minutes of the meetings where they're there claiming to be representing their views?

That does appear how it is.

 

[editor]

I see from their site that they're employing the rent structure that the Tories proposed for council homes: if you earn too much your rent goes up - and you have to show your landlord your payslips.

Best not take that promotion then, else your rent goes up...

The Trust will calculate a household's income based on their average income over 3 years. Residents will be asked to provide their tax returns as proof of income.

A New Approach To Renting | Brixton Green

 

[editor]

In their blurb, they claim to have put on several community events "attended by over 1,000 people." Any idea what these events were?

About Us | Brixton Green

 

[Gramsci]

Had a look at Brixton Green website. Just to check. Since CH1 posted up new "press release" has just appeared.


Theatre’s move to Brixton steps closer | Brixton Green

The theatre did preceed Brixton Green interest in the site.

This is of interest:

“This comes as our first Director starts work at the new Somerleyton Trust, which will represent future tenants, and give the community and tenants the tools needed to control the crucial decision-making processes

That's going to be interesting to see. First tool should be to make all Steering Group minutes past and present, not redacted unless with very good reason ,all public.

 

[Gramsci]

I see from their site that they're employing the rent structure that the Tories proposed for council homes: if you earn too much your rent goes up - and you have to show your landlord your payslips.

Best not take that promotion then, else your rent goes up...

A New Approach To Renting | Brixton Green

Yes I knew this. They had this approach from the very beginning. Which was one reason I was never that keen. This isn't traditional social housing. And it was at the very beginning they had this concept in one form or the other. Before asking community.

Imo what community want is Council housing on secure tenancies at social rent. Or Housing Association equivalent ( which is disappearing).

You are right to see this is what the Tories want.

It doesn't he!p to build a stable community having this kind of set up. And it's unlikely these will be secure tenancies like old Council tenancies are.

Setting up a model like this will help to undermine the future of social housing as we used to know it.

The person they have employed as director is from the housing association sector. He thinks this kind of model is the future.

 

[Gramsci]

God there website is annoying.

Take this quote:

Rather than have a private developer deliver the project, Brixton Green encouraged Lambeth Council to develop the site directly themselves.

From this

No they didn't. When I was on the site I used to try and keep up with Councils possible ideas for the site.

Officers had been thinking of putting forward proposal for the Council to develop the site directly before Brixton Green appeared. Other Councils had already been doing this in London. So officers were thinking of it in Lambeth.

 

[editor]

Join a walking PR tour:

A series of FREE Somerleyton Road walking tours are being run by the Transition Director at the Somerleyton Trust, Mark Slowikowski. Mark will explain the development project in more detail and answer any questions you might have about Brixton Green’s “funding and delivery” proposal to Lambeth Council.

The first walks are planned for Friday 1st December and will run at the following times:

10:30 am
12.00 noon
2.30 pm

PLEASE BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE VIA THE EVNTBRITE LINK:

Somerleyton Road Walking Tour

The Walks will start outside Carlton Mansions across the road from the entrance to Brixton Village near the junction of Atlantic Road and Coldharbour Lane. The walk will last approximately 45 minutes and there will be plenty of opportunity for you to ask questions along the way. For those of you unable to make this date, we will hold the next set of walks over the weekend of Saturday 9th AND Sunday 10th December at the same times and starting at the same location. We also plan to hold further walks early in the New Year.

 

[CH1]

Join a walking PR tour:

Don't you think the Somerleyton situation is getting like Brexit?
[meaning Brixton Green plough on regardless hoping to con the people into believing they have somehow taken back control]

What is the difference between the Somerleyton Trust and this: https://mutuals.fsa.gov.uk/SocietyDetails.aspx?Number=30774&Suffix=R?

It would be nice to know why there has to be a trust behind a trust - if we are going to trust anything they say!