Then and now: St Agnes Place

[Brixton Hatter]

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

DURING

AFTER

 

[William of Walworth]

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 ) for me to be arsed just now, but that would be appreciated ...

 

[zenie]

Dont think I can say anymore that hasnt been said on previous threads about St Agnes

It's *really* weird round here without it though, kind of eriee

70's squatting doc

more 70's squatting doc (longer)

93 Demolished

big st agnes thread

Bakelite letter to ES

donations needed

the evitcion

Lambeth Town Hall Demo

more demo (longer)

wake for st agnes

the beginning of the end

call for solidarity

start of evictions

30 years of DIY culture and resistance

*phew*

there are loads though William - they're just a few

 

[boohoo]

god, that's so depressing.

 

[exleper]

kin ell...

 

[William of Walworth]

Cheers for those links zenie, I had no idea there were so many

 

[pootle]

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

 

[onenameshelley]

god thats so depressing, and further more A FUCKING DISGRACE (i never thought i would use that phrase)

 

[Streathamite]

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!
I echo shells; FUCKING DISGRACE!!!!

 

[grosun]

that fucking sucks.

 

[zenie]

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

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

 

[Brixton Hatter]

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.

 

[Pie 1]

To be fair

There is nothing fair about the whole sorry episode.

 

[zenie]

There is nothing fair about the whole sorry episode.

Dont quote me out of context

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 (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]

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.

 

[Pie 1]

Dont quote me out of context

I wasn't. I was playing on your words.

 

[zenie]

I wasn't. I was playing on your words.

CBA

 

[Kanda]

Whats the backstory to this?

*uninformed*

 

[Brixton Hatter]

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]

A couple more 'in between' photos here

 

[Brixton Hatter]

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/

 

[aurora green]

Yeah, the short eviction film is worth a watch as well. See just how keen Lambeth were...

 

[Structaural]

* cries

 

[onenameshelley]

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

 

[zenie]

* 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 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*

 

[zenie]

Whats the backstory to this?

*uninformed*

You walked past it when you came to my house

 

[onenameshelley]

*Bangs head on desk*

*puts cushion under Zenies bonce*

stop that you will crease your fringe

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?

 

[William of Walworth]

Whats the backstory to this?

*uninformed*

Check the links in post 3 as well mate ....

This is all a seriously bad story

 

[Brixton Hatter]

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.

 

[newbie]

... softened up by the raid the other week. I thought they'd got a proper license, but maybe not.

such a shame