Forum Topic

South Acton Regeneration

On Tuesday 3rd May at 7.00pm there will be a public meeting at the Oak Tree Community Centre,Osborne Road on the South Acton Estate. This meeting is being held because of the stubborn and insensitive attitude of the council towards the residents of the South Acton Estate over the regeneration of their Estate.The council has consistently ignored the complaints of residents and tried to portray them as being happy with the regeneration,a portrayal that is patently untrue.We hope to have present representatives of the council and the developers to answer questions but this will be a resident-led meetingfor local people to let the authorities know exactly how they feel about the way they are being treated.We would also like to invite anyone from other estates in the borough  that are being redeveloped and any other interested parties to come along and voice their opinions on the development of their communities and hopefully liase with us to create a movement of opposition towards present council policy.Bob Little.Thinker, drinker and gentleman anarchist.

Bob Little ● 3784d29 Comments

We will be emailing everyone who gave us contact details eventually, but unfortunatly the people that I set up the meeting with are leaseholders and have all been given their eviction notices, so they are trying to set up a data base whilst putting their furniture in storage and finding somewhere new to live.This is the kind of treatment tennents of South Acton can expect.In the meantime, if anyone else wants to get involved and help out and speeds things up [computor skills would be great, mine are pitifull] please email me directly [robertlittle1959@yahoo.co.uk].

Bob Little ● 3756d

Maybe the council should consider a wider racial mix than just people from Somalia . Do we really need this total Somalian influx and anti tribalism offices! Anti tribalism this is london !!

Dennis Brogan ● 3757d

Has the next meeting been scheduled Bob?  I haven't received an email as such. I remember some points being mentioned in the last one:1) Form a name for the group2) Elect a chair, vice etc3) Get some social media presence4) Get an email out to everyone with an update/next meeting

Jay Bower ● 3757d

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the subject of South Acton regeneration was raised during Sadiq Khan's first Mayors question time. Assembley member Kurtan described the plight of tennents very well but unfortunatly our local Assembly rep "Wonky" Sahota chipped in implying that everything on the Estate is rosy,despite Mr. Kurtan's statement to the contrary.The stuggle continues!

Bob Little ● 3757d

Thanks for the explanation. It's disappointing if promises made at the start of this project haven't been kept. Unless this was always the plan. The impression I got was that residents who wanted to stay would be able to do so, but that's not the case from what you say.

Peter Evans ● 3759d

The problems with the regeneration of South Acton are as follows:1/ Leaseholders are being offered below market prices for their property forcing them out of the area and possibly London as they will not be able to afford one of the new builds.2/Council tennents are being handed over to Housing Associations which will charge higher rents for smaller homes, a service charge and a higher council tax,with no safeguards in place to stop them rising even higher.3/Families on benifits are being threatened with being decanted out of the area with no firm promise of returning.4/Once regeneration is complete, London and Quadrant will not only own the buildings but also the land,in effect making Acton Gardens [the new name] their own private town.These developments are happening all over the country. To many of us this is unexeptable and is nothing more than a declaration of war on the working class of this nation. If we don't make a stand now it will be to late to reverse the situation. This regeneration should be for those already living on the estate, not the more affluent owners being moved in to supplant us.

Bob Little ● 3759d

peter yes cant  see any where I look about  the  promlem need to  let  people  know  as  we all  cant  go  to  the meetings

John Kennedy ● 3759d

For those if us who didn't attend this meeting and haven't been following things closely, it's difficult to work out from this blog what pressing issues have come up at this stage of the South Acton Estate Regeneration. Are tenants not being decanted or leaseholders offered a chance to transfer within the development as promised? Is the work proceeding too slowly or too quickly? Can someone summarise the problems?

Peter Evans ● 3760d

On Wednesday morning,May 25th David Kurtan, a newly elected member of the London Assembly will be raising the plight of South Acton residents at the London Mayor's question time at City Hall. This will be Sadiq Khan's first question time as London Mayor so it should recieve a lot of media attention.Lets hope the message filters through to Ealing Council.

Bob Little ● 3760d

What is the problem this all went to planning etc

John Kennedy ● 3766d

You really do need to join up with the other estates in similar situations, if you log onto https://killthehousingbill.wordpress.com/and also their Facebook page - Kill the Housing Bill -secure homes for all.You will find the other groups who will have lots of legal advice and help.

Libby Kemp ● 3767d

I'm a firm believer in social housing for people in need. But hang on: you're claiming approaching 1 in 5 people in Ealing is reliant on council for accommodation, and that's not high enough?

Malcolm Pacey ● 3774d

Last nights meeting went very well indeed with over 100 people attending [one colleague said she counted 113] with people having to stand at the back as we ran out of chairs,and this was a large hall. Apart from the extremely amateurish,slightly tipsy yet ruggedly handsome Master of Ceremonies [what was his name?]the response showed the discontent many residents feel over the regeneration,something the council seems to want to avoid.Present to answer questions on behalf of the council was Cllr. Joanna Dabrowska [Ealing Common ward ] and she has promised to help with residents concerns and hopefully inform the Council of the anger and frustration many of us are feeling.The meeting itself lasted 2 hours but many people stayed on much longer to talk one to one and give contact details which we shall be putting into a data base and emailing everyone information about future meetings and developments.If anyone else wishes to get involved with our struggle please get in touch. 

Bob Little ● 3779d

Unfortunately I couldn't get back in time for the meeting. Could you post a summary of points raised and outcome of the meeting. Thanks

Patrick OBrien ● 3780d

Bob can't make it tonitecanu keep us informed about how things go! Please

John Kennedy ● 3780d

Barwick House,Carisbrooke Court, the Working Mens Club and the council flats on Brouncker Road are scheduled for decant and demolition in Phase 8, starting at the end of 2017. Those with secure tenancies will be offered the opportunity to move in to new flats being developed in Phase 6 (where Hardy Court & Charles Hocking House are now).

Peter Millman ● 3781d

You may be interested in this video:http://windowsontheworld.net/video_type/social-cleansing-and-housing-crisis-explained/

Libby Kemp ● 3781d

Bob, I'm sorry I have another commitment out of London.  Also I'm not sure I qualify as I don't live on the estate. I do feel very strongly about the provision of quality social housing and that it should be evenly spread through all boroughs. Many families will never be able to purchase their own homes, especially in London. Six month tenancies from private landlords at inflated market rents are not the answer.

Libby Kemp ● 3781d

Come along tomorrow night and maybe you can find out John.

Bob Little ● 3781d

What  are they plans for barwick house

John Kennedy ● 3781d

I trust I'll see you at the meeting to voice these opinions then Libby.

Bob Little ● 3782d

I believe the regeneration was started when the tories led Ealing.

Libby Kemp ● 3782d

I believe the regeneration was started when the tories led Ealing.

Libby Kemp ● 3782d

Oh come of it, social cleansing? You demean the term greatly. As someone with relatives still living on an estate in Hackney you are joking right? It's a complete dump. If they could move they would. More social housing ? What monolithic , soulless, crime ridden (usually) piss ridden soviet style estates? The vast majority of people want to own their own property , that's why the right to buy proved so popular. And you're accusing a Labour Council off acting like Shirley Porter when all it is trying to do is improve people's circumstances, ithink about it, it hardly wants loads of rich , or middle class voters imported in.Ex council estate boy

Gary Sinclair ● 3782d

This is social cleansing, no more and no less, redolent of Lady Porter in Westminster in the 1980's only this is for money not for votes. Only 17% of housing in Ealing is social housing, unlike Hackney which has about 30% of upgraded and really well run social housing estates. We need more social housing in Acton and not the community dispersed to the outer reaches of greater London and further.

Libby Kemp ● 3782d

Thanks for the tip Patrick but try to come along and ask the question yourself, we need all the support we can get.

Bob Little ● 3782d

Can you ask if an asbestos assessment has been carried out prior to demolition? When the flats were constructed it was common practice to use blue and brown asbestos. If the demolition takes place and the proper precautions are not taken to remove the asbestos safely it will seriously affect the health of the local population as the micro particles will be ingested to the lungs and the results in a few years will be fatal.

Patrick OBrien ● 3782d

Does anyone have some figures on how many ex-residents who want to stay after rebuild do manage to?

Paul Webster ● 3783d

Sorry but I like how the estate is being transformed , I think it's an exciting development and making the area look so much better. I believe this Labour Council has the best interests of social housing tenants at heart. Sorry I know this is a view you won't like.

Gary Sinclair ● 3784d