Carlton Mansions co-op, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton - history and news

[shifting gears]

What are you proposing doing to hold them to account?

Open to suggestions, but I think clearly documenting and publicising as widely as possible their individual and collective actions, voting record, neglect of ward duties etc would be a decent start.

 

[editor]

Open to suggestions, but I think clearly documenting and publicising as widely as possible their individual and collective actions, voting record, neglect of ward duties etc would be a decent start.

A thread here could be a start with posters just documenting their unanswered emails.

 

[TopCat]

What about picketing their homes? Direct actions against their cars? Following them home and endlessly yelling abuse? Late night phone calls to discuss the issues?

 

[TruXta]

What about picketing their homes? Direct actions against their cars? Following them home and endlessly yelling abuse? Late night phone calls to discuss the issues?

I vote for spiking their tea.

 

[critical1]

neglect of ward duties etc would be a decent start.

I would concur with the above on Loughborough, I have it on good authority that Loughborough went to the Local Cllr who sat on URH board and did not declare an interest until she was discovered sometime afterwards to be sitting on Loughborough's board and URH board... Well Cllr Heywood was given privileged information and never once replied in fact was in collusion with URH begs one to question who she represents! who would you complain to regarding NEGLECT of WARD DUTIES.

Just look at Guinness Trust Somerlayton Road same story there..

Critical1

 

[Winot]

I took part in the campaign so saw that a wide range of people supported the market traders.

But what was the sample sIze of the people you came into contact with? Assessing public opinion is tricky - even professional opinion polls are flawed. I would be wary of anyone who saya that they know what the 'community' thinks.

(We are in agreement about Lambeth's failures though).

 

[TruXta]

But what was the sample sIze of the people you came into contact with? Assessing public opinion is tricky - even professional opinion polls are flawed. I would be wary of anyone who saya that they know what the 'community' thinks.

(We are in agreement about Lambeth's failures though).

What alternative procedure would you suggest for assessing the public opinion?

 

[Winot]

What alternative procedure would you suggest for assessing the public opinion?

I don't think there's an easy answer.

 

[editor]

What alternative procedure would you suggest for assessing the public opinion?

Ask Brixton Green. They know everything.

 

[nagapie]

Ruth Ling is the only one who always gets back to me, the others = nothing. But tbh it's hardly worth it as she just spouts the party line.

 

[ViolentPanda]

What about picketing their homes? Direct actions against their cars? Following them home and endlessly yelling abuse? Late night phone calls to discuss the issues?

The idea of toting up the number of hours they put into official council business and then seeing if it is worth the comfortable "allowances" they pay themselves might be amusing.

I mean, I'm sure councillors do a lot of council work for the local community "off the clock", so to speak, but that's not really a plausible reason for taking the wedge with such alacrity. Lots of people do a lot of work for their community for no recompense whatsoever. I believe it used to be called "being civic-minded" before these jokers started deciding they were worth 5 figures worth of public money each just for representing a ward.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Ruth Ling is the only one who always gets back to me, the others = nothing. But tbh it's hardly worth it as she just spouts the party line.

In the last 10 years or so, that's all I've ever seen or heard any of the Labour councillors do. They're so shit-scared to go "off message" their arses squeak.

 

[Gramsci]

But what was the sample sIze of the people you came into contact with? Assessing public opinion is tricky - even professional opinion polls are flawed. I would be wary of anyone who saya that they know what the 'community' thinks.

(We are in agreement about Lambeth's failures though).

Lambeth were never able to show that people wanted the market traders to lose their car park for a temporary ice rink.

What do you suggest should be a way to decide these planning issues?

Those who opposed it did the best they could with little resources. As against Lambeth who have a lot of resources.

To answer your question a pretty good sample. Including going out on the street and giving people the info on it so they could oppose it if they wanted. All I spoke to did not think Tescos should get there way at expense of the market traders car park.

 

[leanderman]

To answer your question a pretty good sample. Including going out on the street and giving people the info on it so they could oppose it if they wanted. All I spoke to did not think Tescos should get there way at expense of the market traders car park.

I am not sure this is an especially scientific approach!

I'd take another case, close to my street: the issue of the new Sainsbury in Water Lane.

Judged by the posts on Urban, on Brixtonblog, Twitter and the Chukka public meeting, you'd believe community feeling was near universally opposed.

Yet, a neutral email to everyone in my street revealed a small majority in favour.

Which suggests that community opinion is not easy to pin down.

 

[Gramsci]

I am not sure this is an especially scientific approach!

I'd take another case, close to my street: the issue of the new Sainsbury in Water Lane.

Judged by the posts on Urban, on Brixtonblog, Twitter and the Chukka public meeting, you'd believe community feeling was near universally opposed.

Yet, a neutral email to everyone in my street revealed a small majority in favour.

Which suggests that community opinion is not easy to pin down.

Politics is not a science.

I suggest you get all those in favour to email Chuka to say they want it. So he can hear the silent majority.

If people attend or voice there opinions in 4 different forums against then they are exercising there right to be heard.

 

[Winot]

Politics is not a science.

I suggest you get all those in favour to email Chuka to say they want it. So he can hear the silent majority.

If people attend or voice there opinions in 4 different forums against then they are exercising there right to be heard.

Perhaps the silent majority voted in local elections and have left these individual decisions to Councillors to decide.

 

[Gramsci]

Perhaps the silent majority voted in local elections and have left these individual decisions to Councillors to decide.

But Cllrs need to know what peoples opinions are on issues as they come along.

People either vote or not. That they vote does not mean they are going to be silent the rest of the time.

 

[Gramsci]

Just been looking up Devonshires solicitors (the ones used by Lambeth) on google.

They have amazingly good google pages. No criticism to be found. Someone told me that this is unusual on google.

They have plush offices in the City.

here is profile in Inside Housing

Company Profile
Devonshires is proud to sponsor the UKHA’s 2011 ‘Excellence in Housing Finance and Development’ Award as part of our ongoing commitment to the social housing sector.
Devonshires is a leading provider of legal services with a successful track record of advising the social housing sector for over 30 years. Two thirds of our clients are made up of not-for profit organisations including local authorities, housing associations, and charities and we act for over 200 Registered Providers based throughout the UK.
We use a down-to-earth approach to deliver practical advice and aim to build strong long lasting client relationships through a thorough understanding of your needs, speed of response, a high quality innovative service and value for money.

 

[CH1]

Just been looking up Devonshires solicitors (the ones used by Lambeth) on google. They have plush offices in the City.

Last year I had to go to Devonshires office in Finsbury Circus (next to First Bank of Nigeria). A good friend of mine was in an Employment Tribunal case & Devonshires were representing his employer (a housing association).
Devonshires were pissing about with not serving papers on time etc. (a bit like the CM case) - which is why my mate got me to take his papers to their office personally & get a receipt.
The receptionist made me a nice cup of coffee while I waited for their solicitor to appear & there was a choice of the Ft or the Estates Gazette to read as I recall.
Happy to report my friend was able to secure reasonable settlement.

 

[equationgirl]

Just been looking up Devonshires solicitors (the ones used by Lambeth) on google.

They have amazingly good google pages. No criticism to be found. Someone told me that this is unusual on google.

They have plush offices in the City.

here is profile in Inside Housing

Advising the social housing sector how to screw people over, more like.

 

[Casaubon]

Advising the social housing sector how to screw people over, more like.

Devonshires don't just advise, they earn their money by acting as legal pitbulls for Lambeth and other 'social' landlords.
They pursue legal cases very aggressively, ruthlessly and heartlessly.
I'd love to post my whole opinion of Devonshires, but I fear that might cause problems for U75.

Devonshires certainly don't command my respect, but I'd have to say that they frighten me. For all their unpleasantness, they are very good at what they do.
As we’ve seen, they can be imaginative in their choice of legal instrument, and their aggression has left me stunned on a few occasions.
To have any chance at all of beating Devonshires you need a legal team that’s expert in the area, and can stand up to their expert and overbearing barristers and QCs.
(And, when you think you’ve won a clear legal and moral victory, you only get a couple of weeks to relax before they come up with some new way of trying to throw you out of your home.)

Bunch of total, absolute ****s.

 

[free spirit]

*adds Devonshires to the list CTR*


*removes secretary from the list for making nice coffee*

 

[Tricky Skills]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

Started reading Lambeth's reply and became overcome with the urge to bang my head on the wall.

 

[editor]

G

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

Good find. I'll publish that on Brixton Buzz tomorrow so others can share Lambeth's 'vision'.

 

[Gramsci]

Devonshires certainly don't command my respect, but I'd have to say that they frighten me. For all their unpleasantness, they are very good at what they do.

This is what everyone says about them.

They did really frighten people in the Coop.

But I blame the Labour Council for using them. The Cllrs have been told. So they cannot say they did not know.

 

[Gramsci]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

Thanks for this.

(5) The Cooperative Council is about changing the relationship the
council has with local residents. This means that staff will need to learn
and develop new ways of working with local people.


(6) As described above, becoming a Cooperative Council will mean changes
for the way all staff, including managers, work, putting local people at
the heart of all we do.


(7) Councillors have a key role to play in the Cooperative Council,
building relationships with the community, helping to identify people who
can help make a difference, and making connections between them. They will
also ensure that the council is living up to its Cooperative ambitions.

How do Devonshires fit into this?

Is frightening people a "new way of working with local people"?

"putting local people at the heart of all we do" Well they are putting there heart into getting me out.

 

[Gramsci]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

This was followed by the Cooperative Council Commission, which engaged
with a large number of local residents, businesses and stakeholders to
develop an approach for making the change to a Cooperative Council. The
Commission published its report with recommendations in 2011.

I put in a written submission to the Commission. Never found out what happened to it or whether it was read.

 

[Gramsci]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

(13) The transition to Cooperative Council is core to the council’s aims,
rather than a specific project, and therefore expenditure is embedded in
all the council’s activities.

?

What does this mean? How does this work in practise?

 

[Gramsci]

Here are the principles of a Co-operative Council, as explained in a helpful FoI request.

(10) Openness, transparency and accountability are key principles of
cooperative working. The council will endeavour to ensure that it is
behaving in accordance with these principles, to ensure that local people
have the information they need to help work out how to improve the
borough.

One for Somerleyton road project and BG thread.