Petition to save low rise Peckham views and prevent high-rise despoliation

[Borderlands]

Don't know if any East Dulwichers go anywhere near Peckham but the threat to the "townscape" is very real as Southwark Council gets further in a mess with the need to raise money by downplaying any desire/need to protect what we have and relying on resident apathy. They appear to be completely at the beck and call of developers who may offer thin community benefit (but not social housing which can easily be forgotten during the process. And the councillors/council officers seem to be scared to protect or object to the destruction of our local character on their electorate's behalf.

The plans for despoiling Peckham Station with a high rise are just the start. The Croydon town centre style now ruining Lewisham could be just round the corner.

Please take a minute to sign the petition to try and stop this- or at the very least get plans reconsidered:

http://www.change.org/p/protect-peckham-s-rooftop-view

Thanks

[Nigello]

Hmmm. I think scores of flats for people to live in, and the associated regeneration it might well bring, trumps the disappointment over a slightly marred view of a few thousand blow-ins between June and September. Frank's will be over in a few years anyway, once the hep cats discover that Upper Norwood is where it's at.

[Loz]

A lot of people throw blame and ineffectual ideas around about house prices, but the only way you will bring down (or at least level off) London house prices is to build more. Lots more. Lots and lots more. And, in zones 1-4, pretty much the only way is up.

So you can be a NIMBY, but don't complain when you are priced out of London.

[Otta]

Homes need to be built, no doubt.

But we are talking Southwark

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/look-heygate-estate-whats-wrong-londons-housing

[Loz]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But we are talking Southwark

>

> http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/look-heygate-estate-whats-wrong-londons-housing

From that article:

Average compensation given to leaseholders of one bedroom flat: ?95,480

Average compensation given to leaseholders of four bedroom flats: ?177,421

I heard about this on ITV news the other day. That sort of payment for a compulsory purchase for a London flat (even in a craphole) must be way below market rate. Is there an appeal? I can't see that being upheld. Which will throw their maths out a lot.

[Otta]

Apparently they fought the CPO and lost. I don't know whether that means they can't challenge the amount.

But that displacement map suggests a lot of them have had to move miles away to afford something.

[lounge lizard]

Those amounts do however represent a massive return on the purchase price if they were bought as a right to buy purchase. A investment return far in excess of what most taxpayers could hope to achieve

[Otta]

Assuming they were all the original right to buy buyers.

And even so, it means nothing in real terms. They have been forced to sell their homes, and given nowhere near enough to buy anything similar anywhere near where they live.

[nxjen]

I am against the right to buy scheme, always have been and always will be. It didn't take anyone with half a brain to see that over time it would lead to a housing crisis which has now become reality. But I really can't blame anyone for taking advantage of the scheme and good luck to them. As Otta says, any profit made by leaseholders on the Heygate estate is meaningless as the compensation they have been offered is insufficient to buy a similar property in the same area or anywhere near, and, as they are no longer tenants, it is no longer the responsibility of the council to ensure they are rehoused. They have got the rough end of the deal and dismissing their plight by saying they received a good return (possibly) is callous.

As for opposing the plans for the regeneration of Peckham, it seems to be that some people are very selective about the regeneration, wishing to keep and enhance the Victorian elements, to gentrify rather than regenerate. Might have happened 20 years ago but now the need is for more and more housing (see first para of my post).

[Otta]

Yeah regarding the OP, I can't sign any petition stopping a load of homes being built just so people have an uninterrupted view whilst they sip their beverage from a roof top bar.

But any opportunity to highlight the total fuck up that is the Heygate situation is okay with me.

[JohnL]

There's derelict houses everywhere - the shop that got burned down in the riots is still a shell and the Greggs next to it - there's a mouse infested area next to co-op house.

Why not in fill - that makes the area look better to start with.

[Mustard]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Homes need to be built, no doubt.

>

> But we are talking Southwark

>

> http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/look-

> heygate-estate-whats-wrong-londons-housing

This was covered on the Inside Out programme on BBC 1 last week. I was shocked when I saw it. Probably still available on iPlayer.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Building more 1 and 2 bedroom 'luxury flats' in the private sector for investors to speculate on, will not have a noticeable effect on prices. We need a significant increase in social housing.

[Earl Aelfheah]

... and significant efforts to grow the northern cities.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Wow, just read that New Statesman article. Southwark Council officials should be jailed for such incompetence / negligence. How can they have sold a 22 acre site in central london on our behalf and lost money on it?

[Earl Aelfheah]

Still, if you believe the simplistic 'supply and demand' argument, then selling off the Heygate Estate to developers in this way will significantly reduce house prices in Southwark right? Ha!

[Otta]

Mustard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This was covered on the Inside Out programme on

> BBC 1 last week. I was shocked when I saw it.

> Probably still available on iPlayer.

Cheers for that, I'll try and find it later. Am really interested in this story.

rahrahrah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wow, just read that New Statesman article.

> Southwark Council officials should be jailed for

> such incompetence / negligence. How can they have

> sold a 22 acre site in central london on our

> behalf and lost money on it?

I read another article which showed that several former Southwark housing officers are now working for the developer. Read in to that what you will.

[Otta]

Can't find the report now, but this blog talks about it

http://betterelephant.org/blog/2013/04/09/report-uncovers-corruption-at-the-elephant/

[Earl Aelfheah]

Thanks Otta, that is really quite startling. How on earth has there not been an investigation into this. It has the appearance at least of serious wrong doing / fraud.

[Jeremy]

Franks/Bussey all well and good, at least they have got people talking about Peckham in a positive light for a change. But is the view from the roof more important than creating new housing? Is preserving the current hipster hangout of choice (for three months of the year) more important than the redevelopment of a crappy-beyond-words shopping precinct?

[Mustard]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mustard Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > This was covered on the Inside Out programme on

> > BBC 1 last week. I was shocked when I saw it.

> > Probably still available on iPlayer.

>

>

> Cheers for that, I'll try and find it later. Am

> really interested in this story.

>

>

> rahrahrah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Wow, just read that New Statesman article.

> > Southwark Council officials should be jailed

> for

> > such incompetence / negligence. How can they

> have

> > sold a 22 acre site in central london on our

> > behalf and lost money on it?

>

>

> I read another article which showed that several

> former Southwark housing officers are now working

> for the developer. Read in to that what you will.

Just checked iPlayer, it says 7 hours left to watch it.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Here you go, a petition to open investigation into sale of Heygate Estate:

Please join this campaign: https://www.change.org/p/the-secretary-of-state-for-communities-and-local-government-eric-pickles-we-call-on-eric-pickles-to-investigate-allegations-of-governance-failure-poor-financial-management-and-potential-fraud-at-the-london-borough-of-southwark-relating-to-the-sale-of?recruiter=152746700&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

[Mustard]

rahrahrah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Here you go, a petition to open investigation into

> sale of Heygate Estate:

>

> Please join this campaign:

> https://www.change.org/p/the-secretary-of-state-fo

> r-communities-and-local-government-eric-pickles-we

> -call-on-eric-pickles-to-investigate-allegations-o

> f-governance-failure-poor-financial-management-and

> -potential-fraud-at-the-london-borough-of-southwar

> k-relating-to-the-sale-of?recruiter=152746700&utm_

> campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=s

> hare_petition

Signed, thanks.

[PokerTime]

The Heygate Scandal is a disgrace. Councillors who have been involved from the start (and those councillors are cross party) will tell you that the colaition changed the rules giving them no option but to follow through. I don't accept that. And it's a process that has been repeated in Hackney too. There's something fundamentally wrong with the people we elect when it comes to their competance regarding regeneration and housing.

That said, I broadly agree with the sentiment above. We need housing, and we need AFFORDABLE housing. The view of a few people at the top of a car park isn't really a valid objection to that need.

[Earl Aelfheah]

If you think that there are lessons to be learnt from the Heygate regeneration, then please do sign this petition calling for an investigation / review (and share it with others): https://www.change.org/p/the-secretary-of-state-for-communities-and-local-government-eric-pickles-we-call-on-eric-pickles-to-investigate-allegations-of-governance-failure-poor-financial-management-and-potential-fraud-at-the-london-borough-of-southwark-relating-to-the-sale-of?recruiter=152746700&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition