Residents of Carlton Mansions Housing Cooperative have received an eviction notice despite believing they were to have a ‘civilised handover’ with the council.
The notice of eviction was received in late August and set the date for this Tuesday, September 30 at 9.50am. One current resident who wished to remain anonymous said: “Sending in the bailiffs is counterproductive as we have been cooperating with a handover to the Somerleyton Rd project. The aim being a civilised handover.”
Some residents have already left the Housing Cooperative this year after the stress of court actions by the council and some, though not all, have been rehoused by the council. Those in the process of moving have made sure that the Mansions has been kept secure while the building is being emptied.
The resident talking to the Brixton Blog said: “We gave access to the Council for a building condition survey a few weeks ago despite receiving the warrant. The Coop has no wish to hold up the Somerleyton Road project.” Residents had hoped they would be able to hand over the building in a considered way, helping it to become a temporary arts space in Brixton before it is most likely put to use as a cultural centre in the new Somerleyton redevelopment.
Many now fear that the building will be vandalised and deteriorate dramatically with no-one to look after it in their absence. “I do not want to see the Mansions trashed by the council or anyone else”, said one. “The Cooperative has kept the Mansions going for the past 30 years.”
Lambeth cabinet member for housing, Councillor Matthew Bennett, said: “Carlton Mansions is a serious fire risk for anyone living there, and that is why a court settlement was reached earlier this year giving Lambeth Council legal possession of the building.
“The council made it a priority to find alternative homes for those occupants eligible for rehousing and we have been in constant communication with Carlton Mansions residents over many months.
“We have already been able to offer six of them somewhere else to live…
“Carlton Mansions is a key element of the Somerleyton Road regeneration, which will bring hundreds of affordable homes, new work space and a theatre to the centre of Brixton…
“However, the building will need to be made safe before it can be used for this purpose. We have therefore commissioned a further building condition survey and a fire risk assessment, which will help us decide how we can use Carlton Mansions in the interests of the entire community in the future.”
[…] calls a “genuine” co-op; presumably a Council-sanctioned and initiated one, and one which Carlton Mansions shortlife housing co-op had to make way for earlier this year… Hardly befitting the ‘co-operative council’s’ claim of wanting to […]
[…] calls a “genuine” co-op; presumably a Council-sanctioned and initiated one, and one which Carlton Mansions shortlife housing co-op had to make way for earlier this year… Hardly befitting the ‘co-operative council’s’ claim of wanting to […]
No doubt it would have cost less to do fire safety works than spend thousands dragging us through the courts and paying the team of daleks working on getting short life residents out.
LBL wanted us out any way they could. They used terror; 3 attempted injunctions for a 48hour exit and offered hostel room for £ 286 a week that no-one could afford. They treat short life residents as lower class citizens, it’s institutionalised prejudice.
The shopkeeper is still there because he is not in a short-life co-op.
We’d always agreed to go and fit in with the Somerleyton project but there’s no room for common sense and reasonableness once you’re in court with LBL.
And does he mean ‘affordable’ in Boris’s sense of the word? not short of market value? – if so, that is definitely not social housing for people on low incomes.
If its a “serious fire risk” then why is the shopkeeper not also been told to vacate the Mansions?
Have just posed this to the council — will feedback
Zoe
[…] calls a “genuine” co-op; presumably a Council-sanctioned and initiated one, and one which Carlton Mansions shortlife housing co-op had to make way for earlier this year… Hardly befitting the ‘co-operative council’s’ claim of wanting to […]
[…] calls a “genuine” co-op; presumably a Council-sanctioned and initiated one, and one which Carlton Mansions shortlife housing co-op had to make way for earlier this year… Hardly befitting the ‘co-operative council’s’ claim of wanting to […]
No doubt it would have cost less to do fire safety works than spend thousands dragging us through the courts and paying the team of daleks working on getting short life residents out.
LBL wanted us out any way they could. They used terror; 3 attempted injunctions for a 48hour exit and offered hostel room for £ 286 a week that no-one could afford. They treat short life residents as lower class citizens, it’s institutionalised prejudice.
The shopkeeper is still there because he is not in a short-life co-op.
We’d always agreed to go and fit in with the Somerleyton project but there’s no room for common sense and reasonableness once you’re in court with LBL.
And does he mean ‘affordable’ in Boris’s sense of the word? not short of market value? – if so, that is definitely not social housing for people on low incomes.
If its a “serious fire risk” then why is the shopkeeper not also been told to vacate the Mansions?
Have just posed this to the council — will feedback
Zoe