Monthly Archives: February 2018

Brixton Community Base news this month. BYB Sign young people up for free bike workshops and also this week at BCB there is a Round table on Refugees Tuesday 7-9pm rsvp: ftil@hotmail.co.uk

Stop press! Our new 2018 Bling Ya Bike project will be starting on Sunday 25 February, 2-5pm at Brixton Community Base.  The project is for 13-18 yr-olds from the Brixton/Lambeth area.  Over 6 sessions participants will learn bike maintenance and also have the opportunity to ‘bling’ their bike.This is a free project but as spaces are limited we encourage anyone interested to complete the registration form and return to me asap.  Participants under 15 yrs will require parental consent.For more information or to return completed registration forms please contact Jane at brixtoncommunitybase@gmail.com

 

Also at BCB Talma Road SW2 1AS  a Round Table on Refugees Round Table event Tuesday 20th Feb 7-9pm

RSVP: Alan Gadd – ftil@hotmail.co.uk – 07889 221 847

Invitation:
Come and share in a multi-faith dialogue on refugee issues.

 

News in February today 12-4pm

Today sees a Swap sale at  Brixton Pound Cafe, you may have seen their makeover. Local people have volunteered to make the cafe  even more welcoming.

A recent Age UK funded event  allowed us to drink herbal teas  sew, darn, customise and decorate.

Also there was, recently a showing of ‘Demain’ about climate change. Something for everyone.

Local people are standing as Trustees for  Brixton Green Somerleyton Trust. Despite what you and some Lambeth Councillors may think. Cooperative Housing scheme work. See 40 years of Brixton Housing Coop. At a recent community  involvement meeting Brixton Green members explained the trust policy and principles.

Job and training coming up see attached links Brixton Neighbourhood Forum next AGM at The Dept. Store  Ferndale Road Feb. 27th.

Training for for unemployed 18-25 year-olds.  There is an initial 6-week programme to develop team-working and personal skills, while gaining practical experience.  This is followed up by 1:1 mentoring to help participants achieve their goals.  If you know a young person who could benefit from New Shoots, contact education@vauxhallcityfarm.org

and Sleepless in Brixton is pursuing how to  get London Mayoral involvement in Night time economy plans which are detrimental to local residents. The GLA currently has a Night Time Commission which is consulting until 20 February.  This is not consultation which is open to individual residents, but a residents’ organisation such as Sleepless Brixton can make submissions, and Amy indicated that it would be very helpful for you to do so.  The consultation can be found here and responses sent to night@london.gov.uk : https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/mayors-cultural-vision/london-night-time-commission/night-time-commission-consultation

Individual residents can comment here:  https://www.london.gov.uk/talk-london/arts-culture/londons-night-time-economy

3. The London Plan consultation is also currently open, and Amy again indicated that it would be very helpful to have representations from residents on aspects of the London Plan that relate to the night time economy.  The details are here https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/new-london-plan/how-comment-draft-london-plan

Brixton Green/Somerleyton Trust Housing is one of key issues in Lambeth for the future.

The blog was asked to advertise for new trustees for the project. Brixton Green/Somerleyton Trust. Housing, along with  funding of Adult Social care are key issues in Lambeth for the future.

Some of our local residents have been involved with Brixton Green now a Housing trust for many years as £1 shareholders and some in the neighbourhood have been community trustees.

What is the future for community led schemes or  any opposition to Council plans, as Lambeth Council rejects a community led approach and delays Somerleyton scheme yet again.

Join the campaign to get community led housing built NOW.

On 7th March Brixton Green Somerleyton Trust AGM (6.30 pm) and Brixton Community Voices Event  (starting 7.30 pm) at The Department Store in Fern

Ferndale Road

Lambeth want to set up another subsidiary of the Council’s new wholly controlled development vehicle Homes for Lambeth to develop the site. But Somerleyton Road will be at the back of a long queue – its not even mentioned in the business plan. It will be years before they start work. In contrast our plan shows we can be on site in 12 months.

We don’t even know if they are going to be able to stick to providing the same amount of genuinely affordable housing and social rent at Somerleyton Road as we want, or if they intend to sell off some of the flats.

Proposal

We have now put together a proposal that delivers our vision of community led housing with residents in control, and meets the financial and legal requirements of the Council, as it is ‘for the public benefit’. This is an exciting and innovative proposal that has received support and interest from the GLA and other national players.

Our proposal offers huge benefits for Lambeth:

  • Enables the community to lead – ensures that residents are in control and establishes a community-led landlord for the long-term through the Somerleyton Trust.
  • Financially and legally viable – backed by strong delivery and financial partners: Places for People, one of the largest housing associations in the country who are willing to work on behalf of the Somerleyton Trust as a Delivery Agent helping us to build it, to support a community-led approach, not as a landlord.
  • Delivers homes our residents need – the project is for 234 flats in total, all for rent, with 50% genuinely affordable housing (117 flats) – 65 at real social rents, 36 at rents less than Local Housing Allowance and 16 at intermediate rents (above social rent but below market levels). All of these are defined as ‘Affordable Housing’ but we want them to be genuinely affordable for local people paying no more than 30% of typical local household incomes. These community-led homes will remain for rent in perpetuity, and will not be available for the ‘Right to Buy’.
  • Ready to start work now – Places for People have long experience, serious delivery capacity and a team ready to go.
  • Reduced risk for the Council – Our proposal does not require Lambeth to borrow any money for construction or long-term operations, but they keep ownership of the freehold.
  • Affordable housing increases over time – Because the landlord is the Community Trust it will be required to maximise the proportion of genuinely affordable housing which can increased to 75% by Year 15.
  • Long term security and high standards for all residents – All homes are built to the same standard, and tenants paying market and social rents live side-by side. Rents are linked to residents incomes for everyone except those nominated by Lambeth on social rented terms and tenants have security that they can stay in their home when their income changes.