A first meeting between Sleepless Brixton campaigners against noise and nuisance in the town centre, Lambeth council, Transport for London and the police took place last month.
“It feels like we’ve got them to accept that there is a problem. Now we want to see some action,” said a Sleepless Brixton spokesperson.
Local MP Helen Hayes, who set up the meeting, said: “Residents of central Brixton have written to me with concerns about increased night-time noise and anti-social behaviour, which has grown in recent months linked to the increased popularity of Brixton as a late night destination and the emergence of new venues in the area, aided by the Night Tube.”
She welcomed the “vibrancy and health” of the Brixton night time economy, saying central Brixton had always been a residential area and that it was important that the growth of the night-time economy was not at the expense of the health and amenity of local residents.
“Many of the longstanding night time economy businesses are also a part of our community, are responsible neighbours and contribute to making Brixton special and distinctive;” she said. “Many of these businesses are also now at risk from increasing rents and business rates.
“The meeting I convened on this issue brought together a range of key local stakeholders, including residents, the police, Lambeth Council, Transport for London, Brixton BID and longstanding businesses.
“There is a shared view that the current situation has become untenable, and a strong commitment to work together to keep Brixton town centre special, and to create an environment in which residents can live free from unacceptable levels of noise and anti-social behaviour, and where independent businesses can thrive.”
Cllr Mo Seedat, the Lambeth council cabinet member for healthier and stronger communities, said that, while Brixton town centre attracted people from across London and was thriving as a place to eat, work and socialise, “we won’t tolerate anti-social or illegal activity in Brixton, and work with the police and businesses to get the balance right between people enjoying themselves, ensuring safety and tackling illegal traders.”
He said the council was also seeking to work with City Hall and Transport for London to tackle anti-social behaviour in central Brixton. The Sleepless Brixton campaigners stressed again that they want the responsibly run bars and clubs that its members visit and work in to thrive. “But that does not mean that we have to accept people trashing our streets and keeping us awake before they go back to their nice quiet homes and sleep it off,” they said.
They repeated appeals for central Brixton residents to let them know both what is going wrong in the neighbourhood and what is going right. Brixton residents can email the campaign at sleeplessbrixton@gmail.com or sign up via its Facebook page.
