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Brixton's Jobcentre Plus on Brixton Road to close

Orang Utan said:
I don't see how any of them have to be face to face unless the client wants it.
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I think the DWP might think differently, that's all. I am not saying they are right, but I can see that they might occasionally need to see that a person exists.

Orang Utan said:
If it can take three hours to get to and from a job centre just so you can show them your proof of looking for work, them IME that's a massive waste of time for everyone. If the DWP just left people alone to look for work, it would be a lot less stressful for the the claimants and would cost the DWP a lot less.
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Oh, that's all very true, definitely. But the DWP (which I still somehow have time-warps about and think of as the old "Department of Stealth & Total Obscurity"), is likely to take a different view.
 
And how do you "prove" that a call from the jc was, or wasn't made at the specified time to you (and how do you prove your ID ?). Our local JC can't even get my name & address right.
How about flat batteries, borked phones, lost / stolen phone, mobile mast not in use.
This last has just happened, there should be mobile coverage from organisation X where I am currently sitting, their mast is borked, so there is a much weaker signal from provider Y, which dropped out during my earlier call.
 
Pickman's model said:
with all due respect you don't seem to have read the post.

e2a: it seems to me that at one end of the spectrum nothing might happen and editor's concerns will have been groundless. at another end, lots of people are shot and stabbed and editor's concerns are proven. i think it will be somewhere in the middle, that editor's concerns will have some foundation but that gangs may moderate their behaviour in their own self-interest - apart from anything else having cops continually sniffing about is inconvenient. this isn't about people becoming mates, at least not in the short term, but about them not wanting any more shit.
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Where I live they actively seek 'shit' mainly because there's fuck all to do. The facts are that young people have been beaten up, stabbed, shot and killed all around my estate because of this gang crap. I see no pressing concerns from them to moderate their behaviour and I fail to see any reason why the closing of a Jobcentre would contribute anything positive to this situation.

I believe it might make it worse - in fact the reason I mentioned it in the first place was because I was contacted by the managing director of a related agency who expressed his concerns based on first hand knowledge.
 
StoneRoad said:
And how do you "prove" that a call from the jc was, or wasn't made at the specified time to you (and how do you prove your ID ?). Our local JC can't even get my name & address right.
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A recent horrible conversation with the DWP included a tiresome person insisting that I had failed to prove I was me because, she said, I had failed to tell her my correct telephone number. Hell, it was the number I was calling from, and we eventually worked out that she was expecting some number that I had quite a while ago, but SOMEHOW, the DWP's shambolic record-keeping had to be my fault. aaarrrggghh.:(:mad:
 
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Celyn - Yep, I do that - "dept of stealth and total obscurity" - I've even used the term to one of the local senior managers when trying to sort out the situation when some ****t tried to dob in someone with learning difficulties that comes down to our workshop for a cuppa and a chat about railways. It was sorted, and the lad's file has a notation about it. (which saves the investigations branch wasting time and upsetting said lad).

e2a - shambolic record keeping is an understatement ! I'm sorry that you (and anyone else affected) has to put up with the clowns - and the constantly mobile goalposts.
 
Celyn said:
I think the DWP might think differently, that's all. I am not saying they are right, but I can see that they might occasionally need to see that a person exists.



Oh, that's all very true, definitely. But the DWP (which I still somehow have time-warps about and think of as the old "Department of Stealth & Total Obscurity"), is likely to take a different view.
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Fuck the DWP. I don't care for their views. They'll cut people off for the slightest of reasons.
I'm talking about what it should be like, not how it is.
 
editor said:
Where I live they actively seek 'shit' mainly because there's fuck all to do. The facts are that young people have been beaten up, stabbed, shot and killed all around my estate because of this gang crap. I see no pressing concerns from them to moderate their behaviour and I fail to see any reason why the closing of a Jobcentre would contribute anything positive to this situation.

I believe it might make it worse - in fact the reason I mentioned it in the first place was because I was contacted by the managing director of a related agency who expressed his concerns based on first hand knowledge.
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yeh, i acknowledge above it might make matters worse. but being as there's no information on changes in gang violence based on changes in travelling to the dole we'll have to wait and see which way the gangs decide to go.
 
The list of Offices to close includes "12 Stockwell Avenue" which is the back office where I think they deal with lost payments, interviews and training. The Job Centre main public office is at 422 Brixton Road, the building is linked through, in fact right through to 246 Stockwell Road, but its not necessarily all for the chop.
I was aware that there were surveyors appointed by the DWP negotiating renewal of the Leases for the Job Centre with Crown Properties / Golfrate in the later part of last year, not sure what became of that, although I know the Landlord was pushing for a lot more money.

There certainly isn't any planning for change of use for any part of that block at the moment. Hasn't been since the Landlord withdrew the Sui Generis change of use for the Mothercare shop in October 2014 which was probably to pressure Mothercare for a rent rise.

The DWP along with all public services are having to make severe cuts and savings - I think the Kennington office closed a while back - I had to sign on at Stockwell about 30 years ago, some of the clientele made it a frightening place to have to attend back then.
 
ricbake said:
The list of Offices to close includes "12 Stockwell Avenue" which is the back office where I think they deal with lost payments, interviews and training. The Job Centre main public office is at 422 Brixton Road, the building is linked through, in fact right through to 246 Stockwell Road, but its not necessarily all for the chop.
I was aware that there were surveyors appointed by the DWP negotiating renewal of the Leases for the Job Centre with Crown Properties / Golfrate in the later part of last year, not sure what became of that, although I know the Landlord was pushing for a lot more money.

There certainly isn't any planning for change of use for any part of that block at the moment. Hasn't been since the Landlord withdrew the Sui Generis change of use for the Mothercare shop in October 2014 which was probably to pressure Mothercare for a rent rise.

The DWP along with all public services are having to make severe cuts and savings - I think the Kennington office closed a while back - I had to sign on at Stockwell about 30 years ago, some of the clientele made it a frightening place to have to attend back then.
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Maybe they are negotiating with Antic. It would certainly give Brixton Road a lift to have a branch of their much cherished gastro pub (to add to the other Antic properties in Brixton).
kitchen-open2.jpg
As regards the use of the offices - I think the front bit is for people who are sick (which as we know is gradually being phased out). The back entrance is for the genuinely unemployed - and handy for Fitness First, so they stay fit and don't end up on the Brixton Road side.
 
That Job Center bar in Depford makes me want to vomit my guts up every time I walled past it.
Moving back on to Brixton, I'm sure the DWP will benefit from making it more difficult for people to sign-on. Further to travel, more chance of being late, more frequent excuses to Sanction people. It's shit.
 
Been chatting to someone who works in the Brixton jobcentre - it will be completely closed at the end of this year...
 
ricbake said:
Been chatting to someone who works in the Brixton jobcentre - it will be completely closed at the end of this year...
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Now that unemployment is down to 0.5% it's obviously surplus to requirements!
I'm not quite clear how they will sanction people though.
 
CH1 said:
Now that unemployment is down to 0.5% it's obviously surplus to requirements!
I'm not quite clear how they will sanction people though.
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The Daily Mirror list, which was published around October/November last year alleged it was all down to expiring PFI contracts.

I do gather however that the building in which the Job Centre is situated is having a clear-out and upgrade in the manner of the Network Rail arches.

The temporary shoe shop is closing down. I dare say other will also follow.

Wonder what the landlord will manage to conjure up as higher-paying tenants? Squire & Co has shown the way, but that seems to be down to an individual willing to think big and take a risk. Can't see the money seeking landlords of the Job Centre necessarily coming up trumps in the same way.
 
It's a big building owned by Golfrate - who also hold own the Fridge & Prince of Wales and probably lots else in Brixton.

The Job Centre have a big part of the building including the first floor; then there's Barnardos, MotherCare, Colombo South's, Phonox, Brixton Road Grill, Poundland, CEX, SW Game. Upstairs accessible from 246 Stockwell Road there are artist studios managed by ASC, I think at least 20 units.
DWP Job Centre are on their way out, Poundland have less than a year on their current Lease, it would make sense that Mothercare would have a renewal about the same time, probably Phonox too. By the look of the lack of investment in Barnardos it may be on a short term arrangement.
Maybe the Job Centre space could be given over to ASC for studios for a year while the rest becomes available for a major overhaul for a new retail/hotel development starting 2019.

Keep an eye on the planning applications.
 
editor said:
They've also got Bradys (Wahaca) and the old Grosvenor. They're utter cunts. Offshore, natch.

Thread here Anyone know anything about Golfrate?
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I put "Golfrate" into Google and the top entry was this:
Asif Aziz - Wikipedia
Is this the guy? Golfrate on companies house comes up with various Aziz's - but the arrangement is a bit nested in the manner of Antic:
GOLFRATE HOXTON LIMITED 08857686 - Incorporated on 23 January 2014
3rd Floor The Glass House, 177-187 Arthur Road, London, SW19 8AE
GOLFRATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED 09818449 - Incorporated on 9 October 2015 3rd Floor, The Glass House 177 - 187 Arthur Road, Wimbledon Park, London, England, SW19 8AE
GOLFRATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LTD Matching previous names:
GOLFRATE PROPERTIES MANAGEMENT · GOLFRATE TRADING 02637470 - Incorporated on 14 August 1991 The Glasshouse 3rd Floor,, 177-187 Arthur Rd, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8AE
GOLFRATE RESIDENTIAL LIMITED 09237933 - Dissolved on 8 March 2016
3rd Floor, The Glass House, 177-187 Arthur Road, London, England, SW19 8AE
GOLFRATE SERVICES LIMITED 07084870 - Incorporated on 24 November 2009
SRV DELSON, Amba House 2nd Floor Delson Suite, 15 College Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1BA

The Wiki entry is intriguing - presents the owner as a "philanthropist". Maybe one of those Wiki entries the subject has written themselves?
 
That looks like a different chap - the Aziz foundation founder was born 1967 in Malawi

Mr Asif Haroon Aziz
Criterion Capital Limited, Victory House (London) Hotel Limited, Trocadero (London) Hotel Limited, and 2 more are mutual companies.

Golfrate directors are 1945 and 1982

GOLFRATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LTD
Company number 02637470
GOLFRATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LTD (02637470)
AZIZ, Haroon Abdul
34 Alfreton Close, Wimbledon Parkside, London, SW19 5NS
Date of birth
December 1945
Appointed on
22 March 1999
AZIZ, Hussein Haroon
Correspondence address
The Glasshouse, 3rd Floor,, 177-187 Arthur Rd, Wimbledon, London, SW19 8AE
Role ACTIVE
Director
Date of birth
December 1982
Appointed on
1 July 2015
Nationality
British
Country of residence
United Kingdom
Occupation
General Manager
 
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