Don't Vote for Demolition

In November, all councillors of the leading party in Lambeth Council,  the Labour Party, voted to continue with estate demolition. They do not support a widespread retrofit policy.  Nor do they demand Passivhaus standard in all new builds, including the council's.

Say No to Demolition

For the local elections on May 5th, every vote will count.  We ask you to not vote for candidates that support this out-of-date, wasteful policy.   

Ask your local councillor to stand up for communities, to say no to demolition and yes to retrofitting existing buildings, recommissioning disused buildings and sensitive infill.

This will house far more homeless, far more quickly than demolition and rebuild, saving Lambeth Council precious time, money and the earth's resources.

Protest - Homes for Lambeth Isn't Working

Sat 12th Feb, 2pm, Outside Lambeth Civic Centre, nr Lambeth Town Hall, SW2 1EG

The amount of council housing available in Lambeth has been shrinking for decades. Instead of taking care of our social housing, the council have been selling it off, running it down and demolishing it.

150 new council-level homes - Just Look at the Graph 

After demolishing 938 homes, and other developers providing 180 additional homes, Lambeth Council will only provide 150 new additional council-level rent homes*.  However, they will produce up to 3,000 additional open market properties.**

Previous demolition schemes at Myatt’s Field North and Clapham Park Estates have been disasters, plagued by shoddy building work and financial mismanagement.

Now, six more Lambeth estates face demolition-this time by the relatively recently-formed ‘Homes for Lambeth’

Regeneration is a Con

Don’t believe council propaganda.  This is an asset stripping exercise based on land values. HfL are forcing residents out of their homes and destroying communities - making our housing crisis worse.

Misspent Funds and Rising Debts

Homes for Lambeth will cost nearly £2 billion over 20 + years and these costs are likely to rise much higher.  Lambeth already owe the Public Works Loans Board £670+ million and they keep borrowing more.           ££millions are spent buying back ‘leasehold ’properties.  Some of which HfL then rent out privately just to pay back the interest.  Others they leave empty.

HRA Subsidies

Instead of spending council rent, which goes into the Housing Revenue Account, on repairs, they are using it to bankroll Homes for Lambeth.

Risky Business

HfL say they will pay all this back with the profits from sales of the new builds but that is highly risky.  And it is council tax payers who will carry all the risk. Success means benefits for property developers & investors, like Savills.  Failure means we all pay, and the council could go bankrupt like Croydon did.

Lambeth and Savills Money Tree

HfL executives have been paid £9 million in public money since 2018. Now Lambeth are paying Savills up to £6.7million to help push these plans forward.

Social Cleansing

Many secure council tenants moved off ‘regen’ estates are offered council properties badly needed by others. Residents who remain face years of stress and anxiety, living on estates which are deliberately neglected.

Empty Homes

Hundreds of sound council homes and ex-leaseholder properties are now wasted, sitting empty, boarded up for demolition.

Environmental, Social and Financial Cost

Demolition is bad news for the homeless, the environment, for residents on the estates, and a massive waste of time and money. Residents have been given no choice.

*The graph shows those to be built on the six Lambeth estates only.

**The graph shows those to be built on estates, The 3,000 includes small sites across Lambeth.

Protest - Homes for Lambeth Isn't Working

Sat 12th Feb, 2pm, Outside Lambeth Civic Centre, nr Lambeth Town Hall, SW2 1EG

Groups in Lambeth and across the UK are fighting to save social housing from destruction. 

We say -Refurbish Don’t Demolish!

Find out more

Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Change.org:  Refurbish Don’t Demolish /Save Central Hill (Community/Estate), @WhyDemolish email: refurbishdontdemolish@gmail.com