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

Excellent letter which the Brockwell Park Community Partners have just sent to Lambeth Council setting out their concern about the impact the Cressingham Gardens scheme could have on Brockwell Park. Hard to see how Lambeth could come up with a scheme for Cressingham which would be acceptable to the Community Partners.
http://brockwellparkcommunitypartne...ngham-gardens-estate-vista-must-be-preserved/

Matthew Bennett will be stamping his petulant feet at that. :cool:
 
Interesting story here from today's Observer, suggesting that local councils could be forced to sell of new homes created as part of estate regeneration schemes in order to finance the extension of the right to buy to housing association tenants. Article picks up concerns from lB Islington that they could be forced to sell off new flats around Kings Cross. Occurred to me that this could be the nail in the coffin for Lambeth's Cressingham Gardens regeneration scheme - if Government policies in relation to the right to buy mean that ALL the new homes at Cressingham have to be sold on the market, then this undermines one of the key arguments used by politicians to justify the scheme, i.e. that it will provide affordable homes.


http://www.theguardian.com/society/...il-caledonian-road-speculators-sell-off#img-1
 
http://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=40201&PlanId=594

Another big milestone coming up! Picked this up from Lambeth's Forward Plan - Cressingham is scheduled to be on the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on 13th July. Agenda will be published on 3rd July so we'll know what the recommendation is then.

Meant to add that the Friends of Brockwell Park, the Brockwell Park Community Partners, the Herne Hill Society and the Brixton Society have got together on the issue of Cressingham and its impact on the park, have prepared a joint statement highlighting their concerns and will be requesting a deputation to Cabinet on 13th July.
 
The consultation is still under judicial review, so AFAIK nothing is certain.
I spoke to David Rose, in Lambeth's committee services team, earlier this morning. He said that the report on the six Lambeth estates (including Cressingham) is still scheduled to go to Cabinet on 13th July. It could get pulled at the last moment, of course, but seems unlikely to me. As I said in previous email, the agenda is due to be published on Lambeth's website on 3rd July, so we'll know then for certain.
 
I spoke to David Rose, in Lambeth's committee services team, earlier this morning. He said that the report on the six Lambeth estates (including Cressingham) is still scheduled to go to Cabinet on 13th July. It could get pulled at the last moment, of course, but seems unlikely to me. As I said in previous email, the agenda is due to be published on Lambeth's website on 3rd July, so we'll know then for certain.
So the decision of the judicial review, querying the validity of the consultation, on which some of the findings are based, won't be taken into account? Oh well, this is Lambeth. :rolleyes::facepalm::mad:
 
So the decision of the judicial review, querying the validity of the consultation, on which some of the findings are based, won't be taken into account? Oh well, this is Lambeth. :rolleyes::facepalm::mad:
I'm no expert on these things. However, if the judicial review is raising questions about the validity of the decision taken by Cabinet in March of this year, then I'd have thought Lambeth should be waiting for the outcome before they take any further decisions about Cressingham. If that's right, then the report to Cabinet next month ought to be pulled. Maybe Leigh Day, the solicitors acting for the resident taking out the JR, could be asked to advise on this?
 
Interesting story here from today's Observer, suggesting that local councils could be forced to sell of new homes created as part of estate regeneration schemes in order to finance the extension of the right to buy to housing association tenants. Article picks up concerns from lB Islington that they could be forced to sell off new flats around Kings Cross. Occurred to me that this could be the nail in the coffin for Lambeth's Cressingham Gardens regeneration scheme - if Government policies in relation to the right to buy mean that ALL the new homes at Cressingham have to be sold on the market, then this undermines one of the key arguments used by politicians to justify the scheme, i.e. that it will provide affordable homes.


http://www.theguardian.com/society/...il-caledonian-road-speculators-sell-off#img-1

This surprises me a lot. In construction circles the "people's Republic of Islington" is legendary in the extent of its demands if you wish to build there. Their design standards are beyond those recently abandoned to reduce build costs, and they seem to make it up as they go along.

Islington wheelchair units are large enough to turn a battleship, ceilings are high enough for a double decker, and they only recognise social rent (as opposed to affordable).

The difficulty comes as values there are so ludicrously high that even as a percentage of market rents ordinary people can't afford them.

Example: 1 bed shared ownership flats 600k; 25% share, £150k mortgage plus rent of 3% of remainder. You need £15k deposit plus the ability to service about £1,800/month plus service charge. Probably £2k/month. Not affordable in my world.
 
This is very bad news. Almost like now the general election is over the council feel emboldened to do as they like.

Not to be arrogant, but they'll probably regret their triumphalism. The fight has barely begun,and we've got a few tasty weapons in the armoury even if we disregard the Judicial Review into the "consultation".
 
Hello Matthew Bennet and other members of Lambeth council. I know that you or at least your minions read this forum and maybe this thread on a regular basis, so here's a short Sunday morning playlist:

 
Is there a general fighting fund that people can contribute to?

(Times like these I wished I could win the lottery and give half my win away to fighting councils like Lambeth and the private money/property wankers).
 
Is there a general fighting fund that people can contribute to?

(Times like these I wished I could win the lottery and give half my win away to fighting councils like Lambeth and the private money/property wankers).
Yes, thank you, and I wish I could win the lottery and do that too. Because there are other places under threat as well, not just in this borough.
 
For anyone wanting to attend the "full cabinet meeting" on 13th July and speak (whether you're pro or anti regeneration), then contact the "Democratic Services" dept on 0207 926 2170 or e-mail: democracy@lambeth.gov.uk

Save Cressingham and other concerned individuals will be meeting outside the Town Hall at 6pm on the 13th for the 7pm cabinet meeting. Hopefully certain local protesters won't get the public gallery cleared this time, as that rather defeats the object of going there to give solidarity to our people, and the cold shoulder to the cabinet.
 
cressingham-gardens-protest-01.jpg


Buzz has given it a big plug:

Furious residents to protest against Lambeth’s decision to flatten Cressingham Gardens – Lambeth Town Hall, 6pm July 13th
 
Oh man - I was in Brixton Cycle Coop yesterday which remains as brilliant, reliable and friendly as ever. But all the lovely people there now seemed totally resigned to their fate of having to leave by September - with NO offer at all of a local alternative place to re-open. As with all the pubs that the b*stards can't be bothered to save from developers, this too will become luxury flats. The Coop strikes me as the very definition of 'community asset' - right next to the skate park where the kids all come and borrow tools to fix their bikes or skates - and learn all sorts of practical and life skills. It makes me so sad and angry - I signed the petition but still feel sad and angry, and defeated. Ach! Fuck those fuckers!
 
Oh man - I was in Brixton Cycle Coop yesterday which remains as brilliant, reliable and friendly as ever. But all the lovely people there now seemed totally resigned to their fate of having to leave by September <snip> the very definition of 'community asset' - right next to the skate park where the kids all come and borrow tools to fix their bikes or skates - and learn all sorts of practical and life skills. It makes me so sad and angry - I signed the petition but still feel sad and angry, and defeated. <snip>
You'll be glad to know that the council, as usual, will have a stall at the Lambeth Country Show. Go over and make your displeasure politely known, if you can get there. ;)
 
The same Cabinet meeting on 13th will also discuss Somerleyton road.

As Tricky Skills noticed the new body ( no detail on how it will work yet) may be used on other sites in Lambeth:

Once the regeneration is complete, the scheme will be managed by a new community board. It is unclear at this stage who will take control of the community body, but it does seem like it could be an influential organisation that the Council might want to use to manage other projects in the borough:

“There is also a strong desire to create a new community body that will involve wide-ranging representation including the local community, residents and nonresidential occupiers from the new development, and the Council, with the holding of the residential portion in a housing cooperative.

The wholly owned Council company, may in the future also be used for other similar developments.”

Its increasingly looking like to me that the Somerleyton road project is now being used to test ideas that will be used on existing estates threatened with redevelopment. ie the type of tenancies , mix of housing types etc and funding.

As the proposal is now to demolish Cressingham it may be treated like Somerleyton road. Well its a guess.

If you are lucky Cressingham gardens may get input from Brixton Green.:rolleyes:
 
That proposal to demolish this estate is still not set yet - the consultation which led to it is still under judicial review.

For any decision to demolish to be valid, that judical review must find in favour of the council.

The fat lady hasn't even begun warming up yet.
 
This is so important that it needs a thread of its own. Please come down and support Cressingham Gardens residents.

cressingham-march.jpg

More info: http://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2015/07/...gham-gardens-lambeth-town-hall-6pm-july-13th/

Protest details:
Monday July 13th 6pm-7pm
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
Brixton, London SW2 1RW

Facebook event for the July 13th protest

protest-save-cressingham-1.jpg


More info:
Find out about Cressingham Gardens here.
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SaveCressinghamGardens
Save Cressingham Gardens petition
Save Cressingham Gardens crowdfunding

Read more and join in with the in-depth discussion on the urban75 forums (over 620 posts).

Help the Save Cressingham Gardens campaign!
Donate to their GoFundMe page
Buy their t shirts
 
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