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

[T & P]

Any actors/ celebs getting on board? Some of them offered good support to the Ritzy workers during their Living Wage campaign. It'd be nice to see more of the same here...

 

[editor]

Any actors/ celebs getting on board? Some of them offered good support to the Ritzy workers during their Living Wage campaign. It'd be nice to see more of the same here...

One for jayrayner I would have thought!

This is always the frustrating bit of a campaign: when you're all fired up but have to pause to get the full picture and work out the most effective way to proceed.

 

[trabuquera]

I would just advise to avoid emphasising corporate/chain side of things. I don't know who, if anyone, they have their sights set on as new tenants but if I worry that if we go in saying 'Argh corporate, urk chains' then they will most likely counter with a 'no, no, no. We're looking to attract diverse businesses, artisanal this, independent that, blah blah'.

ditto - as a tactical approach, might it be better to argue simply on grounds of tenants' rights, rather than anti-gentrification or anti-clone town? Ideological splits over that sort of thing could be sidestepped by sticking to a line of "Network Rail, treat your longstandig existing tenants decently and don't fuck them over", which almost nobody could object to ...

 

[Winot]

As leanderman pointed out to me, Network Rail is a public body rather than (supposedly) a greedy capitalist running dog. Morally it seems to me that they therefore hold property in trust for the people, rather than having an obligation to shareholders to maximise revenue etc. Perhaps there is something in their constitution (?) which could be used to support the traders' cause?

 

[quimcunx]

Does that mean you can do FOIs? Not that I know what use that would be but someone might.

 

[Winot]

Does that mean you can do FOIs? Not that I know what use that would be but someone might.

Tricky Skills

 

[lazythursday]

Network Rail are also the bad guys in a current proposal to redevelop a characterful part of Manchester city centre - destroying a music venue and a lovely old pub to be replaced by bland corporate shit.
http://www.youngengineers.co.uk/manchester-oxford-road-station-cornerhouse-plans-released/

 

[Tricky Skills]

Oh yes. Network Rail are most definitely FoI-able.

Ask away.

 

[editor]

 

[snowy_again]

But someone I know who has a connection to NR said that they're 'maximising income' to cover their losses elsewhere.

Is there any chance of included the Herne Hill businesses in the process too?

 

[High Definition]

What I would like to know is what senior officers in Regeneration knew about this. As the shopkeeper in the deli reckoned the Council knew about NR plans.

I agree, as someone who attends Future Brixton consultation meetings, that I resent the time I have put into it.

I remember at one of the Future Brixton consultation meetings the Council consultant told me I was a cynic.

This is quote from FB website

Well that’s a load of bollocks now.

Network Rail have also torn up the timeline for the masterplan:

Network Rail attended all the Brixton Central Masterplan meetings. They new about Future Brixton. Now Network Rail have unilaterally decided to proceed with no consultation with local community.

Tom Bridgeman, LB Lambeth's lead for the Brixton Central Masterplan, was at a meeting this morning set up to discuss creative arts in Brixton. Some of us took the opportunity to ask him how long Lambeth have known about Network Rail's plan to serve notices on tenants in the arches between Brixton Road and Pope's Road. He told us that Lambeth were informed about the plan by Network Rail just before Christmas but told the information was confidential. I got the impression that Lambeth aren't particularly happy about this move on Network Rail's part

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Cnuts

As leanderman pointed out to me, Network Rail is a public body rather than (supposedly) a greedy capitalist running dog. Morally it seems to me that they therefore hold property in trust for the people, rather than having an obligation to shareholders to maximise revenue etc. Perhaps there is something in their constitution (?) which could be used to support the traders' cause?

Network Rail say "We are the not for dividend owner and operator of Britain’s railway infrastructure…."

They have some "transparency and ethics" pages on their website which blather on about how they are open, honest and accountable. Need to keep the pressure up on them…they are taxpayer funded after all.

 

[critical1]

[QUOTE="t Lambeth were informed about the plan by Network Rail just before Christmas but told the information was confidential. I got the impression that Lambeth aren't particularly happy about this move on Network Rail's part[/QUOTE]


Everything in Cabinet.. is confidential, just ask our Cllrs.. stiff upper lipped or have they anything to say? It's not like they haven't had the opportunity not to say anything to date, apart from a sweet photo opportunity from the desperately ill.

Critically Critical.

 

[editor]

Astute reader comment on the Buzz piece:

Jim, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but an influx of new shops doesn’t equate to “an injection of investment”. In fact, in terms of local economics, an influx of new “chain” shops sucks more money out of the local economy than it contributes in the shape of employment opportunities. This is basic “economics 101″. If such change were good for the majority of Brixtonites, Id’ be all in favour of it, but I’ve spent the last 40 years watching gentrification take place in south-west (and latterly south-east) London, from the shore of the Thames outward, and it’s never yet benefitted the majority, only the incoming minority.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Having thought about it, I wonder whether political pressure on Network Rail might be a useful tool in this campaign. There's a general election coming up and MPs/prospective politicians will be eager to please. Getting public expressions of support for the traders could be useful (if not difficult.)

I imagine Chuka will be sit-on-the-fence useless, but those of you in the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency (in which the arches lie) would do well to write/tweet/facebook not only to local outgoing MP Tessa Jowell (who might be more honest in her reply cos she's not seeking re-election) but also to her likely successor, Helen Hayes.

http://www.tessajowell.net/contact-us/

To contact Tessa Jowell please write to:

Rt Hon Dame Tessa Jowell MP
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

Telephone number – 0207 219 3409
E-mail address – jowellt@parliament.uk

Details of Tessa’s Advice Sessions are available here

Find me on Facebook here

Follow me on Twitter here

If you are unsure whether you are in the new Dulwich & West Norwood constituency check the constituency map by clicking here or by entering your postcode here



https://twitter.com/helenhayes_

http://www.helenhayes.org.uk

 

[tompound]

Astute reader comment on the Buzz piece:

Yep, it's something we've banged on about for a long time. 'Jobs and growth', the portfolio under which this whole development sits, is a complete misnomer when the jobs are minimum wage in chain retail and the proceeds of growth aren't shared.

 

[Ms T]

I'm not sure there's much point in contacting Tessa as she's standing down - although there are rumours she wants to be Labour's mayoral candidate.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Astute reader comment on the Buzz piece:

Astute, you say?

 

[ViolentPanda]

I'm not sure there's much point in contacting Tessa as she's standing down - although there are rumours she wants to be Labour's mayoral candidate.

True, although there are stronger rumours that Sadiq Khan is the preferred runner. Not surprising, really. Jowell has a lot of party and personal baggage that makes some of the Labour wonks wince, whereas Khan is a "clean skin".

 

[Chrisco]

Labour promised to put NR back into the public sector. In typical Labour fashion they either never or barely rolled back Tory spivery. This is why I am voting Green. i don't trust Labour since Blair. You can barely see the blurred line between them & the coalition. When pushed into a corner they will come up with any old excuse not to backtrack. This was stolen from the public like all our other services & should be taken back & not a fig given. They owe us if anything. Getting very sick & tired of this cancerous privatise profit, socialise cost rigmarole inflicted on those simply trying to make a living. All I see is a class of privileged useless eaters laughing maniacally with their foot on the financial hose pipe. Parasites. I'm signing the petition & not just hoping for the best but writing to the council & my MP. Utterly disgusted.

 

[MikeInBrixton]

The reason I shop in Brixton is to go to shops like these, while I'm there I also spend money in the boring shops I can find anywhere. If these shops go so do I (and I expect many like me) and M&S, Smiths, Sainsburys and the rest will lose income too. The corporates have to made to see that resisting this vandalism is in their own financial self-interest (the only interest they understand)

Network Rail couldn't run a piss up in a buffet car.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

If anyone on this thread who's opposed to what Network Rail are doing are thinking of voting for any of the main political parties in May, think again.

This - evictions, rentier-scum landlordism - is what all the main parties support, wholeheartedly.

(In fact, most of them are actually massive property owners and/or landlords.)

 

[editor]

Apparently Jack Hopkins was in A&C and getting a bit of an understanding about how passionately people are opposed to this and what they think of Labour's involvement.

 

[:-D]

I was away working until last night and just catching up. Can't believe this.

I agree with everybody who is saying this needs to be well coordinated and united in the goal that the shop keepers want to achieve. If this is treated like a well run project it will have a successful outcome. Tactical reactions will cause an overall failure here.

A strategy is needed that the shopkeepers have agreed and it has to be put into action with maximum efficiency. Getting agreement on this strategy might be difficult but it is essential.

All protest efforts, dealing with network rail, the council, the media, legal response, online responses, etc etc everything should be part of this strategy. A steering group with roles as above, properly defined, who can make decisions in their area should be set up. The goal is getting the shopkeepers what they want in the end. Single mindedness and focus and a fucking load of passion and this will turn out ok. Anything else will be a disaster.

A steering group would be perfect, I feel a little overawed by it all at the moment, partly because we've yet to sit down and discuss what outcome we want as leaseholders I have lots of ideas and i'm sure we'll have a lot more after the meeting on Sunday. I'm conscious that this could be a long drawn out process and don't want to be wasting all our ammo on the first skirmish. i'm not sure which way to points the guns to be honest. If anyone would like to volunteer it would be a great weight off, i can provide as many Portuguese Custard Tarts as needed to fuel progress.

I can meet up and discuss how to plan a strategy etc, over a glass of alcohol if needs must, I've been happy (if not coherent) to speak my piece to reporters but i want this coverage to count. Mike has switched me on to the need to coordinate efforts.

I've been put in touch with a Barrister who is happy to look at our leases in order to gauge the state of play, albeit not Pro Bono.

I've got a street artist, whose very media savvy and raring to join the Fray. He did the recent two pieces on our shutters.

We have an offer to produce posters for all the Units ( although we need a design to put on them, i have ideas but no skills.)

We need Slogans

etc etc etc

i'm all ears

 

[editor]

I'm happy to play whatever part I can in all this. Just give me a shout! Either way, I'll be coming every day to see what's going on and how I can help.

 

[editor]

Oh and design - I can do that and know people who are probably better than me too.

 

[tompound]

I have a friend who has volunteered to produce some visual stuff that you can all put on your shop fronts - I'll have a chat with her now.

If some funds are needed for campaign activities then we have the Brixton Fund which we have recently set up, built using transaction fees from electronic B£ payments. It's not a huge amount but we'd gladly make some available in this instance. Your wife has my contact details if need be.

 

[Chrisco]

Where is the meeting on Sunday & at what time?

 

[Brixton Hatter]

Well, won't you look at this - prospective Labour Parliamentary candidate for Dulwich & West Norwood, Helen Hayes (a shoe-in for the seat, surely) supports the cause……

 

[editor]

Where is the meeting on Sunday & at what time?

It's for the traders only.