Coldharbour Lane, Brixton - news and updates
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CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
They've obviously obeyed the letter of the law then.
I notice that Agnieszka Nowak (Senior Planner – Major Applications) at Lambeth helpfully told the applicant in the council's written advice, that although the council requires 40% affordable units (without public subsidy), the applicant can get round that with a suitable (and confidential) "viability assessment".
In the plans as submitted there are 19 "affordable" and 52 open market units - making 26% affordable.
editor
hiraethified
I've lost all faith in the planning process anyway. The 'consultation' for the development at the Canterbury Arms was just a pointless PR exercise and as soon as it was inevitably rubber stamped by the ever willing council, the developers sneakily added extra apartments and hogged more space to make more money for themselves.
Was anyone consulted about this? Like fuck.
Was anyone consulted about this? Like fuck.
editor
hiraethified
I see that Jerry Knight - the multi millionaire who appears to give absolutely nothing back to the community he's made his money from, and the man fast gaining a reputation for squirming out of any affordable housing obligations - has posted up his latest planning application.
There's an interesting first objection too:
There's an interesting first objection too:
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
Maybe they'll knock them through and give us that Waitrose they keep promising us
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
When I walked past about 6.50pm they seemed to be collecting samples and there was an overturned scooter on the pavement.
The taped off area now confined to Barrington Road.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I was wondering if it was a road accident, but if you say things were going on at 10 am??
Maybe there might be some more Arches for redevelopment - there are about 15 arches here all rented by Indexglen Ltd and sublet to repairers and motorcycle couriers.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
And a sniffer dog.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Its amazes me that some posters here cannot see this as an issue.
Its an insult to be told one can go elsewhere for affordable places instead.
Why should I have to go further to get my hair cut? Why is it that people who cannot afford these new expensive places are just supposed to put up with it without complaining?
What Im against is new expensive places displacing affordable ones.
George the barber had a loyal group of customers from the local estates among other places.
I object to this row of shops being gentrified. They were always an affordable row of shops before.
madolesance
Well-Known Member
"George the barber had a loyal group of customers from the local estates among other places".
Maybe George just wanted to retire? Move away from the area. His nephew has a cafe in Tulse Hill. Some people here may know it's 'Electric' kitchen. I get a felling from lots of conversations some off these old timers just want retire and have no one to take over their business's. Fair play to them, they have worked hard all their lives, in difficult areas. Probably tried to provide a better life for their kids and now just want to maybe go back to were they came from.
I hope George has a great and long retirement enjoying every minute of it.
Someone else will be along to take his place as he probably took some others.
Maybe George just wanted to retire? Move away from the area. His nephew has a cafe in Tulse Hill. Some people here may know it's 'Electric' kitchen. I get a felling from lots of conversations some off these old timers just want retire and have no one to take over their business's. Fair play to them, they have worked hard all their lives, in difficult areas. Probably tried to provide a better life for their kids and now just want to maybe go back to were they came from.
I hope George has a great and long retirement enjoying every minute of it.
Someone else will be along to take his place as he probably took some others.
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madolesance
Well-Known Member
Do you know who owns this 'row of shops'?
editor
hiraethified
I doubt if he tripled the prices of his predecessor when he first moved in though, but he certainly deserves his retirement.
Rushy
basically a scrotum
There was a similar conversation when the shrub and shutter moved in. It turned out that the displaced occupant was in fact the owner of the building. Until he died. His relatives decided to let it to the shrub.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
AFAIK George's hairdresser's shop was owned by the owner of Gresham Cafe next door.
I was told a few years ago that George "could not afford to retire" because he had a fixed rent deal that was extremely good value.
The person who told me this was Smaragit Roy, who still owns the building containing Morleys Fried Chicken (and flats above), and whose wife ran the Post Office there until it was closed by the Post Office and she redeployed to Clapham.
So I think the long answer is this:
1. George was coming up to retirement age, and as it happens his lease expired at the same time. It would no doubt have been renewed at a much higher rent - had he decided to continue working rather than drawing the Old Age Pension.
2. Even Gresham Cafe are not immune to market forces (as you can see) and just like all commercial property owners seek to maximise their rent incoming - including closing their own marginally profitable cafe for redevelopment.
3. Even Dr & Mrs Roy - sub Post Masters - have become rentiers, and the Morleys franchise is I think the third iteration of an A2 restaurant/A3 takeaway in their former Post Office. There was before a classy Chinese restaurant, which failed due to no custom. Maybe if it had launched now it would have been OK. I'm pretty sure this Morleys franchisee is actually the second one in the shop - it had a major refit a couple of years ago if people recall.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
That is spin. I you recall you actually supplied the information about ownership of the premises at the earliest stage - before the Shrub opened it's Shutters.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
He did retire.
Not the point I was making.
The point is that this row of shops was affordable. Now its gradually going.
This is happening all over London now.
George did not own the shop.
If someone like George came to London now he would find it really difficult to set up a small business the way London is going. A small business that caters for those on low to average incomes.
My other point is that there are posters here who aren’t bothered by all this.
editor
hiraethified
I think some positively celebrate what's going on.
After all, if you own your own property you're sitting pretty, if you're a landlord you're raking it in, and if you've got tons of disposable cash (and some here sure seem to have that), you're free to go out to all these upmarket new restaurants and cocktails bars several times a week and then go on about how wonderful it was.
I honestly believe some really have no idea what it's like for many people living in this borough. They're like the girl in Pulp's Common People.
Brixton has turned into a two tier society of have and have nots, and as the shops and rented properties catering to the less well off continue to disappear and the luxury builds and posh restaurants take their place, that gulf is increasing. And some here don't appear to give a flying fuck.
But hey, it's doing wonders for their house prices! Cocktails at the Shrub, anyone?
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
I don't see it as conspiritorial (wrt that terrace of shops).
Looks at the history:
Angell pub - not making a profit by 2004 and family who owned it wanted to cash in.
South London Hi Fi - owned by the same family as the Angell. Their engineer went solo and took over their Brixton Hill shop. Ricky out of his depth running both the hifi shop & the pub. More often to be found in the betting shop than his own shop.
George Fell electrical - involved in major legal dispute with the council over council tax. They seized his stock. He was well ovder 70 anyway so sold the shop to a developer and retired.
George the hairdresser we have dealt with.
Larry's record shop - later a shebeen when the bottom dropped out of vinyl. Poor chap died, so his daughters took what tenants they could get.
Gresham Tool Hire - again the owner retired. Not sure of the status of Brixton Cake shop and the alleged online vibrator shop to the rear. Maybe tenants of the original Gresham guy, maybe he sold to a "buy to let" rentier? But at least the premises is used - andserving the local community.
Dan Davies chemist - sold out to someone who wanted the pharmacy license for Brixton Hill. Now we are left with party shop number 3 in the parade. Still serving locals though.
Lamebth Mini Mart - has been a fixture for at least 30 years.
Rasta Mini Mart that no-one ever seems to go inside - this was originally a newsagent - when supermarket were not allowed to sell newspapers. Obviously they have lost out to the supermarkets, and maybe still serve the community?
Post Office/Morleys - dealt with before
Looking at it in historical context, much of the change is caused by people retiring or moving on.
The ultimate fate of the Angell is that it became Lexadon Housing plus a pizza place. Obviously much more intensively used now - though cannot comment on the price or excellence of the Pizzas, but looks medium priced rather than premium?
I just feel there is too much negativity - mainly on the basis of a ladies hairdresser opening up (and the Shrub and Shutter of course).
editor
hiraethified
I don't think it's conspiratorial at all, but one thing is for sure: many of the new shops on that strip will soon be targeting the affluent nu-Brixton types ambling down from the village at the expense of those on lower incomes across the road.
I do worry about how long the lively nights at the African restaurant will last once they find themselves living in the shadow of the new gated upmarket blocks being built soon (I'm sure Lambeth will have already rubber stamped the development despite the adverse effect on the artists working in the arches).
T & P
|-o-| (-o-) |-o-|
I agree that someone like George would be likely to struggle much more as a start up today, but I do not think we will ever reach a point where shops offering essentials will simply disappear. If there is demand for cheap products, a business will always be around to provide it.
Indeed, it is probably true to say that since the credit crunch hit us some eight years ago, businesses offering cheap groceries and essentials have flourished, even if they are more likely to be run by bigger companies than by single individuals. There are always going to be local shops offering cheap groceries, booze, homewares and other essentials to those who need or want them. At worst, there might not be as many as there might have been ten or twenty years ago, but there will always be some within very easy reach so long as there is demand for it.
Attending to your hair is not something one needs to do more than once a month or so, and having to walk an extra few minutes once every few weeks to an alternative cheap barber is not a particularly daunting proposition; not anymore than walking comparable distances to buy countless other essentials and services not offered by the other shops on that particular parade.
CH1
"Red Guard"(NLYL)
Maybe we need a Polish barber?
I honestly don't get the attitude of some people. There's no symmetry.
Camp 1. Posters who do not work (through choice or otherwise). Therefore reduced income = little disposable income
Camp 2. Posters who work. Therefore higher income = more disposable income
That's all well and good. However, it seems fair game for Camp 1 to criticise Camp 2 for spending their disposable income. This includes cocktail bars.
If Camp 2 were to criticise Camp 1 for not doing the same there'd be uproar
Camp 1. Posters who do not work (through choice or otherwise). Therefore reduced income = little disposable income
Camp 2. Posters who work. Therefore higher income = more disposable income
That's all well and good. However, it seems fair game for Camp 1 to criticise Camp 2 for spending their disposable income. This includes cocktail bars.
If Camp 2 were to criticise Camp 1 for not doing the same there'd be uproar
Yeah, it's bad for someone to have to walk a bit more for a cheap haircut but it's not good that anyone wanting a more expensive haircut now has less far to walk.
