“CENTRAL HILL RESIDENTS ON ANTI-DEPRESSANTS BECAUSE OF DEMOLITION THREAT”

“CENTRAL HILL RESIDENTS ON ANTI-DEPRESSANTS BECAUSE OF DEMOLITION THREAT”
 
People living on the Central Hill estate have been driven to taking anti-depressants because of Lambeth council’s plans to demolish their homes.

Pete Elliott, Green party candidate in the forthcoming by-election in Gipsy Hill ward in which the estate stands, said: “I’ve been on the Central Hill estate. “It’s heartbreaking. “People are on anti-depressants.

“Lambeth council are railroading demolition through. “They are not consulting. “They are not looking at communities.”

His comments came at a hustings meeting last night (Monday) in Christchurch, Gipsy Hill attended by six of the seven by-election candidates.

He said he had been at meetings with ASH (Architects for Social Housing) who had produced, with the help of residents, a viable alternative which Lambeth council say they don’t have the money for.

“But they have plenty of money to hand over to Savills. “It’s a sham. “You haven’t learned from your mistakes and you’re doing the same with Cressingham Gardens.” (another estate which sits between Tulse Hill and Brockwell park and which Lambeth also want to demolish – Ed.)

His message to Lambeth council: “You’ve got to learn to listen to people.”

“The only aspect Lambeth Labour councilors are looking at is the financial one. “They are not considering the social aspect and the environmental aspect  and where all this is going to go.”

Lambeth were spending £16,000 on a chief whip and a further £5,000 on two deputies. “This is no austerity. “They are not consulting.”

Coinservative candidate Leslie Maruziva said Lambeth were not consulting their people as much as they should.

“In cases where they have I don’t think they have actually listened to what the people are saying.”

From the floor, Crystal Palace resident Joe Duggan said Central Hill had not had enough air time that evening.

“I’ve yet to meet a resident there who’s pleased their homes are going to be demolished. “I’ve met a lot of people in Crystal Palace who don’t believe it.. “There’s anger, frustration, disbelief. “It’s ripping out people’s lives.”

And Central Hill resident Nicola Curtis told the meeting: “We’ve spoken a lot about consultation. “Thje residents of Central Hill don’t feel anybody consulted. “We’ve been talked at and told this.”

Answering questions later in the meeting Mr Elliott said there should be a full investigation into  Greenwich Leisure (which wants to install gyms in three libraries) and their relationship with Lambeth council.*

Steve Nally, TUSC Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate, said the problem is that Labour no longer listen to the community. “It doesn’t listen to the members within the Labour party who oppose it.

UKIP candidate Elizabeth Jones said councilors were on £10,597 per annum – a cost of £1.1 million. The libraries budget is £1.7 million. If people served their community for free that would put £1.1 million back into the pot. It would be interesting to see how many people stood as councilors, she added.