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Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents

BTW some of you who don't live on the estate have asked what you can do: There are 2 things at least this week, involving time rather than money, and one on Monday week (9th March).

PM for details if interested, I'll get back to you when possible. Busy at the moment letting others in this block know what happened at yesterday's emergency meeting and what's planned for the next 9 days. :)

Is there going to be a deputation to the Cabinet meeting on 9th March? I've just checked out the rules for this on Lambeth's website. I expect others know all this already but was a surprise to me that Lambeth now expect you to fill in a form, providing the names and addresses of 19 supporters (each of whom has to sign the form). Has to be submitted two full working days in advance of the meeting - in this case by pm on Thursday.

Here's a link to the page on the Lambeth website - includes a link to the request form.
 
Is there going to be a deputation to the Cabinet meeting on 9th March? I've just checked out the rules for this on Lambeth's website. I expect others know all this already but was a surprise to me that Lambeth now expect you to fill in a form, providing the names and addresses of 19 supporters (each of whom has to sign the form). Has to be submitted two full working days in advance of the meeting - in this case by pm on Thursday.

Here's a link to the page on the Lambeth website - includes a link to the request form.
Forgot to include the link - here it is
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/elections...ak-at-a-council-or-scrutiny-committee-meeting
 
Here's the BBuzz piece.

I'm not going to FoI this one. The data is already included in the Cabinet report [pdf] for March.

Looking at the PDF Cabinet report. Its clear that refurbishing and keeping the estate was never an option the Council would support. So why did they put the residents of the estate through all this time wasting consultation?


The Council also does not consider any pure refurbishment option to be in accordance with the Council policy to review its estates and identify locations for delivering more homes
at Council rent levels. Cressingham Gardens has been included in the estates regeneration
programme, as set out in the Cabinet Paper of December 2014, because there is an
opportunity to deliver new homes.

page 12 of report

This is despite the consultants hired by Council "Social Life" to see what residents wanted finding that majority wanted refurbishment of existing estate. (page 18 of report)

Interesting the report looks at "risks" (pages 18 and 19)

That is risks to Council not residents.

Report says a project team is in place and a "risk register" will be kept. Sounds more like wartime planning.

"risks" are:

  • residents do not engage and oppose plans
  • residents do not validate ( agree with) data on regeneration. demolition and new build are based
  • residents take legal action to stop demolition options, refuse to vacate homes

All sound like good ideas to me:thumbs:

The "Risk Register" to be kept as this project is forced on people just goes to show that the Council know the decision to "regenerate" the estate is unpopular.

Its also confrontational of Council to do this. Its not the residents that are the problem here. Despite what the Council "Risk Register" says.

It sound Orwellian to me. Like something out of 1984.
 
I've had a look back right through this thread, but can't find any link to the council's proposals themselves. Nor can I find them on Lambeth's website.

Can anybody point me in the right direction please?
 
I've had a look back right through this thread, but can't find any link to the council's proposals themselves. Nor can I find them on Lambeth's website.

Can anybody point me in the right direction please?
It's more a question of what's been ruled out at the moment. Of the original so called Options, 1 to 3 have been ruled out which means the cabinet will decide on 4 or 5 (partial or complete demolition) later in the year. That is my understanding as a non-resident following events.
 
It's more a question of what's been ruled out at the moment. Of the original so called Options, 1 to 3 have been ruled out which means the cabinet will decide on 4 or 5 (partial or complete demolition) later in the year. That is my understanding as a non-resident following events.

Thanks. But are either of these options available to look at anywhere online (or even physically)?
 
For some reason i can't see them on this pc. Just a blank comment box. Thanks though - will try on another machine later.
 
Thank you - appreciated.

5.5 Looking forwards, a Cabinet paper will be presented in May 2015, which sets out the detailed business case and strategy for taking forwards regeneration of Cressingham Gardens. In the intervening period, the Council plans to present to residents the conclusions set out in this Cabinet paper and then to seek a test of opinion from residents concerning their personal views of the prospects for regeneration and their personal aspirations for the outcome of regeneration, as well as testing their views on the offers made to them (as per those attached to this Cabinet paper).

http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/doc...ack Monday 09-Mar-2015 19.00 Cabinet.pdf?T=10

CABINET Date: Monday 9 March 2015 Time: 7.00 pm Venue: Room 8, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW
 
5.5 Looking forwards, a Cabinet paper will be presented in May 2015, which sets out the detailed business case and strategy for taking forwards regeneration of Cressingham Gardens. In the intervening period, the Council plans to present to residents the conclusions set out in this Cabinet paper and then to seek a test of opinion from residents concerning their personal views of the prospects for regeneration and their personal aspirations for the outcome of regeneration, as well as testing their views on the offers made to them (as per those attached to this Cabinet paper).

http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/documents/g8963/Public reports pack Monday 09-Mar-2015 19.00 Cabinet.pdf?T=10

CABINET Date: Monday 9 March 2015 Time: 7.00 pm Venue: Room 8, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW
Has anyone else noticed that the Cabinet report is strangely shy about the number of the new homes that will be "let at Council rent levels"?

One of the arguments used to justify Options Four and Five is that they will provide new affordable homes to meet housing need in the borough - this is in the introduction to the report.

However, when you go to the paragraphs in the main body of the report on Options Four and Five, these only give figures for the total number of new homes that will be provided - but nothing on the break down between affordable rented and market housing

I can't see anything in the report that would rule out most of the new homes being sold as market housing.

Take Option Five. The report says there will be 464 "new homes" (replacing 306). Lambeth have said existing Council tenants have the right to move to another rented home on the estate. As there are 185 Council tenants now that means 185 homes for rent at Council rent levels. But what about the other 279?

Most of these could end up as market housing for sale - no doubt justified in terms of "viability".

So much for the argument that Cressingham has to be demolished to help meet housing need in Lambeth. Could be a useful point to argue with local Councillors.
 
Has anyone else noticed that the Cabinet report is strangely shy about the number of the new homes that will be "let at Council rent levels"?

<snip>

Take Option Five. The report says there will be 464 "new homes" (replacing 306). Lambeth have said existing Council tenants have the right to move to another rented home on the estate. As there are 185 Council tenants now that means 185 homes for rent at Council rent levels. But what about the other 279?

Most of these could end up as market housing for sale - no doubt justified in terms of "viability".

So much for the argument that Cressingham has to be demolished to help meet housing need in Lambeth. Could be a useful point to argue with local Councillors.

From 5 | Full redevelopment
"The Council believes there are opportunities to increase the number of new homes through good design and that this increase will improve
the viability of the option which in turn means more additional, new homes at Council rent levels."

I read that to mean 'there is scope to sell as many new houses as we like to bring us out of debt'.

Therefore I agree with your assessment of the council's intentions.
 
I've set the wheels in motion - let's hope we get a great response:
Brixton bands, artists and businesses: the people of Cressingham Gardens need your support NOW

Please share/retweet at will, and if you know any well known acts/performers/comedians who may want to get involved, please forward the article to them.

Funding collection page up and running... and first early donations in... http://www.gofundme.com/savecressingham
Incredible to be getting support from the wider community! thankyou !!!
 
<snip>Incredible to be getting support from the wider community! thankyou !!!
It's easy to forget how many people support social housing as a principle, and would prefer more estates to be on a relatively human scale like this one.

Well done getting that site up and running, I know that you and others have been extremely busy this week.
 
From 5 | Full redevelopment
"The Council believes there are opportunities to increase the number of new homes through good design and that this increase will improve
the viability of the option which in turn means more additional, new homes at Council rent levels."

I read that to mean 'there is scope to sell as many new houses as we like to bring us out of debt'.

Therefore I agree with your assessment of the council's intentions.

It has just occurred to me that, given the council's proposals for phased construction and decant, they'll be able to efficiently segregate council tenants from home-buyers purely by virtue of the phasing.
 
Good banners on the railings! May be worth putting some A4 quick summaries of situation and what people can do next to them as I saw lots of people stopping and looking, and reading notice boards about flower meadows to try and figure out what was going on
 
Good banners on the railings! May be worth putting some A4 quick summaries of situation and what people can do next to them as I saw lots of people stopping and looking, and reading notice boards about flower meadows to try and figure out what was going on[/QUOTE

Good idea. I don't live on the estate, only found out about the Council's plans when I noticed the banner on the side of one of the blocks but was difficult to find out more. I think would be good to make some A4 posters of Option Five to give the joggers and the dog walkers an idea of what the Council wants to do.
 
Good banners on the railings! May be worth putting some A4 quick summaries of situation and what people can do next to them as I saw lots of people stopping and looking, and reading notice boards about flower meadows to try and figure out what was going on
I'll try to pass that on - thanks for the feedback. :)
 
I'm still beavering away at the benefit. I'm looking for a date in April and we may be doing two shows - a band/DJ one and a comedy show. I'll post up more as soon as the bill formulates.

A bit of comedy would be great especially if it was topical & political.
 
Good banners on the railings! May be worth putting some A4 quick summaries of situation and what people can do next to them as I saw lots of people stopping and looking, and reading notice boards about flower meadows to try and figure out what was going on

I've just ordered 100 A4 lamination pouches and a hot laminator, so that exactly that can be done. :)

Interestingly, some industrious worker from the local housing office has (very poorly) attached notices to the railings about "Garages for rent on Cressingham Gardens". I'm going to ask my comrades-in-arms whether perhaps a bit of "subvertising" is in order. ;)
 
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