Council Housing: who needs it? – Southwark Cathedral
May 8th, 2013
Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge SE1 9DA
A public meeting to put Southwark Council’s current Council Housing Consultation in the context of the wider social, ethical and political issues of housing and homelessness.
With Peter John (Council Leader, London Borough of Southwark), Alison Gelder (Director, Housing Justice), Duncan Shrubsole (Director of Policy and External Affairs, CRISIS).
Maiden Lane update – PRP scheme passed 22-3-13
May 2nd, 2013
The lack of maintenance I identified here during a walk around Maiden Lane nearly three years ago is at last being addressed.
Despite my fears about it not being listed something of a C21st compromise has been achieved short of complete demolition and sale to a developer, but rather partial redevelopment on the Eastern side to generate the funds required to maintain the remainder.
PRP have had their scheme passed index number 2012/5552/P look it up at planning-applications
I’ve put the D&A statements on my server to save you time, linked below.
Design and Access Statement-3081668.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081676.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081679.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081688.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081689.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081691.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081692.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081695.pdf
Design and Access Statement-3081698.pdf
Creating mixed communities – or just displacing the poor?
March 5th, 2013
I compiled this list of quotes from Nicky Gavron and others eighteen months ago but with Heygate in flux and WKGG still in contention I think it bears repetition just to remind ourselves that mixed communities are often nothing of the sort and simply an excuse for removing those on the lowest incomes from areas of valuable land.
Heygate – in response to Dave Hill
February 28th, 2013
The real question when considering how the London estates should be “regenerated” if that’s the word (it used to be) is how this ought to be funded and on whose behalf. There was a time when the borough or shire would employ their own architects, quantity surveyors, civil engineers, clerk of works and direct labour force and just get on with it. Those days may have gone in most cases but we need them back.
Blog round up
November 9th, 2012
It’s been quite a fortnight, having rejoined Twitter following an absence of some months I’ve rediscovered the joys of being in touch and the UCL visit would never have happened without the relevant links so thanks for that.
The Anna Minton talk was very timely, tying in nicely with news about estates, their security, their demise, and their regeneration.
Carpenters Estate Newham – Guardian
November 8th, 2012
From the Comments:-
7 November 2012 5:46PM
Why are you so keen on defending this ridiculous practice of allowing social housing in premium areas?
Council houses were built with the view of allowing the working poor to have access to half-decent accommodation (as someone brought up in a Council house I know they are often only half-decent). People invest in what they believe to be ‘their community’, family life and social networks are built. People grow old there thinking they are near their family and friends and that will help as they go into their twilight years. This is one scenario of a community.
Woodberry Down – Koos Couvée
November 2nd, 2012
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicohogg/164474440/sizes/m/in/set-72157600403732490/
Woodberry Down has slipped under my radar in the sense that despite having lived just up the road for over a year, at Stamford Hill, in the 1970s, I have never walked around it or given it much thought. However, a recent article that came to my notice this week is above average and a wonderful description of the goings on there so I think it deserves a mention here.
Living in the City of Tomorrow – Barbican May 29th 2013
October 30th, 2012
This looks worth an evening out for anyone interested in Modernist housing.
The remarkable thing about the Hansaviertel built for the 1957 international building exhibition by scores of what were then the worlds most celebrated architects from Le Corbusier to Niemeyer by way of Walter Gropius, Arne Jacobsen and Alvar Aalto, is that it looks better now than it did then.
Subsidy – misuse of the word
October 2nd, 2012
One of the words used by right wing politicians with no interest in housing anyone who can’t afford to buy a house or pay ever increasing private rent, is the word subsidy. It is almost always used in a perjorative way to suggest that the supposed beneficiary is in receipt of some favour, advantage, or benefit bestowed upon them by a benevolent society when there is no such thing as a subsidy being granted, only misuse of the word.
“We was all one” – London SE1/16 remembered
September 7th, 2012
It was the singing of Jerusalem that got me, accompanied by the camera tracking past block after block of newly completed modernist housing. Here I thought is an anthem to a brighter future, a better tomorrow, a brave new world. Then as the music drew to a close the camera zoomed slowly in on a notice board and I read the word Aylesbury.
