Heygate Estate redevelopment: just 79 social rented units out of a total 2,535 new homes

[Favelado]

Is Elephant posh now?

Not yet but....

 

[editor]

Interesting piece in the New Statesman:
Look to the Heygate Estate for what's wrong with London's housing

And look at these disgraceful stats:

• Price paid by Lend Lease for 22-acre Heygate Estate site: £55m
• Price paid for nearby Oakmayne/Tribeca Square 1.5-acre site: £40m
• Expected total cost to Southwark Council for evicting residents: £65.5m
• Previous estimate of cost to refurbish Heygate Estate to modern standard:£35m
• Expected profit from sales for Lend Lease: £194m
• Expected profit from sales for Southwark Council: £0
• Average compensation given to leaseholders of one bedroom flat: £95,480
• Average compensation given to leaseholders of four bedroom flats:£177,421
• Lowest price unit in new development (one bedroom flat): £310,000
• Number of social-rented units in Heygate Estate: 1,200
• Number of social-rented units in new development: 79

The Heygate Estate occupied a large site next to a major transport interchange in an inner London borough, and its residents had the temerity to remain poor while the land they lived on became more valuable. When people talk about the "social cleansing" of London, this is it. The classism and snobbery directed towards brutalism (but only when occupied by certain groups - see: the Barbican) compounded the Heygate Estate's fate. Read through the stories from former residents, archived on Heygate Was Home, for proof that it wasn't always considered a slum, or an eyesore, by the people who mattered.

We're losing London to the forces you can see at work at the Heygate. Regeneration schemes that push the existing community out to neo-banlieues and replacing them with white collar professionals and students living in inferior-quality buildings; councils pleased to turn a blind eye so they have higher rate payers within their boroughs; developers getting given land at a fraction of its true value on the promise of future profits that mysteriously never arrive; a revolving door between local authorities and regeneration consultancy and PR firms. The people affected by these phenomena are the last people to be given a say in, let alone be given control of, their lives. God forbid they should ever be given a way to choose how their city changes, too.

 

[Favelado]

Bastards.

 

[eatmorecheese]

Shafted.

 

[William of Walworth]

When I lived in the area (for 17 years) the Heygate was supposedly a really 'bad' estate. But IME, neither the Heygate not even (!) the Aylesbury were anywhere near as crimeridden or squalid as they were popularly supposed to be by non-estate locals or by people from outside SE17. But them I was lucky enough to be a council tenant myself then, in a nearby (separate) estate, and I knew enough to have a more balanced perspective.

The Heygate and Aylesbury architecture definitely weren't pretty to say the least, and the communal areas were dirty and neglected for sure (the flats themselves, and I visited one or two, were mainly fine inside though).

But there was nothing wrong with them that some proper resident focussed investment/refurbishment wouldn't have sorted out.

That 35 percent blog, referenced by the NS article, is excellent and tells you a lot more about all this than I can.

The last resident, Adian Glasspool, was evicted on Wednesday -- the disgraceful story is the most recent on the above blog.

 

[editor]

This sickens me to my stomach (re: the new development replacing the Heygate):

None of these 284 homes, currently priced between £350,000 and £1.1m, will be offered at a discount. Instead, Lend Lease has given Southwark £3.5m to spend on social housing elsewhere and will contribute to a new leisure centre.

A report by council officers said Lend Lease baulked at providing social units as this would require a second lobby and lift shaft to separate the two types of resident, adding: "Not doing so would have significant implications on the values of the private residential properties.”

 

[editor]

How about gates within gates for 'mixed' developments?
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/oct/22/unsocial-housing-gates-within-gates

 

[William of Walworth]

Dividing gates and barriers : Echoes of the infamous Cutteslowe Wall, from 1930's Oxford

 

[agricola]

This sickens me to my stomach (re: the new development replacing the Heygate):

Just think of all the people Southwark Council will be able to evict with that £3.5 million, though!

 

[Brixton Hatter]

The New Statesman article was interesting, particularly because it had a good set of figures attached, demonstrating the absolute fuck up/rip off perpetuated by Southwark Council.

Surely it is time to bring criminal charges against Southwark - blatant corruption here I reckon.

 

[ddraig]

but it would have to be 'proved' and they'll use the usual 'we consulted with local residents....'

is it that blatant that there is a chance of holding named individuals to account?
not having a go or expecting you to name them here just wondering aloud

 

[William of Walworth]

I feel like I need to read the various blogs that have been linked to in the NS article and on here -- in detail. They would almost certainly back up Brixton Hatter's point a lot ...

 

[ddraig]

no one is stopping you william, do as you feel
it would be great if you could uncover some direct links with what to do people with

 

[William of Walworth]

I doubt I or anyone would find enough to nail anyone specifically on corruption to be honest. I more meant material to back up the case that Southwark Council have been hugely incompetent, have hugely fucked up, have hugely done over the locals more generally.

 

[ddraig]

I doubt I or anyone would find enough to nail anyone specifically on corruption to be honest. I more meant material to back up the case that Southwark Council have been hugely incompetent, have hugely fucked up, have hugely done over the locals more generally.

that is obvious to us all and probably even them
that is why they have teams of lawyers etc
burden of proof
what does "they would almost certainly back up Brixton Hatter's point a lot..." actually mean then? the point we already know or that there is "blatant corruption" which you've just acknowledged would be difficult to prove in your very next post

 

[William of Walworth]

Can't be arsed with this. I've already conceded your point.

 

[ddraig]

suit yourself!

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/12/heygate-pyramid-london-estate-evicted-condemn-artwork

There's a proposal to turn one of the blocks into a public artwork.

 

[eatmorecheese]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/12/heygate-pyramid-london-estate-evicted-condemn-artwork

There's a proposal to turn one of the blocks into a public artwork.

Wow, a pyramid. They are taking the piss. Maybe it's a symbol marking the death of a community.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Wow, a pyramid. They are taking the piss. Maybe it's a symbol marking the death of a community.

More likely a symbol marking the vainglory of Southwark fucking council, the shitcunts!

 

[agricola]

More likely a symbol marking the vainglory of Southwark fucking council, the shitcunts!

ziggurtwats, surely?

 

[ViolentPanda]

ziggurtwats, surely?

Well done!

 

[Dogsauce]

Who the fuck do these councillors/planners actually serve? It's not the people who elect and pay them, is it? This story is kind of symbolic of what's wrong with everything, one big stinking turd.

 

[William of Walworth]

As a one-time resident and tenant of theirs, I actually remember the time when Southwark Council got away with just being mildly corrupt and incompetent.

Because themadays, by contrast, Lambeth Council looked infinitely worse on all grounds.

No such distinction these days -- and probably very little then, in reality.

 

[ddraig]

Judge orders release of Heygate figures

Judge Nicholas Warren has ordered Lend Lease and Southwark Council to publish confidential financial figures relating to the £1.5bn regeneration of the Heygate Estate at Elephant & Castle, London. The developer must now disclose all projected figures for sales to private buyers and social housing groups, casting new light on why the council agreed to drop its demand for 35% affordable housing on the 2,500-home estate down to 25%. Homes for sale to private buyers on the new estate start from £310,000 for a one-bed flat.

Evening Standard, Page: 12

no link sorry

 

[editor]

This is great news. What has happened here is nothing short of criminal.

 

[Favelado]

This is great news. What has happened here is nothing short of criminal.

It's the perfect allegory for what's happening to London as a whole.

I hope one day this turns out to be provably criminal. As Hillsborough shows, these things happen slowly but plug away and there's a chance that one of these cunts might be made to pay.

 

[Dogsauce]

The reduction in 'social component' is happening everywhere - supposedly by renegotiating this it has allowed developers to recommence projects where the numbers wouldn't stack up due to falling property values. Given values haven't dropped in London then there's no reason to grant this concession in the capital. In some places developers have managed to agree no provision at all (Private Eye has highlighted several cases).

The redefining of 'affordable rent' to 80% of market rent is also a big pile of shit. Boris voters have a lot to answer for.

 

[editor]

Those slippery fuckers Barratt Homes managed to renegotiate their affordable housing commitment downwards on their Brixton Square development, which went on to make an absolute fucking mint for all concerned. G&Ts all round!

 

[Paulie]

Judge orders release of Heygate figures

no link sorry

Seems now that nothing will be released before the election which could go either way between Lab and LD. As Southwark stated the viability documents were too complex to viewed by the public or even their own planning officers, what will be released? Am glad the council are "broadly happy" with the decision they spent two years fighting against.

The electioneering round here is getting tiresome - more leaflets from Labour and the LDs (Tories have no hope) than Pizza flyers and all of them mired in negative campaigning which just reinforces the idea that they're all cunts. All eyes now also on the Aylesbury 're-generation'...

At least the successful Heygate appeal creates a lovely precedent for all the other displacements happening in London.

Did the Brixton Square viability docs ever get a public airing?