Myatts Fields North massive £150m regeneration project

[cuppa tee]

Where viable it is usually a perk for the demolition contractors and factored into their price for the works.

However, it takes a lot of effort to demolish something in a way that doesn't damage the bricks, so it isn't usually cost effective unless you're dealing with Victorian (or older) lime mortar.

The ones you saw are more likely to be being cleaned for localised repairs.

thanks !!

 

[Rushy]

Where viable it is usually a perk for the demolition contractors and factored into their price for the works.

However, it takes a lot of effort to demolish something in a way that doesn't damage the bricks, so it isn't usually cost effective unless you're dealing with Victorian (or older) lime mortar.

The ones you saw are more likely to be being cleaned for localised repairs.

The copies are becoming so good now that I'm surprised anyone bothers with reclaimed. Every pallet of old stock is riddled with unusable broken ones.

 

[Ol Nick]

The copies are becoming so good now that I'm surprised anyone bothers with reclaimed. Every pallet of old stock is riddled with unusable broken ones.

I've heard of planning permission in conservation areas requiring the use of old bricks. That was about five years ago and the price was £1 a brick. Blame Brickston gentrification.

 

[Rushy]

I've heard of planning permission in conservation areas requiring the use of old bricks. That was about five years ago and the price was £1 a brick. Blame Brickston gentrification.

It was sometimes a condition even in non conservation areas. I think it would be hard to argue against using good copies in most circumstances.

 

[Ol Nick]

It was sometimes a condition even in non conservation areas. I think it would be hard to argue against using good copies in most circumstances.

I have this vision of houses being demolished and their bricks being used for a new development and that getting demolished and its bricks being required for the next development until developers are fighting each other on Coldharbour Lane for the brick that one of them bought off a bloke in the Albert and is probably just fake anyway but it's worth a try.

 

[Rushy]

I have this vision of houses being demolished and their bricks being used for a new development and that getting demolished and its bricks being required for the next development until developers are fighting each other on Coldharbour Lane for the brick that one of them bought off a bloke in the Albert and is probably just fake anyway but it's worth a try.

Being unnecessarily serious for a moment, I can't imagine that that they will get reused again next time around because the modern mortar won't come of them. I have a useless stack in my garden from a fallen brick wall. The brick breaks before the mortar will cone of it.

 

[Twattor]

Being unnecessarily serious for a moment, I can't imagine that that they will get reused again next time around because the modern mortar won't come of them. I have a useless stack in my garden from a fallen brick wall. The brick breaks before the mortar will cone of it.

Scutch hammer and soft backing like a cushion. Mind your thumbs.

 

[Rushy]

Scutch hammer and soft backing like a cushion. Mind your thumbs.

You are welcome to relieve me of my pile!

 

[Twattor]

You are welcome to relieve me of my pile!

I did my 10 years hard labour. Now going straight.

 

[CH1]

Looks like councillors failing to deal with overcrowding slum conditions etc.
Maybe they should design for the people coming to them with problems rather than Penang, Hong Kong buy-to-lets?

 

[Twattor]

Looks like councillors failing to deal with overcrowding slum conditions etc.
Maybe they should design for the people coming to them with problems rather than Penang, Hong Kong buy-to-lets?

To be fair it isn't a problem with an instant solution; you need to look a few years ahead in housing.

Also, social housing is designed to be far, far better in the important ways than the private sector developments they promote.

 

[CH1]

To be fair it isn't a problem with an instant solution; you need to look a few years ahead in housing.
Also, social housing is designed to be far, far better in the important ways than the private sector developments they promote.

So when were they planning Oval Quarter then? Surely 5 years ago (or more).

I know someone who was decanted into a street property - permanently - so they could knock down his block as part of the Oval Quarter development.

Also what is this about social housing being better than private? The argument sounds contorted - are you really saying that Lambeth Council can't build social housing because the standards required are too high compared to private housing?

 

[Twattor]

So when were they planning Oval Quarter then? Surely 5 years ago (or more).

Probably much longer than that. they must have been on site three years now and before that they would have needed to get planning, finance, acquire the land, arrange decants.

Also what is this about social housing being better than private? The argument sounds contorted - are you really saying that Lambeth Council can't build social housing because the standards required are too high compared to private housing?

Comparing social housing with housing for investor purchase is to compare apples and oranges. You're comparing things with completely opposing design and performance requirements.

For the former you're after a space that is big enough for long term residents with the chattels they've accumulated over time, it is likely to be over occupied so needs plenty of space; it needs to be constructed in a way that means it can be adapted if the needs of the occupiers change, so requires a technical build. It will be retained by the freeholder who will be responsible for all aspects of maintenance, so the materials need to be hard wearing and easy/cheap to maintain. It needs to be super efficient to try to keep the bills down for occupiers on fixed incomes. The key considerations are size, durability, and the quality of the actual construction.

For the latter, the only important factor is location and looking shiny. The quality of the build can be rubbish as long as there are pretty tiles and a shiny kitchen. The units can be tiny as the purchaser often doesn't bother even looking at them as long as a local estate agent tells them they'll be able to let them.

A 52m2 social housing unit with robust and functional fixtures and fitttings will cost more to build and require greater technical competancy to get right than a 37m2 shoebox for an overseas speculator.

 

[Rushy]

Probably much longer than that. they must have been on site three years now and before that they would have needed to get planning, finance, acquire the land, arrange decants.



Comparing social housing with housing for investor purchase is to compare apples and oranges. You're comparing things with completely opposing design and performance requirements.

For the former you're after a space that is big enough for long term residents with the chattels they've accumulated over time, it is likely to be over occupied so needs plenty of space; it needs to be constructed in a way that means it can be adapted if the needs of the occupiers change, so requires a technical build. It will be retained by the freeholder who will be responsible for all aspects of maintenance, so the materials need to be hard wearing and easy/cheap to maintain. It needs to be super efficient to try to keep the bills down for occupiers on fixed incomes. The key considerations are size, durability, and the quality of the actual construction.

For the latter, the only important factor is location and looking shiny. The quality of the build can be rubbish as long as there are pretty tiles and a shiny kitchen. The units can be tiny as the purchaser often doesn't bother even looking at them as long as a local estate agent tells them they'll be able to let them.

A 52m2 social housing unit with robust and functional fixtures and fitttings will cost more to build and require greater technical competancy to get right than a 37m2 shoebox for an overseas speculator.

I'm curious to see your evidence for this.

 

[CH1]

Comparing social housing with housing for investor purchase is to compare apples and oranges. You're comparing things with completely opposing design and performance requirements.

For the former you're after a space that is big enough for long term residents with the chattels they've accumulated over time, it is likely to be over occupied so needs plenty of space; it needs to be constructed in a way that means it can be adapted if the needs of the occupiers change, so requires a technical build. It will be retained by the freeholder who will be responsible for all aspects of maintenance, so the materials need to be hard wearing and easy/cheap to maintain. It needs to be super efficient to try to keep the bills down for occupiers on fixed incomes. The key considerations are size, durability, and the quality of the actual construction.

For the latter, the only important factor is location and looking shiny. The quality of the build can be rubbish as long as there are pretty tiles and a shiny kitchen. The units can be tiny as the purchaser often doesn't bother even looking at them as long as a local estate agent tells them they'll be able to let them.

A 52m2 social housing unit with robust and functional fixtures and fitttings will cost more to build and require greater technical competancy to get right than a 37m2 shoebox for an overseas speculator.

I agree with Rushy, unusually.

You seem to be advancing a cynical argument here - but one that forgets the important point politically.

The Land required for the Oval Quarter was publicly owned land, amassed and sat on by public authorities over the last 50 years.
You seem to be saying - "OK, let us privatise our publicly held hosuing land to achieve a house building target whereby high earners of a transient nature will be housed, financed by buy to let specualtors, either from UK or abroad."

Surely the political imperative here is to house Lambeth residents on Lambeth owned land.
And assuming these residents are in low paid-mid paid work (or unemployed) then the objective is to provide this accommodation at a price which those residents can afford.

Anything else is either assuming that the residents who cannot afford to live in private rented accommodation in Lambeth must move elsewhere, where they can afford the rent. Or that the state will top up the rent - thereby subsidising the landlords - either local or foreign.

To me your arguments about size and quality are secondary to the above issue. To re-quote Harold Macmillan:

 

[editor]

FUCK OFF

 

[cuppa tee]

Myatts Field north is no more as the last block has fallen........

 

[stethoscope]

FUCK OFF

View attachment 78354

This is from some of the marketing blurb back in 2014 but stumbled upon this earlier…

'Just 'bag' a new home'. Like you would the rest of your shopping. And only 20 minutes away from Selfridges! And cultural offerings! And the Albert!

The bit that really got me though was 'bringing a sense of identity and pride back to local residents'. Yeah, the community already there were obviously lacking that.

Top 10 Reasons to "Bag" a New Home at Oval Quarter | New Homes, New Flats, New Apartments, New Houses | Higgins Homes | London, Essex and Kent

Recently smeared by a West End department store as a ‘risky’ postcode, award winning development, Oval Quarter, is set to completely transform the former Myatt’s Field North estate and the area that lies between Camberwell, Oval and Stockwell, bringing a sense of identity and pride back to local residents. Following a very successful launch of the first phase of homes last year, a variety of young professionals have since purchased one of the private sale apartments with the hope of owning a new home within this forever popular district of South London.

Already, local areas such as Oval and Brixton are proving popular places to live due the diversity of local amenities, transport connections and overall cultural offerings. Oval Quarter is just one example of a development where security is not an issue. In fact, there are multiple reasons why residents choose to live here:

• Walk/ cycle to work: A zone 2 location enables working professionals to walk or cycle to work
• Transport: Oval underground station provides transport connections to the city within 12 minutes or take a cab from central for just £10
• Food shopping: Thriving independent deli’s on Brixton Road
• Enjoy the outdoors: Open green space at Brockwell Park and Oval Quarter’s own park
• Sports fanatics: World class cricket heritage can be discovered at The Kia Oval
• Local produce: Visit street markets at St Mark’s Church and Brixton Station Road
• Culture vultures: Catch a film at The Ritzy Cinema, enjoy the arts at Brixton Art Gallery and Ovalhouse or watch it live at 02 Brixton Academy
• Nightlife: Enjoy a drink at your local, The Prince Albert, or a late night drink at The Living Room, Club 414 or London’s best selection of clubs in nearby Vauxhall
• Fine Dining: Grab some great pub grub at The Canton Arms
• Local Schools: A selection of local primary schools and some of London’s most prestigious higher level universities are on the doorstep including St John The Divine CE primary school, London School of Economics and King’s College

And all this only 20 minutes from Selfridges…

and so it goes on...

 

[stethoscope]

And all of these 'regeneration' schemes are being done on PFI still too… it's all going to seriously go tits up at some point.

 

[editor]

This is from some of the marketing blurb back in 2014 but stumbled upon this earlier…

'Just 'bag' a new home'. Like you would the rest of your shopping. And only 20 minutes away from Selfridges! And cultural offerings! And the Albert!

The bit that really got me though was 'bringing a sense of identity and pride back to local residents'. Yeah, the community already there were obviously lacking that.

Top 10 Reasons to "Bag" a New Home at Oval Quarter | New Homes, New Flats, New Apartments, New Houses | Higgins Homes | London, Essex and Kent


and so it goes on...

Utterly vile.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Cheapest private sale on their website at the moment is £450K for a 1 bedroom flat

 

[editor]

Cheapest private sale on their website at the moment is £450K for a 1 bedroom flat

Hateful exploitation and profiteering. May they rot in hell.

 

[T & P]

That piece is cringeworthy

I'd like to know why a department store would have the need to express an opinion on whether a postcode is 'risky'. Is said department store selling or renting properties, perhaps?

 

[ViolentPanda]

And all of these 'regeneration' schemes are being done on PFI still too… it's all going to seriously go tits up at some point.

The council tenants who were decanted for the demolition and put back on the estate once it was rebuilt are absolutely fucking livid at their PFI, especially the part of it that locked them in to a 30 year contract with E.on as their sole energy supplier. E.on is basically turning the screws on them with regard to energy charges - some families are having to choose - and this is according to a councillor for Vassall ward, in which Myatts sits - between heat and light, or decent meals. Apparently the number of build problems (we're not talking snagging here, we're talking serious housing infrastructure fuck-ups) that are going un-addressed by Regenta are huge.

That's partly why Lambeth are pursuing the idea of an SPV to finance Cressingham's "regeneration", rather than a PFI. Seeing as they're still having to pay the PFI developer at MFN around £1 million a month, they're wary of being caught out on the contracts again.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Cheapest private sale on their website at the moment is £450K for a 1 bedroom flat

It's the prospect of such large sums - or their equivalent as rental income - that's arguably fuelled the current wave of "regeneration" that Lambeth has unleashed on us. Their quasi-justification is that "Tory cuts" have driven them to this. There's no acceptance that their own politics, or their financial ineptitude and unwillingness to employ legal and contracts stuff who know what the fuck they're doing, has contributed to this neoliberal nightmare.

 

[CH1]

This is from some of the marketing blurb back in 2014 but stumbled upon this earlier…
'Just 'bag' a new home'. Like you would the rest of your shopping. And only 20 minutes away from Selfridges! And cultural offerings! And the Albert!
The bit that really got me though was 'bringing a sense of identity and pride back to local residents'. Yeah, the community already there were obviously lacking that.
Top 10 Reasons to "Bag" a New Home at Oval Quarter | New Homes, New Flats, New Apartments, New Houses | Higgins Homes | London, Essex and Kent
and so it goes on...

Apart from all that, consider this enticing bilge showing how a banker can now get a subsidised no-interest government loan for 40% of the purchase price to help him "up the housing ladder" Help to Buy secures dream home | News | Oval Quarter

Higgs have now got a big push on to sell the prestige Parkside part of the development. Wonder how that makes purchasers of the now non-prestige part feel?

And finally maybe now Councillor Heywood has woken up to reality on Libraries she will also remember that this bloody PFI development robbed Coldharbour Ward of its only GP surgery!

 

[stethoscope]

Apart from all that, consider this enticing bilge showing how a banker can now get a subsidised no-interest government loan for 40% of the purchase price to help him "up the housing ladder" Help to Buy secures dream home | News | Oval Quarter

Good grief.

 

[aka]

The ...snip.

Sadly LBL tend not to have anyone on their side of the table with 'smarts'. They are out-negotiated time after time. I've grilled them on this and the standard response is 'we can't afford it'. FFS.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Sadly LBL tend not to have anyone on their side of the table with 'smarts'. They are out-negotiated time after time. I've grilled them on this and the standard response is 'we can't afford it'. FFS.

The standard response in full is usually "we can't afford it, but we hire in consultants on an 'as needed' basis".
Because paying someone as much for a month's work as you'd pay in six months to a retained staff member of equivalent skills saves money, doesn't it?

 

[CH1]

One bed apartments from £440,000
Two bed, one bath apartments from £570,000
Two bed, two bath apartments from £590,000

No doubt they'll be queueing round the block at Higgins Homes plc Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong.