View Full Version : Then and now: St Agnes Place
Brixton Hatter
12-10-2006, 18:57
I know a few people on here are interested in squatting, housing in Lambeth etc and particularly St Agnes Place. I cycle through St Agnes Place every day and it never fails to depress me with what they did there earlier in the year/last year. I popped off a few photos on my camera the other day, so just for posterity, here's the before and after pictures...gutting, isn't it.
BEFORE
http://www.sapling.org.uk/images/general/stagnes432x288.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40984000/jpg/_40984510_squats_story203.jpg
DURING
http://static.flickr.com/6/68626747_f735b1f2c1.jpg
AFTER
http://www.t3rbo.com/photo/img/e61b3ec9d8d35a515e7fbde95a903a6b/St%20Agnes%20Place%20October%202006-1.jpg
http://www.t3rbo.com/photo/img/ffbf251959704172a0c2aa75ac3dc577/St%20Agnes%20Place%20October%202006-3.jpg
William of Walworth
12-10-2006, 21:06
:mad: :mad:
I think aurora's got some pix as well :(
Can someone do me/Urban a favour and link to any surviving relevant threads where all this was discussed at the time?
It's a bit "late" (ahem :D ) for me to be arsed just now, but that would be appreciated ... :)
:(
Dont think I can say anymore that hasnt been said on previous threads about St Agnes :mad:
It's *really* weird round here without it though, kind of eriee :confused:
70's squatting doc (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=150491&highlight=agnes)
more 70's squatting doc (longer) (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=150001&highlight=agnes)
93 Demolished (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=159573&highlight=agnes)
big st agnes thread (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=137901&highlight=agnes)
Bakelite letter to ES (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=142215&highlight=agnes)
donations needed (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=142263&highlight=agnes)
the evitcion :( (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141750&highlight=agnes)
Lambeth Town Hall Demo (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=142066&highlight=agnes)
more demo (longer) (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141795&highlight=agnes)
wake for st agnes (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141796&highlight=agnes)
the beginning of the end (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=139432&highlight=agnes)
call for solidarity (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=140386&highlight=agnes)
start of evictions (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141721&highlight=agnes)
30 years of DIY culture and resistance (http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=107330&highlight=agnes)
*phew*
there are loads though William - they're just a few :(
god, that's so depressing.
William of Walworth
13-10-2006, 08:49
Cheers for those links zenie, I had no idea there were so many :(
I'm amazed the land is just sitting there empty. Who'd thunk?
You'd have thought the big rush to get everyone out that they'd be putting new housing up in a proverbial jiffy :rolleyes:
onenameshelley
13-10-2006, 10:10
god thats so depressing, and further more A FUCKING DISGRACE (i never thought i would use that phrase):mad:
Streathamite
13-10-2006, 10:46
ah good to see they're putting that land to so much productive use, given the housing shortage they, umm, made worse with the evictions! :mad:
I echo shells; FUCKING DISGRACE!!!!:mad:
I'm amazed the land is just sitting there empty. Who'd thunk?
You'd have thought the big rush to get everyone out that they'd be putting new housing up in a proverbial jiffy :rolleyes:
To be fair - it is being developed they just havent got round to that bit yet as they're currently working on the playground.
It is a fuckin disgrace and there was no need - except to fill Lambeths pockets :mad:
Brixton Hatter
13-10-2006, 12:53
I wonder if the "Worldwide Ethiopian Federation" who reside in a few of the remaining Victorian houses towards the north end of the street (i.e. the only ones that weren't demolished) are under threat too? They've boarded up the fences around their houses and also the front gate. Not sure if that's just for privacy or a protective measure - if it's the latter, they've not done a very good job cos the wooden boards are fixed to the fence with plastic cable ties that wouldn't last longer than the 'snip' of a bailiffs scissors.
To be fair
There is nothing fair about the whole sorry episode. :(
There is nothing fair about the whole sorry episode. :(
Dont quote me out of context :mad::p
I wonder if the "Worldwide Ethiopian Federation" who reside in a few of the remaining Victorian houses towards the north end of the street (i.e. the only ones that weren't demolished) are under threat too? They've boarded up the fences around their houses and also the front gate. Not sure if that's just for privacy or a protective measure - if it's the latter, they've not done a very good job cos the wooden boards are fixed to the fence with plastic cable ties that wouldn't last longer than the 'snip' of a bailiffs scissors.
You mean the rastas :D (there aint no Ethopians living down there that I've ever seen ;) ) Ermm not too sure tbh - if they had been facing eviction it would have happened by now. I dont think they're squatted either, probably LA owned.
aurora green
13-10-2006, 13:13
:mad: :( :mad: :(
Really depressing to see those recent photos..
WTF was it all for eh?
Throwing people out on the street just a couple of weeks before Christmas and demolishing those beautiful houses...????
And the thing that makes me really angry, is all those people who made those decisions are completely unaccountable.
It's a bloody disgrace.
Dont quote me out of context :mad::p
I wasn't. I was playing on your words.;)
I wasn't. I was playing on your words.;)
CBA :p
Whats the backstory to this?
*uninformed*
Brixton Hatter
13-10-2006, 13:35
I've edited the OP to add a "during" photo - which was taken from a similar angle to one my photos. Should give people a better idea of the space.
aurora green is right of course. All those people made homeless in the middle of the winter and the site is still fucking empty nearly a year later. At least Keith "£3m" Fitchett and the tories have fucked off now. Good riddance.
aurora green
13-10-2006, 13:42
A couple more 'in between' photos here (http://allgreeny.blogspot.com/2006/03/i-was-shocked-and-slightly-horrified.html)
Brixton Hatter
13-10-2006, 13:45
Whats the backstory to this?
*uninformed*
Houses in the street squatted since the 70s, Lambeth Council evicted the residents with bailiffs and riot police back in Nov/Dec 2005 and demolished about 30 perfectly decent 4 storey victorian houses.
More info and pics here: http://www.stagnesplace.net/
http://www.stagnesplace.net/images/lambethstompbig.jpg
aurora green
13-10-2006, 13:57
Yeah, the short eviction film (http://stagnesplace.net/media/agneseviction.ram) is worth a watch as well. See just how keen Lambeth were...
Structaural
13-10-2006, 14:02
* cries
onenameshelley
13-10-2006, 14:18
:mad: :( :mad: :(
Really depressing to see those recent photos..
WTF was it all for eh?
Throwing people out on the street just a couple of weeks before Christmas and demolishing those beautiful houses...????
And the thing that makes me really angry, is all those people who made those decisions are completely unaccountable.
It's a bloody disgrace.
Actually you have summed it up better than i could its the fact that yet again the fucking cunting bastards that have done this, kicked families out of their homes, destroyed a well established community will get away with it scot free. Because Lambeth is all about Community right? Fucking twunts:mad:
* cries
Yes, while on one hand I dont want to be reminded of it all - OTOH I still had a roof over my head unlike some. And as for watching the vid again :eek: :( No way!! (Even if there is a lovely lady with a pushchair in it ;))
The week of the evictions I wrote to around 250 people and it did nothing.....all seems a bit pointless putting up a 'resistance' to this kind of shit now :(
*Bangs head on desk*
Whats the backstory to this?
*uninformed*
You walked past it when you came to my house ;)
onenameshelley
13-10-2006, 15:47
*Bangs head on desk*
*puts cushion under Zenies bonce*
stop that you will crease your fringe:mad:
Its frustrating but if you give up all hope of well... hope that things will change then they have won, so although this battle was lost there is still a war to be won.
Good grief that was all rather positive now wasnt it? :D
William of Walworth
13-10-2006, 21:40
Whats the backstory to this?
*uninformed*
Check the links in post 3 as well mate .... :( :(
This is all a seriously bad story :mad:
Brixton Hatter
16-05-2007, 08:53
The rasta temple on St Agnes Place is being evicted right now.
I've just been past on my bike on my way to work and there's plenty of coppers, riot vans etc and the road is sealed off. I managed to get quite close round the back through the park. Unlike when the evictions of the other squats happened over a year ago, there's virtually no-one about, apart from an army of coppers and other workmen - who appeared to be plumbers and electricians. I'm guessing they are going to cut the utility supplies in advance of demolishing the remaining houses. The last three properties are huge terraced three-storey victorian houses, beautiful buildings. If they're knocked down, it's fucking disgrace and a total waste of decent housing. No doubt they will be replaced by bland flats.....but I expect the site to stay empty for the time being...just like the rest of the road has been empty for the last 18 months.
:(
... softened up by the raid the other week. I thought they'd got a proper license, but maybe not.
such a shame :(
It's quiet cos there was no-one in there to evict.
Looks like the buildings will be knocked down-
Given the state of the building, it is likely it will have to be demolished.
From here- http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/exeres/E13C4EEF-5253-4F4C-BFEC-E977219EA9FA.htm under 'Friday 13 April'.
In my opinion the loss of the buildings is the real shame here.
aurora green
16-05-2007, 09:10
The rasta temple on St Agnes Place is being evicted right now.
I've just been past on my bike on my way to work and there's plenty of coppers, riot vans etc and the road is sealed off. I managed to get quite close round the back through the park. Unlike when the evictions of the other squats happened over a year ago, there's virtually no-one about, apart from an army of coppers and other workmen - who appeared to be plumbers and electricians. I'm guessing they are going to cut the utility supplies in advance of demolishing the remaining houses. The last three properties are huge terraced three-storey victorian houses, beautiful buildings. If they're knocked down, it's fucking disgrace and a total waste of decent housing. No doubt they will be replaced by bland flats.....but I expect the site to stay empty for the time being...just like the rest of the road has been empty for the last 18 months.
:(
:(
Don't think the site'll stay empty for that long though...
The council just were waiting for a way to evict the temple without any upset.:mad:
Now they can cash in.
Expect "luxury flats" very soon
In my opinion the loss of the buildings is the real shame here.
I agree completely. They were fantastic buildings with brilliant gargoyles and Lambeth should have de-squattered them and done them up years ago. They did it with loads of streets all across the borough by offering shortlife or hard-to-let places, or by coming to agreement with the residents and granting them tenancies. There was no reason why that shouldn't have happened in St Agnes, although the untogetherness of successive generations of squatters didn't help.
Brixton Hatter
16-05-2007, 13:29
The coppers have had their catering van parked outside for the past few weeks to service the officers who seem to be stationed there 24 hrs. I guess the police presence was for protection rather than intelligence gathering, with the police catering van to deter any would-be (alleged) drug purchasers.
Brixton Hatter
20-08-2007, 15:01
The "rasta temple" on St Agnes Place has now been demolished, as these pictures show. None of the original four storey victorian houses on that road exist anymore now, save for a small row of posher-looking ones further up the road that appear to have been built slightly later than the old squatted houses. The only signs of the previous character of the street are the railings painted red, gold and green.
May 2007
http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205752.NWeGDf1H.jpg
June 2007
http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205753.dUy9xNmQ.jpg
July 2007
http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205764.3Z5QKyfA.jpg
Anyone know what the plans are for that bit of land? Flats I guess. It even looks like the new flats on that road are going to be demolished too...the ground floor is all boarded up. I guess they have to evict those people as well before they can start work proper. :(
None of the pictures are appearing for me.
If you like, you could send me copies and I'll make a page for the Brixton 'squats' section on urban75?
Be good to have St Agnes properly documented in the Brixton section...
Brixton Hatter
20-08-2007, 15:50
Hmmm, not sure why that is :confused: . Here's the links.
May 2007 (http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205752.NWeGDf1H.jpg)
June 2007 (http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205753.dUy9xNmQ.jpg)
July 2007 (http://i.pbase.com/g6/39/791039/3/84205764.3Z5QKyfA.jpg)
I'll email you the pics as well, ed, happy for you to use them for whatever if you credit them to me! Cheers.
I'm getting 'forbidden' errors for those links!
My email is mike - at -- urban75 .com
They aren't working for me either.
Sad that the old buildings have gone but that area is certainly a nicer place to live now the 'temple' has gone. They really should have kept the old buildings & renovated them.
Are those newer flats squatted too then? I have no problem with that building being knocked down as it's a fucking eyesore. I strongly suspect that whatever gets built in place of the lost buildings will also be an eyesore but I would be happy with new buildings in the style of the older ones.
I did call a number that was displayed on the door of the 'temple' after the raid but before it was levelled, it was Lambeth Council and the woman didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I left my tel number & my email address asking for information but no-one ever got back to me.
Brixton Hatter
20-08-2007, 16:23
ok, third time lucky for the pictures.
http://www.pbase.com/bicyclerepairman/st_agnes_place
They aren't working for me either.
Sad that the old buildings have gone but that area is certainly a nicer place to live now the 'temple' has gone. They really should have kept the old buildings & renovated them.
Are those newer flats squatted too then? I have no problem with that building being knocked down as it's a fucking eyesore. I strongly suspect that whatever gets built in place of the lost buildings will also be an eyesore but I would be happy with new buildings in the style of the older ones.
I did call a number that was displayed on the door of the 'temple' after the raid but before it was levelled, it was Lambeth Council and the woman didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I left my tel number & my email address asking for information but no-one ever got back to me.
As I understand it the reason the council demolished them was that years of not being properly maintained meant that they were structurally unsound. Personally I'd rather they were properly rennovated since they'd have been much nicer than your average quality of new flat in Lambeth. But I can see that it could have been more expensive to retrofit things like good insulation than to start from scratch.
Anyone know what the plans are for that bit of land? Flats I guess. It even looks like the new flats on that road are going to be demolished too...the ground floor is all boarded up. I guess they have to evict those people as well before they can start work proper. :(
I’m not sure that those newer flats on the opposite side of the road from the Rasta house are squatted, I think what’d be more likely is that as people have moved out the council have boarded them up as they will be demolished when the building work starts on the sports and leisure centre and the affordable housing/housing association/private sales apartments are built. I’ve seen the plans and it looks fuckin horrible :(
Bearing in mind the first load of squats were knocked down in 2005, I think it’s disgusting that it’s taken so long to do any kind of work on the site. :mad:
I've posted up a feature here: http://www.urban75.org/brixton/features/st-agnes-place.html
It took me bleeding ages to research it all, but please post up any errors/missing info.
The Brixton section has now grown so much it's becoming very unwieldy to navigate, so I really do need to redesign the thing soon!
Bearing in mind the first load of squats were knocked down in 2005,
I'm sure some went before then. There are two patches of grassed over land next to the street which there must have been houses on at some point.
There's some info on here somewhere- http://www.stagnesplace.net/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=1
I'm sure some went before then. There are two patches of grassed over land next to the street which there must have been houses on at some point.
There's some info on here somewhere- http://www.stagnesplace.net/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=1
I meant in recent years with regards to the new development - they were knocked down because the land was being sold to a private developer.
Ok, but they are still patches of land that are owned by Lambeth which used to have (badly needed) housing on them which was knocked down & have not redeveloped since way before 2005.
I’ve seen the plans and it looks fuckin horrible :(
Any idea if these are on the net at all?
I've not had any planning notification through my door, I'm sure I haven't.
Just a quick bump to plug this thread- http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=241784
Incidently, the trial of the Rastas arrested in the raid last year has just started.
Incidently, the trial of the Rastas arrested in the raid last year has just started.
What were they finally charged with? Posession of a firearm? All other charges were dropped weren't they?
whitedove
27-02-2008, 12:52
my ex husband used to live in one of them houses on st agnes place.he was one of 12 kids,bet they'd be worth a few million all done up and sold off now,
They aren't going to be done up.
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