Just not taking it

Residents on the Cressingham Gardens estate in Lambeth are celebrating a small victory in their three year-long campaign to save their homes from demolition after being granted a judicial review.

Lambeth Council says the 300 homes are in too poor a state of repair to be saved and wants to demolish the entire low-rise estate opposite Brockwell Park to build luxury apartments.

On Monday (July 20) the council decided they would go ahead with plans to clear the site to make way for 464 new homes – around 120 of which will be sold privately for profit.

A demonstration of more than 300 people protested with placards and loudhailers outside the town hall as councillors met to discuss the regeneration of Cressingham.

But a judge has granted the residents a judicial review. Although a date is yet to be set the council cannot proceed with plans until a decision is made.

“We are all so happy,” Gerlinde, a homeowner on the estate and a Unite Community member told UNITElive.

“This decision shines a light on Lambeth and their poor decision making. What we really hope is that their actions are found to be unlawful,” she added.

The council’s reasoning behind demolishing the estate is that the properties are in a poor state of repair, even though residents say they have had no issues with leaks.

The council has put aside ÂŁ1.4m for the repairs, which it says is immediately required to weatherproof the estate irrespective of the regeneration.

However they are asking leaseholders to pay up to £14,000 towards the cost of repairs, money that most simply don’t have, right before their properties are set to be demolished.

“The whole thing has been a roller-coaster ride for us,” said Gerlinde.

Just say no

“But we’re just not taking it. This is not just us say no, no, no. We are putting forward an alternative solution with green refurbishment,” she added.

The Cressingham residents have a number of events planned over the next few weeks to help raise the profile of their campaign and funds to pay for their human rights lawyer.

During Open House London (September 19 and 20) there will be an architecture exhibition in their community hall and a tour of the estate where visitors can see inside homes and private gardens on the estate, which was designed by Edward Hollamby, a heritage-listed architect and a champion of modern low-rise estates.

“There are a number of regeneration programmes taking place across Lambeth and the council is trying to crush Cressingham to make an example,” said Gerlinde.

“It really knocks the wind out of you but we will keep on fighting,” she added.

There’s an i-petition you can sign here 

Watch a short film on the human impact of regeneration