SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
I'm gonna go with the one above the letter G
Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents
- Thread starter Brixton Hatter
- Start date
toggle
wobbly
not the best piece, but she comes across pretty sound and a potentially useful ally.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
I really do not like this article. It perpetuates the idea that being a home "owner" is being aspirational. Thatchers comment that
Council tenants do own there homes. They do so collectively. The Council own the housing and are under democratic control through Cllrs.
The idea of basic human needs being a collectively owned resource that should be under democratic control is not to be sidelined.
I do not see why someone who supports social housing should be seen as not being "aspirational" in a different way.
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
It does seem a bit odd that the most efficient and effective method of informing him of a decision about something as critical as his housing situation (considering he was unable to make the council meeting himself) is something to be "extremely annoyed" about. He would rather wait a week for some headed paper whilst the rest of the world discussed it on social networks?
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
I think the article is well-meaning but the comments betray how this is going to be spun—leaseholders vs tenants. Tenants are portrayed as benefit scroungers who are going to get a free replacement home despite their fecklessness, and leaseholders are the poor hardworking families who are being done over by benefit scroungers. This is a narrative that needs to be nipped in the bud.
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
I thought the article was a bit of a warning to people who may sometime in the future buy council/HA flats, especially if Right to Buy for housing association tenants goes ahead.
People who did so in the past may have considered the possibility of high maintenance charges as a deterrent, but now there is a whole new issue cropping up of leaseholders (many of whom may not have bought under Right to Buy) facing the possibility of so-called 'regeneration' which will mean major financial problems for many. This article concentrated particularly on leaseholders but the issue obviously affects tenants and I don't think the author was being negligent in not mentioning them - she was talking about the possibility of regeneration as it affects leaseholders in the context of RTB for HA tenants being a possibility, and home ownership (which is often leasehold) being heavily promoted.
I read a lot of the comments and people whinging about Osborne/ the Tory government not being a factor (because Lambeth is a Labour council) are wrong. The Tory government's promotion of home ownership within council/HA stock does not exist in a vacuum, miles apart from Lambeth's Labour council. It's part of the same thing. It's about home ownership being seen as some sort of aspirational holy grail by both parties, and both parties using people's homes as a political football and as a cash cow, which is disgraceful.
Neither party, at either national or local level, seems willing to put aspiration* (I'm sick of hearing about that term) to one side and concentrate on the real issue, which is people's homes, people's need to stay in them and the needs of future generations for genuinely affordable housing.
* ETA - not just aspiration, which is a superficial thing, but also development and financial issues.
People who did so in the past may have considered the possibility of high maintenance charges as a deterrent, but now there is a whole new issue cropping up of leaseholders (many of whom may not have bought under Right to Buy) facing the possibility of so-called 'regeneration' which will mean major financial problems for many. This article concentrated particularly on leaseholders but the issue obviously affects tenants and I don't think the author was being negligent in not mentioning them - she was talking about the possibility of regeneration as it affects leaseholders in the context of RTB for HA tenants being a possibility, and home ownership (which is often leasehold) being heavily promoted.
I read a lot of the comments and people whinging about Osborne/ the Tory government not being a factor (because Lambeth is a Labour council) are wrong. The Tory government's promotion of home ownership within council/HA stock does not exist in a vacuum, miles apart from Lambeth's Labour council. It's part of the same thing. It's about home ownership being seen as some sort of aspirational holy grail by both parties, and both parties using people's homes as a political football and as a cash cow, which is disgraceful.
Neither party, at either national or local level, seems willing to put aspiration* (I'm sick of hearing about that term) to one side and concentrate on the real issue, which is people's homes, people's need to stay in them and the needs of future generations for genuinely affordable housing.
* ETA - not just aspiration, which is a superficial thing, but also development and financial issues.
Stop being a dick.
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
You think that most people in the real world read their local cabinet member for housing's Twitter feed as their main source of information about their home and their future? Please tell me you're not serious.
toggle
wobbly
if the SCG lot think so, then it's probably worth approaching the journo. I think she will at least listen.
innit. how many people are you expected to follow on twitter to know what's happening. how much time do you spend wading through the local political bickering.
shifting gears
Well-Known Member
At the risk of sounding like I endorse this, which I wholeheartedly don't, isn't Lambeth's next step to write off the proposed maintenance costs, while simultaneously holding their hands up, saying "we've written these costs off for the residents, we're soooooo co-operative " ?
Spam Misery is just being his usual deeply unpleasant troll self because he looks down on people living on this estate, and find the architecture displeasing, Huh, as if what replaces it will look any better, let alone be anything like as good to live in. So far it looks unpromising, to say the least.
I wish he'd either stop posting, stay out of the Brixton section altogether (and off this thread in particular), or do something banworthy, because his remarks ought to be confronted (therefore not put on ignore), and he's upsetting to read.
BTW I'm on the net a lot, compared with a lot of people on this estate (roughly half, perhaps more, have no internet access at all) and I don't use Twitter because it's just too busy and confusing to get the hang of.
How many people would be sacked or get a final warning for tweeting something which their employer hadn't made public yet? A decision aired on one branch of social media, half a week before it was officially taken and rubberstamped (not even voted on by show of hands).
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
I totally get that it's a bit insensitive - no arguments there. But the tweet linked to the Lambeth decision notice on their website from what I understand and I assume will be followed up by a letter. He probably thought "this is a bit important, I'll get it out via every channel".
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
And given how anyone with photoshop can knock up a decent looking fake, I'd wait for the official letter dropping through my letter box too, just to be sure.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
It only seems odd if you're an idiot.You're not (quite) an idiot, so you're trolling.
It's an official communication. It has to be a physical copy, not a tweet.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Apart from anything else, tweeting doesn't (yet) constitute the official issue of information. Official bodies still have to use hard copies for that, and make their "best efforts" to make sure the intended recipient receives it. That's why the wee fella delivering the "letters of doom" from the council to us on Thursday was punctiliously ticking off each delivery on a clipboard.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
No, the tweet linked to Bennett's blog. He also announced the decision on his blog more than a week before the matter went to council. He didn't think "better get this out through every channel", he thought it was fair play to tell the world (in this case "the world" being his Labour cronies) before he told the people his decision was affecting.
Continue making excuses for him though, by all means. All you're doing is painting a metaphorical "I'm a cunt" sign on your forehead.
SpamMisery
Pretty comfortable here right under your skin
Hope you're enjoying the country show. Hugs and kisses
299 old timer
Well-Known Member
At the end of the day the plain fact is that Lambeth has been a negligent landord. I'd politely remind folk of how they sold off Dick Shepherd down the road, a true scandal. Those purple shirted youngsters I spoke to in the tent were either feigning igornance or totally unaware of history - very frustrating.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Plus (as I've mentioned previously) the shenanigans with the half a million quid from the sale that was supposed to fund a youth club, and "went missing" for several years.
More likely that they just don't give a fuck.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Went to see Save Cressingham Gardens at the Country Fair. They were at the Cressingham gate. A lot of interest from passers by. I bought some tasty home made cheese cakes and two more Brixton Fightbacl T shirts.
If you want to get a T shirt on Sunday SCG will be at the Herne Hill Market ( outside Herne Hill Station)
If you want to get a T shirt on Sunday SCG will be at the Herne Hill Market ( outside Herne Hill Station)
Thanks for the photos Gramsci, and getting another T shirt. Herne Hill market today - for one day only.
BTW the few people who refused to even take a card, saying "I'm fine" or I'm good", no, you're neither. You weren't being asked for money on the spot, or the blood of your firstborn. You weren't on the point of being mugged, or conned into joining a cult.
All you were being asked to do was take the website etc details so that you could check out for yourselves what's happened here and can happen here, without a lot more hard work. I'd ask some of you to consider how you might react if told that somebody was "fine", "good" or had "heard enough" (in a negative way, not "I've heard enough, how can I help?") about your home being under threat. </soapbox>
BTW the few people who refused to even take a card, saying "I'm fine" or I'm good", no, you're neither. You weren't being asked for money on the spot, or the blood of your firstborn. You weren't on the point of being mugged, or conned into joining a cult.
All you were being asked to do was take the website etc details so that you could check out for yourselves what's happened here and can happen here, without a lot more hard work. I'd ask some of you to consider how you might react if told that somebody was "fine", "good" or had "heard enough" (in a negative way, not "I've heard enough, how can I help?") about your home being under threat. </soapbox>
299 old timer
Well-Known Member
Those young fellows I spoke to at the Lambeth stall appeared to be in complete denial. I presented a few historical facts to them to disprove their rhetoric (and it was rhetoric, in the worst possible sense) - it's important to call them out over and over again. I do wonder what PR guru thought that purple is now the colour of choice.
More or less sold the last of the Brixton Fightback T shirts today, except the the few left in the continental deli in Brixton.
Some of the white Save Cressingham T shirts shifted too, and the bloke who owns the junk shop (his label, not mine) in Herne Hill has said he'll shift a few, as he's been asked about it when he was wearing his. *Shrug* each to their own, but relieved that somebody likes them.
Some of the white Save Cressingham T shirts shifted too, and the bloke who owns the junk shop (his label, not mine) in Herne Hill has said he'll shift a few, as he's been asked about it when he was wearing his. *Shrug* each to their own, but relieved that somebody likes them.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
As seen at Herne Hill Market, except with the word "crimes" changed for "sins".
According to a single ranty person it's sexist and ageist because..."boy" and "bumfluff".
According to a single ranty person it's sexist and ageist because..."boy" and "bumfluff".
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
So, Central Hill estate's future in front of the Lambeth "cabinet" on Monday, 7pm. People gathering outside from 6pm. They only found out at the beginning of this week.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Anyway, it's Central Hill estate's future in front of the Lambeth "cabinet" on Monday, 7pm. People gathering outside from 6pm. They only found out at the beginning of this week.
boohoo
No.
Anyway, it's Central Hill estate's future in front of the Lambeth "cabinet" on Monday, 7pm. People gathering outside from 6pm. They only found out at the beginning of this week.
Shit
I can see why they picked Central Hill and Cressingham - great marketable views.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Shit
In Cressingham's case at least, the marketability of the views is why FoBP, the Herne Hill Society, Brockwell Park Community Partnership etc are "strongly advising" Lambeth not to go ahead (as are Save Britain's Heritage, who are pushing English Heritage's recommendation for Conservation Area status). As I said to a chap from Reel News last week, people are waking up to the fact that if we're demolished, the currently-very amenable view of the top of the park from most other aspects in the park, is going to be ruined, and the whole park dominated by 4-6 storey low-rise blocks looming over the park.
