Out with the Old... Network Rail tell businesses to vacate Atlantic Road arches

[Gramsci]

Hmm, sorry that looks a bit more sarcastic on screen than it did in my head

Can u stop this please.

This so far has been a good thread.

There are posters on this thread who are facing the prospect of losing their livelihoods and the businesses they have worked hard to build up over the years.

 

[:-D]

Just looking on street view, the cheque place looks like it only has just over one quarter of an arch as it is. It shares the Atlantic Road side with Topps dry cleaners and there is a cafe in the station road side. Can't see how it could be split in half again?

The leaseholder is the same for all the arch, from Atlantic road side to Brixton Station Road. The internal devisions are a result of diversifying his business. His rent is based on this total square footage. By offering him only the Atlantic Road "half" after the refurb, even if he continued paying the same amount in rent each month, he'd be in effect, paying twice as much per square foot than before.

But they're asking for 3 times his current monthly payment for half as much space rented.

.....and they probably wouldn't be too keen on letting him carry on as before. So to have a Dry Cleaner, he would have to rent an arch from NR, once he'd sold a kidney or one of his children to be able to afford the first quarters rent.

& If he wants to have a cafe at the BSR side, that'll be a seperate lease for that....at whatever figure NR feels is "Market Rate"

Or he could just run along now and not come back, which would seem to be Network Rails "Happy Place"

 

[Gramsci]

Saw the statement from Brixton Pound on my FB about the evictions. Its worth reading.​

tompound

Brixton£ say this of the Brixton Central Masterplan consultations. I was there and agree with this.

However, we have been involved in the community consultation and of course are familiar with many of the businesses on these two roads who have been loyal B£ members since we launched in 2009. Our understanding was that the development would not involve permanently uprooting existing businesses. We note in the Future Brixton published feedback [http://futurebrixton.org/brixtoncentral/workshop-feedback/] from the community consultation on the workshops published on 30th December, it is stated that:

“The proposals to locate new studio or office spaces throughout the masterplan were welcomed, with many people raising the need for space to be affordable… Small shops and workspaces in between the viaducts within a new covered space were also well received. The importance of offering space for light industry and artists, including those already in the area was also raised.”

Clearly, something has gone wrong and the proposals, if carried out, represent a huge blow for the robust local economy that we have been working to support.

 

[leanderman]

I could imagine a rent going up by 10 or 20 per cent - but 400 per cent?

How on earth do they justify these figures?

 

[Rushy]

The leaseholder is the same for all the arch, from Atlantic road side to Brixton Station Road. The internal devisions are a result of diversifying his business. His rent is based on this total square footage. By offering him only the Atlantic Road "half" after the refurb, even if he continued paying the same amount in rent each month, he'd be in effect, paying twice as much per square foot than before.

But they're asking for 3 times his current monthly payment for half as much space rented.

.....and they probably wouldn't be too keen on letting him carry on as before. So to have a Dry Cleaner, he would have to rent an arch from NR, once he'd sold a kidney or one of his children to be able to afford the first quarters rent.

& If he wants to have a cafe at the BSR side, that'll be a seperate lease for that....at whatever figure NR feels is "Market Rate"

Or you could just run along now and don't come back.

So he owns the cafe and the dry cleaners too? Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Gramsci]

View attachment 67534

Something straightforward people could do is to put the posters in as many shops as possible. So whole of Brixton is covered in them. Also individuals could put them in there windows at home if they could pick some up off you?

This design would also make a good T shirt. I would buy one as a resident.

 

[Rushy]

I could imagine a rent going up by 10 or 20 per cent - but 400 per cent?

How on earth do they justify these figures?

To be fair, we don't know what the actual figures are, when the last rent rise was, etc..

How much is the current rent for a unit which houses a cafe restaurant, a dry cleaners and a financial business?

 

[leanderman]

To be fair, we don't know what the actual figures are, when the last rent rise was, etc..

How much is the current rent for a unit which houses a cafe restaurant, a dry cleaners and a financial business?

Of course. But the baseline would have to be very, very low.

 

[:-D]

One issue i feel strongly about is that in dealing with NR that we should consider all the occupants, whether they be direct tennants of NR or not.

I could imagine a rent going up by 10 or 20 per cent - but 400 per cent?

How on earth do they justify these figures?

The rational is that if you weren't in the unit, what could they ask of a new tennant coming in. In the time i've been there a 10% rise would have been considered a lottery win.

 

[Gramsci]

I could imagine a rent going up by 10 or 20 per cent - but 400 per cent?

How on earth do they justify these figures?

I was talking to a local businessman about another arch in Brixton ( not one of those ones threatened). Basically the rent went up a lot once the arch became vacant and was advertised for a new tenant.

Its "market" forces. Property owners don’t have to justify the figures. Same goes with the buy to let merchants. In London its a "free" market. If you cannot afford it any more that’s tough.

 

[leanderman]

The rational is that if you weren't in the unit, what could they ask of a new tennant coming in.

Presumably any new tenants will recoup the exorbitant rates through charging exorbitant prices.

 

[Gramsci]

First sight of plans here in piece by Zoe for Brixton Blog

 

[Rushy]

Of course. But the baseline would have to be very, very low.

Perhaps it is? I've no idea.

 

[:-D]

Something straightforward people could do is to put the posters in as many shops as possible. So whole of Brixton is covered in them. Also individuals could put them in there windows at home if they could pick some up off you?

This design would also make a good T shirt. I would buy one as a resident.

We're hoping to receive 750 posters on Friday sometime. We'd love for people to take one one for their homes, workplaces or vehicles. We'd thought of adapting the broken heart design as a sticker possibly, but the Tshirt is an excellent idea,

 

[Winot]

So you are sitting on the fence at this time.

Fair enough.

Just wondered as you making comments about Omni to Ed. I took that as you saying that the is kind of shop you want to replace longstanding business like fishmongers, the deli and the more recent cheap north African cafes in Brixton Station road.

I think the point was more "how long does a business need to be around before being considered a longstanding business?". Which is a valid question to ask.

 

[:-D]

I think you might get some small shops that aren't affected joining in solidarity, enough to get a bit of a show. As others say, the chance of big shops shutting is v small. But I think something more visual and more directly aimed at Network Rail might get more press than just a shop shutdown plus rally. Is there a risk a shop shut down makes people say stupid things like "see they're putting themselves out of business all by themselves" etc

How about:

- Do a shop shut down so then the traders plus supportive Brixtonians, brass band etc, can make a quick trip up the Victoria line to NR's office on Eversholt street and serve them with a giant eviction notice... Get into the Standard and the Camden local press as well as SLP...

- Traders deliver a Valentine's day package of goods to the CEO of NR...

- We ride a dummy of NR's CEO out of Brixton on a rail (geddit?)...

- Brixton declares 'Clone Day', everyone dresses up the same, stalls serve grey food...

- Do some kind of survey of train customers at Brixton Overground asking them if they would tolerate the increase in fares that not losing the shops down below would entail, send it to the press under heading "Rail Passengers Would Pay More to Save Arches", get some debate going...

- We hijack a train and convert the carriages into a fishmongers, deli, carpet shop, Moroccan cafe etc... hmmm... ok out of ideas now

Lambeths role in all this also needs to be highlighted. Being bedfellows with NR with (no)FUTURE BRIXTON, they appear to have totally abandoned any semblance of being a party for the worker.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article4348229.ece

To highlight the apparent 180% change of direction that Lambeth have displayed, how about a publicised will from Lambeth Town Hall to Labour HQ and then on to Tolpuddle.

It's only about 120 miles shortest route according to my phone app, although we could pick a scenic route that would have the total mileage tally up to the proposed average % increase in rents


Also the boys and girls at Brixton Cycles have been really supportive. We could do something similar with shopkeepers 'getting on their bikes' along the route.

Works in the Norman Tebbit context as well as NR's 'do one' approach

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

It's hilarious to see the self proclaimed gentrifiers and free market lovers struggling with their "position" on this thread. "I'm sitting on the fence", "i'm waiting to see what's on the table", utterly disingenuous.

 

[SpamMisery]

Pretty sure it's not

 

[DietCokeGirl]

We're hoping to receive 750 posters on Friday sometime. We'd love for people to take one one for their homes, workplaces or vehicles

Where can I get some, to put up in the village?

 

[DietCokeGirl]

:-D Let me know, we'd be happy to put one up in our shop and also any flyers, paper petition, etc., I'm sure other shops would too.

 

[:-D]

Where can I get some, to put up in the village?

Thank you very much.

A&C Continental
3 Atlantic road
Is where they're being initially delivered to, then you should've able to go into any of the affected arches and pick them up.

 

[pesh]

We're hoping to receive 750 posters on Friday sometime. We'd love for people to take one one for their homes, workplaces or vehicles. We'd thought of adapting the broken heart design as a sticker possibly, but the Tshirt is an excellent idea,

cool poster

might be difficult to coordinate but would it be worth seeing if you could find several adjacent businesses who would be willing to have the poster done as a large piece across the front of them?

obviously would only work when the businesses have all closed for the night, but 1 piece spanning multiple shopfronts might help demonstrate that you're all fighting it together.

 

[SarfLondoner]

Pretty sure it's not

It isn't and it's a shame that this thread is being used for shit stirring and personal attacks.

 

[leanderman]

An excellent piece, with some hard maths:
http://deserter.co.uk/2015/02/brixton-arches-shame/

 

[editor]

It looks like the old Atlantic Bar is going ahead with its refurbishment, which seems odd in the circumstances. the new owners are Antic iirc.

I'm trying to find out more about this from them directly.

 

[snowy_again]

I'm trying to find out more about this from them directly.

Their builders were blocking Atlantic Road this morning whilst unloading a concrete mixer out the back of a hatchback*.

*should have driven an old Metro, the fit in easily in those.

 

[friendofdorothy]

Disappointed to see part of electric ave still fenced off. Is this still because of the drains?
l miss the veg and the fruit stall.

 

[colacubes]

Disappointed to see part of electric ave still fenced off. Is this still because of the drains?
l miss the veg and the fruit stall.

Yes. They finish up tomorrow so should be business as usual on Saturday.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Of no fixed opinion. I feel empathy for the people who might lose their livelihoods but I don't object to shops changing. With a large caveat of 'I haven't read the proposal'

The above shows you've only a very vague grasp of what empathy means. I suspect you meant "sympathy",but thought that "empathy" sounded better.

 

[Tinich]

Had a look at Network Rail's website. They're governed by an agreement with DoT. Annex B sets out when they need to consult DoT on property proposals - one of these is proposals being contentious (see B19). Which they are. Wonder if it's worth adding DoT to the petition or otherwise involving them? (And local MPs who may be able to push this angle?).

Perhaps also a press release from the traders to go around major media outlets?

NR have an ethics framework which commits them to the principles of "Honesty, Integrity, Accountability, Openness, Selflessness, Objectivity & Leadership". This should apply to how they manage this process - in an open and objective way - by sharing info with the businesses and local community in a timely manner and consulting / understanding the impact of their decisions beyond internal commercial considerations.