The Save Old Kent Road campaign is planning a major demonstration in Southwark next weekend as well as an appearance at the National Housing Demonstration this Saturday, writes Rich Brann.
Alongside the Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency (SHAPE) group, the national demonstration in Central London this weekend as well as the march along the Old Kent Road a week later will see the groups advocate for change to the current regeneration plans.
Last Saturday saw the protestors hire an old London Routemaster bus to tour the road, urging Southwark Council to increase the amount of social rented housing in it’s plans for Old Kent Road. It also called for increase protection for the Old Kent Road’s cultural spaces.
Tanya Murat, SHAPE Coalition said: “It is time to start challenging the rule of developers, as they were forced to do with the Aylesham Centre Peckham planning
application, which they refused because it only proposed 12% so-called affordablehousing.
“We have to stand together against overdevelopment of homes local people can’t afford – we are demanding homes for people, not for profit, and protection for vital
local traders and cultural spaces.”
The next Save Old Kent Road demonstration will take place on April 25, highlighting that of the 20,000 homes to be built in the massive regeneration plans, that only 5,000 will be of social rent, 25 per cent. They are advocating for the council to commit to a definitive number of council homes in the project.
The plans are due for public examination in June.
The protestors have called the current Old Kent Road regeneration plans ‘social cleansing’, describing it as gentrification of an area with a huge need for housing.
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Southwark Council’s waiting list for social housing currently has more than 22,000 households on it, with more than 10,000 people in temporary accommodation in the borough.
It follows the Mayor of London lowering the amount of affordable housing required of new London developments from 35% to 20%, in a bid to attract new developments in the capital, with protestors campaigning against the change as well.
Jerry Flynn of the 35% Campaign said: “We need more affordable and family housing, but, incredibly, the Mayor has brought in new planning rules that will get us even less…he is also approving cuts in affordable housing on big developments like Canada Water, while still giving developers public money.
“Southwark Council must take a stand – every new private development in the borough must continue to have at least 35% affordable housing and public funds should go direct to building council housing.”
