GLA MEMBER SLAMS CENTRAL HILL DEMOLITION DECISION AS “A SCANDAL”
The Lambeth council cabinet decision to demolish Central Hill estate, Crystal Palace has been slammed as a ‘scandal’ by GLA member Sian Berry.
The London-wide Green party councillor says “Lambeth have ignored the huge efforts made by people on the estate to develop their own plans.
“And if he lets this decision stand the Mayor (Sadiq Khan) will have broken his manifesto pledge to let residents have the final say over any plans to demolish their homes.
“I have been questioning the Mayor about Central Hill and asking him to ensure the people’s plans for refurbishment were considered and all plans and processes were transparent.
“I will be challenging him to live up to his promises and stand up to Lambeth council on this.”
Central Hill resident Pete Elliott – who stood as a Green party candidate in last year’s by-election for Gipsy Hill ward in which the estate stands, says reports to last Thursday’s meeting had nothing in them describing the environmental impact on transport, air pollution and global warming thgrough carbon emissions.
“There is no suggestion in the reports that those living on the estate or on neighbouring streets will be affected by living next to a building site for the next 10 years with the resultant dust and heavy plant fumes.
“What mitigations will cabinet members for housing; and for environment and transport* be putting in place to protect our environment and ensure there is no additional suffering for residents who trusted you, voted for you and who you are being paid to represent and protect?” he asks.
“This is a disastrous proposal which will only benefit bankers, estate agents and developers and will destroy the inter-dependent Central Hill community, costing the borough of Lambeth for decades to come” Mr Elliott added.
SURVEY CONTINUING……
Residents on central Hill estate are continuing with their survey on the planned demolition of the estate.
“We have not finished surveying” says Karen Bennett who chairs the estate’s residents and tenants association.
“We will continue until we manage to contact everyone we possibly can on the estate. “This is even more important now that the decision to demolish has been approved by cabinet.
“The process is therefore ongoing, and the stats are likely to change in the future, although, it is unlikely that there will be anything but a majority against demolition.”
Of the council’s own survey which claimed a majority of residents are in favour of demolition Karen added: “Nothing is substantiated.
“We will be following this up with the relevant organisation which scrutinises polls and surveys.
“Ours is fully substantiated, is not ‘friends knocking on friends’ as one cabinet member suggested – and, contrary to popular belief, I do NOT know all the residents on the estate.
“Furthermore, we have documented written responses from residents explaining their choice of either pro or against regeneration.
“These responses will be collated and published in a booklet for all to see, with the permission of the residents. “There are many interesting, informed and articulate responses from people who are not the idiots that the council would like to portray them as being.”
“A second survey, to establish ‘housing needs’ is also in the process of being done. “This is more in depth, and intended to collate information in order to compile a social impact statement; something the council have NOT done.
“We need to identify our most vulnerable residents, in the event that the estate does come down, to understand the needs of families and individuals on the estate, and ensure they are protected.”
(Note: Lambeth’s cabinet member for housing Cllr Matthew Bennett and Lambeth cabinet member for environment and transport Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite are both councillors for Gipsy Hill ward. Both voted in favour of demolishing Central Hill at last week’s meeting. – Ed.)
Further reading:
CENTRAL HILL SURVEY SHOWS RESIDENTS OPPOSE DEMOLITION – BUT LAMBETH COUNCIL’S CABINET JUST VOTE FOR IT ANYWAY News From Crystal Palace March 24, 2017
‘Power to the People. Our leaders need to learn from their intellectual superiors – the public.’ Opinion piece by Tim Martin, chairman of Wetherspoons. Wetherspoon News Spring 2017. (Available free in the Postal Order pub Westow Styreet SE19 and other Wetherspoons hostelries across the UK)