Perhaps this is why – Sadiq Khan’s backing for Labour candidate in yesterday’s Gipsy Hill ward by-election – Ed.
CENTRAL HILL RESIDENTS STILL WAITING FOR A REPLY FROM LONDON’S NEW MAYOR
Central Hill residents who wrote a letter to the new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan back in April are still waiting for a reply.
Nicola Curtis and Karen Bennett – who are, respectively, chairperson and secretary of Central Hill residents association – planned to hand the letter to Mr Khan at a fundraising event. Mr Khan was unable to attend and the letter was given to a third party.
Among the points they make in their open letter “on behalf of all the residents on our estate as well as on five other council estates across Lambeth facing demolition as part of the Lambeth council regeneration scheme they say:
“Despite Lambeth being a Labour council, they are acting with total disregard of the values that define the Labour party and their manifesto for the rights of ordinary people.
“Lambeth are riding roughshod over the will of the communities living on these estates, deaf to objections from either the residents or the wider communities to Lambeth’s plans to raze thousands of homes to the ground, fracturing communities, families and friendships, disrupting the education of children, and causing mayhem and uncertainty for many, many people.
“Lambeth have flouted rules and regulations with regard to consultation of residents, lied about the reasons for their regeneration plans, manipulated financial data, withheld vital information from residents, and even, in the case of Cressingham Gardens, ignored a judgement made by the High Court.
“We have found that Lambeth council believe they do not NEED the agreement of the residents, that they do not NEED to show proper justification or even NEED to consider other possibilities before demolishing the homes of both tenants and leaseholders.
“Democracy is absent in Lambeth council, as those in charge, scheme and connive to deprive residents of the homes they have paid for over many years, and strip away secure tenancies, in order to access land for development.
“Not to create more affordable housing, but to create huge profits for themselves.”
Karen told News From Crystal Palace: “We never got a reply, even though we emailed it again to Florence Eshalomi and Sadiq Khan at the email address on their propaganda leaflets. “Nothing, zilch…….silence. “Now he is responding to Sian Berry as if he never heard from us.”
(Florence Eshalomi is a Lambeth councillor and newly-elected GLA member for Lambeth and Soputhwark. Sian Berry is a Green party London-wide GLA member.)
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “The Mayor looks forward to working closely with Lambeth council to deliver the new affordable homes that Londoners so desperately need, with a fair deal for existing estate residents.” (And suggested we should send the letter direct by email to the Mayor.)
The full text of the letter from Nicola Curtis and Karen Bennett reads as follows:
Dear Mr Khan,
We are pleased to be able to be here this evening to lend our support to your campaign to become London’s new Mayor. As Labour supporters and members of the Labour Party, we are both excited at the prospect of a Mayor who will represent ourselves and other ordinary working people, and who will make the real concerns of Londoners a priority in his new role.
However, as well as being members of the Labour Party, we are also residents on the Central Hill Estate in Lambeth, and we are writing this open letter on behalf of all the residents on our estate as well as on five other council estates across Lambeth facing demolition as part of the Lambeth Council regeneration scheme.
We are doing this because, despite Lambeth being a Labour Council, they are acting with total disregard of the values that define the Labour Party and their manifesto for the rights of ordinary people. Lambeth are riding roughshod over the will of the communities living on these estates, deaf to objections from either the residents or the wider communities to Lambeth’s plans to raze thousands of homes to the ground, fracturing communities, families and friendships, disrupting the education of children, and causing mayhem and uncertainty for many, many people.
Lambeth have flouted rules and regulations with regard to consultation of residents, lied about the reasons for their regeneration plans, manipulated financial data, withheld vital information from residents, and even, in the case of Cressingham Gardens, ignored a judgement made by the High Court.
Because of the gross mismanagement of others in recent years, life in the capital has become increasingly challenging for Londoners as we faced several years of austerity, rising bills and housing costs, cuts in public services and stagnant wages.
However, for most of us, the one true constant and the only real security we have is the roof over our heads. One assumes that so long as you pay your rent or your mortgage, your home cannot be taken from you.
Sadly, we have found that Lambeth Council believe they do not NEED the agreement of the residents, that they do not NEED to show proper justification or even NEED to consider other possibilities before demolishing the homes of both tenants and leaseholders. Democracy is absent in Lambeth Council, as those in charge, scheme and connive to deprive residents of the homes they have paid for over many years, and strip away secure tenancies, in order to access land for development. Not to create more affordable housing, but to create huge profits for themselves.
You surely don’t need us to tell you how important these rights are, as they provide the basis for fairness and justice for all in our society, irrespective of status, the very essence of Labour policies. Yet the leader of the council, Lib Peck, those heading the Lambeth regeneration plans, such as Sue Foster, Neil Vokes and Julian Hart, and even the Labour cabinet members including cabinet member for housing, Matthew Bennett have treated all those affected by their plans with absolute disdain and arrogantly disregarded objections and even expert advice in their misguided ambitions.
The responsibility will therefore become that of yourself Mr Khan, as Labour Mayor of London, to tackle those Labour Councils who fail to uphold the rights of ordinary people to vote against those plans to destroy homes and lives.
It is time to restore honour and dignity to the Labour Party and remove those who would betray the values that they have been elected to uphold. We demand that our rights be recognised, that our homes be protected and laws be upheld. We shall expect that as a Labour Mayor of London, you WILL restore Lambeth Councils’ accountability to the residents of Central Hill Estate.
Yours sincerely,
Nicola Curtis and Karen Bennett
Chairperson and Secretary of Central Hill Residents’ Association