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

[Gramsci]

Interesting to note, as Brixton buzz piece does, that Brixton Green appear to be back in the scheme. Unfortunately. I wondered why they had gone all quiet. Now they are back with the movers and shakers community action is no longer required. Its back to meetings with Council ,which as Brixton buzz report says , public have no access to the minutes. Meetings that are taking decisions for the local community. Despite promise that these minutes will be available to public.

 

[Gramsci]

Reading through the Council report , linked in Brixton buzz article, its clear that the scheme is being funded by Lambeth council and Ovalhouse. Brixton Green aren't raising any of the funds.

 

[Gramsci]

This on page 62 caught my eye.

5 Consultation and co-production
4.1 Local residents and Ward Councillors have been consulted on this scheme and will continue to
be engaged during the construction stage. Stakeholder engagement was a criteria measured in
the procurement process, with contractors asked to set out their methodologies for good engagement.

What local residents? How will stakeholder engagement work?

 

[Gramsci]

Page 59/ 60

1.8 The Council has worked with and facilitated Brixton Green in the development of a number of
proposals for community-led housing models. The Council has provided resources, skills and
expertise from within the Council and also from construction, housing development, legal and
financial sectors, with the purpose of achieving a viable and sustainable community-led scheme
for Somerleyton Road.

1.9 The Council has assessed proposals from Brixton Green and as of autumn 2018 Brixton Green
are continuing to work on their most recent proposal and the Council expects to see a copy of this late in 2018

So what this is saying is what I knew anyway. The Council have put in a lot of officer time and resources to help Brixton Green.

The narrative BG present is that its been them doing this. Not the case.

 

[Gramsci]

So all the talk from BG about how they were thwarted by Council officers isn't the whole story.

 

[Gramsci]

If I was Council officer trying to work out finance for large scheme which the Council will take the risk for and have the jokers from Brixton Green telling me to give it to them I might after a while get sick of it.

Plus the lack of Brixton Greens ability to deal with local community. Which was why they were made the Council's "community partners".

All in all a headache for officers.

 

[CH1]

Seems like Brixton Green have given up on involvement with Somerleyton Road. They sent out a press release this morning:

Brixton Green calls Time on Lambeth Council
After more than a decade, the 1,300+ strong community-led development campaign Brixton Green has decided to pull out of any further work with Lambeth Council.
The Board of Trustees want to explain the decision, taken at its January meeting:
“We have worked incredibly hard to place a shared vision of community led housing at the forefront of the Somerleyton Road development. We are proud of the impact our members have had on the mixed uses, housing standards, and the design, which has planning permission, and in putting together a strong body of work on how the housing can be 100% rented, be managed by the community and developed at no cost to the Council. (see notes 3 and 4)
Our members wanted a true partnership with community led decision making. Unfortunately Lambeth Council’s actions have shown us that it has neither the appetite nor the capacity to work with the community on this development. Since May 2018, the council has not acted collaboratively, and the pledge signed by Lambeth Labour before the election has been broken. (see note 1)
We cannot in good conscience be associated with their proposal in the January 2019 Cabinet paper, to join a steering group which smacks more of placation than real partnership (see note 2).
Should the position change and Lambeth show a genuine desire to share decision-making with the community we stand ready to assist.
In the meantime we are considering the future of Brixton Green - what role it might take in Lambeth and in promoting our model elsewhere.”
Ends.

The notes are very long but available on here: Brixton Green calls Time on Lambeth Council - Staying True to the shared vision for Somerleyton Road

 

[editor]

Seems like Brixton Green have given up on involvement with Somerleyton Road. They sent out a press release this morning:

Brixton Green calls Time on Lambeth Council
After more than a decade, the 1,300+ strong community-led development campaign Brixton Green has decided to pull out of any further work with Lambeth Council.
The Board of Trustees want to explain the decision, taken at its January meeting:
“We have worked incredibly hard to place a shared vision of community led housing at the forefront of the Somerleyton Road development. We are proud of the impact our members have had on the mixed uses, housing standards, and the design, which has planning permission, and in putting together a strong body of work on how the housing can be 100% rented, be managed by the community and developed at no cost to the Council. (see notes 3 and 4)
Our members wanted a true partnership with community led decision making. Unfortunately Lambeth Council’s actions have shown us that it has neither the appetite nor the capacity to work with the community on this development. Since May 2018, the council has not acted collaboratively, and the pledge signed by Lambeth Labour before the election has been broken. (see note 1)
We cannot in good conscience be associated with their proposal in the January 2019 Cabinet paper, to join a steering group which smacks more of placation than real partnership (see note 2).
Should the position change and Lambeth show a genuine desire to share decision-making with the community we stand ready to assist.
In the meantime we are considering the future of Brixton Green - what role it might take in Lambeth and in promoting our model elsewhere.”
Ends.

The notes are very long but available on here: Brixton Green calls Time on Lambeth Council - Staying True to the shared vision for Somerleyton Road

Good fucking riddance to that bunch of dodgy chancers. And liars.

 

[editor]

"1,300+ strong community-led development "

Such utter bollocks.

 

[Gramsci]

They turned up at last Brixton Neighborhood Forum. Which I was not expecting.

They just rub me up the wrong way.

They were giving the we are victims of terrible New Labour Council line.

It gets them support.

I was in minority in meeting when I asked them what actually was the proportion of housing at social rents ( that is Council level rents) they were going to do on their scheme.

I got a load of waffle. In their scheme rents would be means tested. Fifty percent of development would be market rent. Rest would be based on means testing of income.

This really never did sound that wonderful.

And btw this was not gaurenteed.

BG made much of saying they had lenders who would fund there scheme.

As I was there at the beginning BG knew full well that this was Council scheme. Council were going to build it. Ovalhouse were going to fund and build the theatre.

Council can be criticised for not getting on with Somerleyton but BG were never going to deliver imo.

Unless the Council have them the land for free it would never have worked.

And do I want BG to have the land? No.

I think the BG resentment at Ovalhouse is that they are getting deal to lease the land from Council for long lease.

 

[editor]

Just spotted this:

 

[CH1]

Don't know if anyone is interested in this Evening Standard article.

"Woolwich Creative District" seems like an up-scaled version of what people have been trying to do in Somerleyton Road and other parts of central Brixton.

The bottom line is that in Woolwich the "genuinely affordable" homes have been knocked back from the originally planned 35% to a mere 8%.

The creative part sounds very interesting but even Greenwich Council, traditionally left of Lambeth or Southwark, have had to sacrifice the needs of ordinary people on the altar of developer-led regeneration.

 

[editor]

Meanwhile, Somerleyton Passage remains a total shithole

The miserable Somerleyton Passage pedestrian subway in Brixton – and the many failed proposals for its improvement

 

[brixtonblade]

Meanwhile, Somerleyton Passage remains a total shithole

The miserable Somerleyton Passage pedestrian subway in Brixton – and the many failed proposals for its improvement

I had no idea about all those proposals to improve it... would be nice if something was implemented as it is pretty grim at the moment

 

[teuchter]

Can someone help clarify something for me? I've read the Cabinet Report (Jan 2019) and it references multiple blocks, A to F.
I wanted to see what these would look like, where retail space etc would be, and found some drawings on Brixton Green website. The Development | Brixton Green
But now they're no longer a part of this process anymore are these details null and void or is that unrelated?

Also the report repeatedly mentions ongoing community consultations - any idea how I can keep an eye out as to when/where these will take place?

Thanks

This I think is the planning application (ref 15/05282/RG3) and you should be able to find the drawings in there under associated documents. There have been various amendments to it since then; I'm not up to date on what they are or how significant they are.

15/05282/RG3 | Demolition of existing buildings on-site (with the exception of Carlton Mansions which is retained and refurbished) and redevelopment to provide a residential-led, mixed use development comprising 304 new dwellings (50% affordable) and approximately 8,000 sq.m (GIA) of non-residential uses including a theatre (Sui Generis) and employment, retail and community uses (Use class B1/D1/A1/A2) with associated parking, landscaping and ancillary works. | Land Bound By Somerleyton Road, Coldharbour Lane And Railway Line London SW9

 

[editor]

A photo update:

In photos: A Loughborough Park and Somerleyton Road stroll as redevelopment slowly grinds on, Brixton, April 2019

 

[editor]

This is rather interesting: Brixton Ovalhouse Theatre goes ahead. But where is the money coming from?

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

This is rather interesting: Brixton Ovalhouse Theatre goes ahead. But where is the money coming from?

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

be up and running in a blink of an eye, and I’ll have to park a mile away but hey ho

 

[CH1]

be up and running in a blink of an eye, and I’ll have to park a mile away but hey ho

I thought people living in Brixton Square were not supposed to require parking. Has BS been redesignated as social housing?

 

[CH1]

The big bit of land at the other end of road is up for rent if anyones interested! Somewhere to park your car maybe

Is that the Angela Davis car park?

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

I thought people living in Brixton Square were not supposed to require parking. Has BS been redesignated as social housing?

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

Nope, but we do need guidance on how to use a balcony.

 

[editor]

Nope, but we do need guidance on how to use a balcony.

Haven't you all got cleaners to sort out your mess?

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

Haven't you all got cleaners to sort out your mess?

Ha ha ha there seems to be an abundance of cleaners here but personally I pick up other peoples cigarette butts.

 

[CH1]

When I lived in Effra Court it was all about not hanging your washing out. Considering the vintage of the building c 1935 I guess they worried in case one's bloomers were on display. My aunt said this was too risqué.

 

[Gramsci]

Quote didn't work.

 

[Gramsci]

Mr Bim of Bar

FFS I thought the whole point of owning your own property, being on the mortgage treadmill, was that you got away from this officious nanny state bollox.


This is just as bad as Lambeth council.

 

[editor]

The building seems to be shooting up

 

[editor]

Interesting developments here... Lambeth Council looking to pimp out Ovalhouse basement