AWL supporter Jill Mountford is the AWL’s candidate in the general election, standing in Peckham and Camberwell against Labour’s Harriet Harman. Peckham is a deprived area in South East London, with high levels of unemployment and poverty. At the centre of the constituency is the Aylesbury estate, home to 8,500 people. The estate gets a lot of bad press, being described by the Daily Mail as “Hell’s waiting room”.
Two weeks ago the AWL held an election meeting on the estate. And we found that the people that live there generally feel very differently to the Mail.
The homes on the Aylesbury are generally of a good size and are purpose built to a good standard. The problem is that there has — quite deliberately — been no real investment in the estate’s buildings for a long time.
The Aylesbury is earmarked for demolition, despite the wishes of the residents.
Jill Mountford comments, “In 2001 there was a ballot on the estate to decide whether Southwark Council — then Labour controlled — should give away these homes to private housing associations, trashing the assured tenancy contracts that give residents security by replacing them with the so called “secured tenancy” contracts — these contracts are designed and weighted in favour of the landlord. 73% of residents voting, said a big, loud “no” to this offer. Less than 10% of residents said “yes”.
Harriet Harman said she would respect the decision. But we all know that she, and her New Labour mates, haven’t.
The estate is due to be pulled down in stages, being replaced by a massive PFI housing development. The overall number of homes will be reduced and the number of council homes will be radically cut. What will be delivered is a “mix” of housing, including many so-called “affordable homes”. The problem is that these homes will not be affordable to those currently living on the estate.
The council currently has a waiting list of 15 000 and this project looks likely to increase that number and to push out many of the poorer residents.
In addition, as the Liberal-Tory council fails to improve the estate which it intends to demolish it is collecting around £1 million each month from the Aylesbury tenants in rent. The residents are being milked for cash.
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