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

[ViolentPanda]

I'm surprised that anyone is surprised especially the Tory types on this Forum.

Well, the Tory types will be gladdened by the fact that this will boost the yield from their rentier-ism further.
But that's because they're asocial money-grubbing cunts.

 

[soupdragon]

Campaign. Make sure the tenants are united. Get a change.org petition going, and then just start to get as much press as you can. Cause as much of a stink around Network Rail as you can. Pursue them relentlessly. Get councillors and MPs worried. Get local celebrities to support. It's the next wedge being drive into the blanket gentrification of Brixton. I'm happy to help too.

 

[snowy_again]

This is a thread about people's livelihoods; can we keep the snipy side swipes to the main gossip thread?

 

[editor]

Ch4, Evening Standard & SLP are covering this story now. The Buzz piece has picked up 5k views and 1k Facebook shares already, so I'm hopeful that there could be some real community weight behind any campaign against these proposals.

 

[editor]

The comments section on the Buzz piece has got quite lively, and people on Twitter are getting involved

 

[trabuquera]

Sign me up for the barricades, please - far as I'm concerned, if the shops under the arches close there's not much left of the BrixtonI love(d) and I'll be considering moving on. I have had a lot of reservations about some of the grouching on u75 about the alleged "Villaage" etc, but these plans are beyond the pale.

 

[Pickman's model]

The comments section on the Buzz piece has got quite lively, and people on Twitter are getting involved

there goes the neighbourhood

 

[elmpp]

Well, the Tory types will be gladdened by the fact that this will boost the yield from their rentier-ism further.
But that's because they're asocial money-grubbing cunts.

That's right. With a juicy bonus when yous get priced out the area. Ker-ching.

 

[el-ahrairah]

supporters of gentrification not so keen when it effects their experience of brixton shocker.

 

[Pickman's model]

supporters of gentrification not so keen when it effects their experience of brixton shocker.

affects. i know i'm fighting a losing battle but effects has a different meaning from affects.

 

[el-ahrairah]

your quite correct, my mistake.

 

[Pickman's model]

your quite correct, my mistake.

 

[el-ahrairah]

 

[friendofdorothy]

Campaign. Make sure the tenants are united. Get a change.org petition going, and then just start to get as much press as you can. Cause as much of a stink around Network Rail as you can. Pursue them relentlessly. Get councillors and MPs worried. Get local celebrities to support. It's the next wedge being drive into the blanket gentrification of Brixton. I'm happy to help too.

Anyone contacted Jay Rayner - I know he is probably too pro Villaage for most on here - but he does have alot of followers. Not sure he will like the only deli and the best fish stall in Brixton disappearing.

 

[Winot]

supporters of gentrification not so keen when it effects their experience of brixton shocker.

Just watch what happens when we first-wave gentrifiers mobilise.

 

[editor]

Its been featured on Channel 4:

'Gentrification in the extreme'
Anabella Cardoso and her husband Jose, the owners of A&C Continental Delicatessen on Atlantic Road, fear it could be the end of an era. They have run the shop for 13 years, succeeding Jose's Portuguese parents.

Ms Cardoso, 47, told Channel 4 News: "Network Rail told everyone yesterday, completely out of the blue, that we must vacate by September at the latest and that they're terminating all leases.

"They're prepared to give us £1,000 for relocation costs, which wouldn't even pay for a van, and £14,000 in rateable value. Most businesses here are very well established. If you added up the number of years they've been here, you're looking at hundreds of years, so this is insulting.

"The big chains are coming in now, it's gentrification in the extreme. So we'll organise ourselves, protest and organise a petition. I know my customers and the people of Brixton don't want this."

London 24 have run a feature too, as did the Standard who - as usual - failed to credit the source for their story and then got the wrong pic in.

Here's the council line:

Councillor Jack Hopkins, Lambeth cabinet member for jobs and growth, said: “We want to see the diversity and individuality of Brixton maintained alongside any plans to refurbish the railway arches.

"The plans are ultimately a matter between tenant and landlord, however we are pushing Network Rail to provide a comprehensive support package and will be holding a meeting with the existing business tenants before the end of the month to discuss the issue.”

"Support package"

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

It's obviously more of an issue than "a matter between tenant/landlord" as the pathetic Jack Hopkins claims and it's no different to the mass evictions with regards to social housing.

 

[cuppa tee]

Any Twitter users out there ?
Would be interesting to know if community aware Atlantic Road newcomers Wahaca
have any opinion on this assault on Brixton's heritage
they might even be willing to let their fellow traders use the venue for meetings

E@A Joshyboom might do likewise for Station Road

 

[Jeni Edwards]

Have just been told by my landlords, Network Rail, that they have plans to redevelop the Arches we rent, and that we dont figure in their new shiny plans. It's not just us, it's every arch along Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road, from Brixton Road to Poes Road.

Everyone to be Served Notice by "springtime 2015"

To Vacate 6 months after.

New Units to be available from 2017, but there's no "first refusal" given to us on the increased new rents that will come with any new tennancy. We have to apply like anyone else interested. So it looks like after over 40 years, its Goodbye A & C Continental Grocers & hello Pret a Manger, Waitrose Local etc.

With you all the way! This is not the future of Brixton - these traders are a part of what makes it so special.

 

[el-ahrairah]

It's obviously more of an issue than "a matter between tenant/landlord" as the pathetic Jack Hopkins claims and it's no different to the mass evictions with regards to social housing.

what do you expect from a red tory lickspittle.

 

[Chris Holt]

There's a petition to sign to stop this happening here.

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

what do you expect from a red tory lickspittle.

I'm a bit to the left of Labour. It never ceases to amaze me that some people (not you) think that being anti Tory makes one a raving loony Labour supporter.

 

[shygirl]

I am really sad to hear this... Some of my favourite shops are along there. They did something similar to the arches opposite the Sainsburys in Herne Hill. One of my favourite little shops for buying quirky gifts disappeared because they couldn't afford it afterwards, when they had apparently just renovated themselves and then were going to be forced to pay again. In the end, the renovated arches look really bland and no colour. :-(

I think the petition idea is good as a starter. Independent stores are so much better for the local community and employment, rather than chain stores and zero contract hours. Could there also be an argument for discrimination against minorities if it means that certain communities can no longer access shops locally that cater to their needs? Has there been a Equality Impact Assessment been done by Network Rail? It would be interesting to get hold of this or if one hasn't been done, demand that one is done.

Great idea, but do equality impact assessments have to be done in the business world? Sorry if its a stupid question. If so, then I agree, it needs to be looked into asap.

 

[WWWeed]

Signed.

If I'm honest I think this is the way London is going as a whole. The life and soul of various other places like Camden, Soho and Hackney has already been sucked away. And as much as I hate to say it - it's going to happen to Brixton too.

London is being treated like a bottomless pit. More and more people arrive all the time. In evolution only the strongest survive - it seems in London only the richest survive.

Network rail know what they are doing. They have done this before with the London bridge under arch businesses. I hope together we can stop it, but if I'm honest I'm not overly hopeful.

 

[editor]

I've been talking to the traders and was waiting for their approval on the text for the petition but the Brixton Blog has just jumped the gun. You can sign it here.

 

[SarfLondoner]

Signed and link shared,Good work editor.

 

[:-D]

....before i turn in, i wanted to say thank you to everyone for their kind messages of support that we've had all day. It's lifted us.

 

[Gramsci]

What stage is Brixton Central at? Is there any chance of more consultation giving people a chance of making it clear that we don't want the town centre being a clone town?

As with tompound I have been at all the Brixton Central consultation meetings.

I think I can say that one of the things that all residents attending said is that we wanted to make sure that existing diverse business are retained.

Network Rail attended these meetings and heard all this. As did Council.

Network Rail are not a private business they are government owned. NR however behave like a private property developer.

The pursuit of maximum profit should not be their sole remit.

As the shopkeepers have been paying for the arches they should be maintained by the landlord. Arguments that if they arches are refurbished then the leases should go up is the whole problem with landlordism in London. Keeping a property in good order should not be reason to hike leases up.

Its clear to me that NR want to be shot of these longstanding small shopkeepers and get in those who will pay more. A visit to Kings Cross shows want they want.

Basically landlords in London don’t give a fuck. Its all about profit. Its all legal. We do live in a capitalist society that protects the owners of property. Hardly surprise that they kick out small shopkeepers. NR have seen that they can rake it in at places like Kings Cross. They see Brixton as next in line. Yes Waitrose etc is what they want.

I have said this before but at one consultation I got chatting to someone from Network Rail. This was at the stall in Brixton Station Road.

The guy from NR , after I said I was concerned about future of the small business in that stretch of road, said that NR had not "managed" these arches very well. I said you mean that you have not got enough money out of them. He said that it what it was.

IMO this makes a mockery of the the Brixton Central masterplan consultation. The whole idea of it was that the Council and NR would as the main property owners work with the local community.

Network Rail have just binned that.

 

[Gramsci]

Great idea, but do equality impact assessments have to be done in the business world? Sorry if its a stupid question. If so, then I agree, it needs to be looked into asap.

Lambeth Council do them when they propose a new policy.

But as I said we live in a capitalist economy so the likes of NR do not have to give a shit. In the wonderful "free" market EQA are not required as its commonsense that the operation of the free market will lead to the correct outcome.

 

[soupdragon]

Network Rail Board:

Patrick Butcher, group finance director
Patrick is responsible for finance, property, procurement, information management, legal services and human resources. Former finance director positions include English Welsh and Scottish Railway (now DB Schenker), Mapeley, London Underground and King’s College Hospital. His early career was at Deloitte & Touche as a management consultant and auditor. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa).

His bonus

Interview with Patrick