A Very Indecent Act.

In response to the Government’s Decent Homes Standards, Brent Council is evicting over 30 Housing Co-op tenants from Allington Road by 4th November 2005. This runs contrary to the South Kilburn Masterplan which clearly states that ‘All residents living in South Kilburn will benefit from the regeneration,” there were never any exceptions. Brent Council received the regeneration grant on the back of this statement.

Brent council switched policies of inclusion and community by instead diverting grant money to address its family housing waiting list. Tenants and Leaseholders overwhelmingly turned down Brent Council’s decision to re-convert the existing 1 bed flats into 4 bed houses, but evictions have gone ahead regardless of public opinion.

“Brent Council wants to rip the heart out of my community.” Says Sue Carberry, a Council tenant living on Allington Rd for over 20 years. “We are happy with our neighbours, we feel safe and they are our friends. I feel proud to be a part of such a vibrant friendly community.”

“This Regeneration is a joke!” Says Bill Couch, a leaseholder who has lived there for over 30 years. “As a leaseholder the Council demands that we pay up to £22,000 towards their decent homes standards. I am approaching retirement, where will I get that sort of money.” The Council have told Bill to pay for a new roof, new gates and other re-styling. “Brent Council was democratically elected and yet it behaves like a dictator.” He says.

Residents are fearful of their community turning into a crime ghetto when the proposed 24 large families from the Councils Housing list moves in. Last week a 20 metre graffiti mural, paid for by Brent Council, was painted on top of the Victorian walls of Allington Road. The graffiti refers to images of youth culture, high rises and urbanisation. “How would the councillors feel if their neighbours vanished and what replaced them were graffiti and strangers” says Violet Bell a tenant for nearly 10 years “We feel totally betrayed by this Council”

Many Co-Operative tenants are Key workers, teachers, nurses and charity workers who find hardship through renting privately and yet do not qualify for Council housing. “We are invisible” says Filippo Massa a Co-operative tenant.

This is a trend which is set to continue under the governments Decent Homes Act. “We call it Decent homes Scandal” says Matthew Gillick a Co-operative tenant living on Allington road for over 12 years. “I need a roof over my head not a fitted kitchen”

The regeneration masterplan documents refer to Allington road as the Artisan Quarter. The area is busy with professional artists who have created a network called www.artisanquarter.com . These artists have leant meaning to the words Artisan Quarter but they too are being evicted.

The tenants facing eviction belong to Brent Community Housing (BCH), a Co-operative under great strain as a result of the Decent Homes Act. This year alone 100 BCH tenants will be homeless and a further 200 will follow. BCH has been unsuccessful in acquiring new homes for its members. Members are un-happy with the way BCH has handled this eviction crisis. Matters have not been helped by the resignations of both the Director and Housing Manager of BCH who are set to leave this month.

‘I am not looking forward to the future” says 62 year old Gordon Rodgers who faces eviction. “I was a drug addict for 40 years. This year I stopped shooting up, having a stable home has finally helped me. But I am petrified of the future, just as my life has come together it has also been taken away.”

Mr. Jack Davies, Director of South Kilburn New Deals for Communities (SKNDC) has actively supported the tenant’s rights to remain within South Kilburn, as originally stated in the Masterplan. “I wish I were in the position to offer Allington Road tenants a solution’ says Mr Jack Davies an opinion shared by the SKNDC “Unfortunately our partner Brent Council does not share our view.”

Mr Martin Cheeseman, Director of Housing for Brent Council promised to prioritise re-housing to BCH tenants affected by the Council hand backs, So far nothing has materialised from this statement. For those who face the streets on the 4th November, this is just another empty promise.

This is a Community who will loose out and not benefit from Regeneration.
This is Allington Road, a community torn apart by Brent Council.



ENDS 742 words

www.allingtonroadsos.org