So ViolentPanda (good to see you!) what does this mean? Is it all over now or are there other avenues they can try and pursue?
Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents
- Thread starter Brixton Hatter
- Start date
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
It's far from over. We still have the issue of Ropers Walk, which the cabinet meeting made clear is still on the table. We also have to play "wait and see" in order to find out what form these ballots take. Me, I won't be satisfied by anything less than independent balloting run by Electoral Reform Services or similar, & not some shoddy mob run by ex-Labour cllrs!
Thought it was probably too good to be true to think it was.
Good luck with it as ever. Fuckers.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Kerslake says this in report. Council have said they will follow all recommendations of the report. That remains to be seen.
I've posted more on the Kerslake report on the Coop Council thread on Brixton forum. As it's a very good report that covers whole of Lambeth. Shows how poor this Coop Council is at consulting residents.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Personally if the Council had taken the Kerslake report findings seriously they would have halted Ropers walk. And gone back to the drawing board.
Instead of a proper master plan they decided to "chip away" at the estate piecemeal. Having a master plan would have shown what there intentions really were. That's how I understand it. Is this correct?
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Btw all the hard work you and other Cressingham residents have done has paid off.
I don't think I could have handled all the years of stress the Council put the residents on the estate through.
You successfully slowed down Lambeth plans for the estate to extent that Lord Kerslake ( unlike three other estates) can say that has this has not progressed that far it should be re consulted on and HfL should not pursue this so called redevelopment of your estate.
So all respect to you for and others in your community for keeping up the struggle over the years.
What Kerslake does not go into is way you were let down by your local Labour Cllrs. Not in his brief.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
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Pretty much our take on it, too. They're giving lip service to Kerslake, promising to "change the culture", but within half an hour of saying this to His Lordship, they - in the form of Tom Branton (head of regeneration, & former Southwark Council & then Lendlease employee) went right back to their arrogant denial of what residents want.
A masterplan (as promised for Cressingham for what will be 10 yrs next year) is always "on the way", but never arrives, & CAN'T arrive because it would point up - couldn't help but point up - that Lambeth Council/HfL have done exactly what they claim they haven't: That is, they've been salami-slicing development in order to establish "beachheads" on regen estates.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Not yet, but hopefully at some time soon. We've still got a war on our hands, though. We still have to protect Mrs Dotimas (the 85 year old freeholder LBL/HfL have been harassing for almost 3 years) & the rest of our community.
Thing is, you handle it because the only other option is to give up. Most of us refuse to give up because this place is in our hearts. I won't leave here except in a box. Most of my life with Greebo is etched into this estate.
Thank you. You can bet - & I've heard some of the noises coming out of the cabinet - that they're mad as hell that Bayo Dosonmu commissioned this review, & that Kerslake made the findings that he did. You can also bet that senior officers & cabinet members will do their best to sabotage the ballot they have to give residents on Fenwick, Central Hill & Cressingham. We - the regen estates - are already emphasising that any ballots need to be run by a politically independent operation such as Electoral Reform Services, not by some polling or "comms" form with Labour affiliations. It's "keep on fighting till we've won". We can't rest on our laurels.
Did you catch how Cameron was all "what about the residents!"? It's like she forgot that she was the person who offered our estate up to Pete "Liar" Robbins for regeneration. She's as dishonest as the day is long. As for Mary Atkins, glad she's gone. The only 1 who's done any good for residents on Cressingham is Ben Kind, who has at least pursued the housing dept about repairs - something Atkins & Cameron never did.
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
I think the stress of the threat of demolishion for over a decade is outrageous. How dare they.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
It's harmed people's health, that much is obvious. We've had 2 suicides where we - the residents - KNOW that despair about the future was a factor, but as neither left notes, it's not something that can be proven.
They can't make up for the utter misery they have caused but I'd like to be hopeful. Instead I'm feeling very cynical and getting wolf in sheep's clothing vibes; I would like to be proved wrong.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
Read the new "fresh" start document.
It has a lot of very general promises. Basically the Council say they promise to be nicer to residents.
However no concrete detail on how they are going to do this.
Damning that this new doc is based around comments by residents that Council obtained in the past. Begs the question why residents views on the previous consultations were not taken up.
What I would like to see is independent monitering of these promises by the Council. Also an independent arbitration process if residents feel the Council is not keeping to the general promises it has made.
Otherwise it is going to go that way of previous Lambeth Council "consultations".
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: £1m+ rabbit out of a hat move by Lambeth as Cressingham residents finally set to benefit from investment on their threatened estate
"Cressingham Gardens residents might raise an eyebrow over the £1,256,000 rabbit out of a hat investment on their estate. Lambeth is set to spend over £1m+ on replacing mains wiring and communal lighting.
This strongly suggests that demolition is off the agenda at Cressingham. You wouldn’t spend £1m+ on an infrastructure contract if you were then going to bulldoze the estate.
Unless you are really, really incompetent."
"Cressingham Gardens residents might raise an eyebrow over the £1,256,000 rabbit out of a hat investment on their estate. Lambeth is set to spend over £1m+ on replacing mains wiring and communal lighting.
This strongly suggests that demolition is off the agenda at Cressingham. You wouldn’t spend £1m+ on an infrastructure contract if you were then going to bulldoze the estate.
Unless you are really, really incompetent."
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Homes for Lambeth's last hoorah: begging for £9 million of public money before facing the chop "Despite the company about to be broken up, it is asking for an extra £9 million of public funds"
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Homes for Lambeth limps on with the Labour Cabinet head nodding through another £9m for the failed Council owned company "Communities are being split up and that demolitions should be the last resort"
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Reverse Ferret from Lambeth on Central Hill as ‘regeneration’ estate set to benefit from £2m investment for new kitchens and bathrooms
"In a surprising admission, the Council acknowledges that many families living in the Central Hill Estate are currently living in substandard conditions"
"In a surprising admission, the Council acknowledges that many families living in the Central Hill Estate are currently living in substandard conditions"
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Lambeth Council winds down the failed Homes for Lambeth group of companies with legal changes to speed up the process "Homes for Lambeth is being wound down by the Council, resulting in minimal meetings and legal obligations"
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Lambeth Council hits reset on estate ‘regeneration’ after a decade of delays and ignoring residents
"The Council is set to spend close to £1m to hire consultants to work out what to do next."
"The Council is set to spend close to £1m to hire consultants to work out what to do next."
friendofdorothy
Solidarity against neoliberalism!
A million could fix a lot of roof.
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Buzzed: Architects hired to address Homes for Lambeth’s epic fail across three ‘regeneration’ estates
"Another month, and more news on further spending after the complete failure of Homes for Lambeth to build any new homes at Cressingham, Central Hill and Fenwick"
"Another month, and more news on further spending after the complete failure of Homes for Lambeth to build any new homes at Cressingham, Central Hill and Fenwick"
