Earl Aelfheah

Update: the petition has passed 500 signatures in just a few days.

White Chicks

Scotland - Don't vote with your heart. Or head. Just use the pencil provided.

I don't like nationalism. The flag waving, the tribalism, the inherent parochialism. It nearly always relies on some resentment of 'the other'. UKIP blame everything on Brussels, the SNP on the English/Westminster, the BNP on ethnic minorities and foreigners. The SNP has good rhetoric - I too would like to see a more progressive Scotland - but also a more progressive UK and a more progressive EU. Such things are much more likely to be achieved together, through co-operation, solidarity and collective action. Fragmentation and factionalism is not an answer.

Apparently Brown has just made an amazing speech which is going to change everything (sounds highly improbable I'll grant you). Anyone seen / heard it?

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Otta Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I liked this bit of that article. > > "Lend Lease, in a defence that verged on farce, > pleaded the human right to ?peaceful enjoyment of > its possessions?, arguing that disclosing the > viability assessment would amount to ?unjustified > interference with this enjoyment? > > > Poor lambs, having their human rights abused. > Unbelievable.

As of 4 O'clock, there are over 300 signatures.

An article in today's Guardian about just this subject... http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/17/truth-property-developers-builders-exploit-planning-cities

Hi James. Would you back / help promote the campaign for an investigation into the sale of the Heygate estate? Petition is here: https://www.change.org/p/heygate-estate-scandal-demand-an-investigation?recruiter=152746700&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Thanks for highlighting the issue on the forum Otta. The petition has over 150 signatures already, which is great. I encourage anyone who hasn't already to sign and also share with others if you can.

Southwark council sold the Heygate Estate for ?55m to private developer Lend lease. The cost of evicting tenants from the Heygate is set to be in the region of ?65m - meaning the sale (on our behalf) of a 22 acre site, has actually led to around a ?10m loss. Lend Lease meanwhile, are expected to make around ?194m profit from the deal. A number of former council officers involved in the negotiations with developer Lend Lease and are now full-time employees of Lend Lease. Please join (and share) the campaign for an investigation into allegations of governance failure, poor financial management and potential fraud at the London Borough of Southwark: https://www.change.org/p/heygate-estate-scandal-demand-an-investigation?recruiter=152746700&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Otta Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Agree with Quids though, ED is not the type of > place I'd have wanted to live when I was a > student. Apparently 20 is the new 40. The youth of today are mild - all cupcakes and laughing gas. East Dulwich is the perfect place for them innit.

Even if the CCTV was not trained on the bike rack, it should have caught the thieves leaving the station with the bike I would have thought. I would press the police to look at it.

That's true, but the relationship is not entirely straight forward. I think the answer to London's housing crisis is unlikely to be found in more luxury flats.

I believe in supply and demand generally, but think that the London housing problem is far more complex than simply increasing supply as it's not just a domestic market. There are also very different types of supply. More investment properties for overseas speculators isn't going to help as much as new council owned properties for example. If you're talking private developments -there would have to be a huge number of new properties in London before it made any dent in prices and I think it's highly unlikely that such an increase is going to happen (for one thing there is little incentive). Also when they are being used purely for speculation and promoted into new overseas markets they could conceivably add to the problem. I do support a huge investment in social housing specifically. Additionally we need to encourage growth in regional cities rather than concentrating everything in London and the Southeast.

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

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

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.

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!

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?

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

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.

something like this:

I'm assuming Coldharbour Lane is used to link the exit from Brockwell Park to Ruskin Park and Champion Hill, although it's unclear.

This is quite nice: http://twitter.com/visitlondon/status/509340998476906497/photo/1