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'We fight on, we will win' say Little London residents in Leeds

Bifo | 06.03.2006 15:42 | Free Spaces | Social Struggles

Two weeks after the Council's much-criticised consultation of Little London council estate in Leeds about a proposed £85m PFI regeneration scheme of their area, residents gathered yesterday to discuss how to step up the campaign to save their homes and community from gentrification.

Video - video/mpeg 79M

Campaigners are using an empty bookies window as an infopoint
Campaigners are using an empty bookies window as an infopoint

Public meeting between tenants and council
Public meeting between tenants and council

Nearby luxury flats are empty
Nearby luxury flats are empty



Around 40 people attended the Save Little London Community Day yesterday afternoon (5 March) in Leeds. Held at Space@ community building next to the local primary school, the successful event showcased independent films about council tenants fighting New Labour's disastrous PFI housing schemes on two estates, Chalcot in Camden (London) and Little London in Leeds. Local tenants and campaigners then enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion about what is happening on the estate, in Leeds and across the UK, whilst gobbling down tea, coffee and vegan cakes provided by friends from the Common Place social centre in Leeds town centre.

Tenants understand exactly what is happening to them as part of a city-wide gentrification strategy by the Council. They know full well that the proposed £85m PFI scheme is designed as a basic 'land grab' to bring Little London within the boundaries of the city centre, make developers a lot of money and kick hundreds of council tenants of their own community to make way for more affluent students and city workers. After this meeting, they also now know the following facts:

* 500, 800, possibly over 1000 people could be forced to leave Little London if the Comprehensive Regeneration goes ahead

* 425 homes will be demolished or sold off

* only 125 new council homes will be rebuilt

* some land will be sold off to private developers to build luxury flats and houses

* the council's promises of building 'affordable housing' are bogus: council homes are currently affordable (as little as £6000 under 'right to buy') but new homes could cost well in excess of £100,000 - how many people on housing benefit can afford this?

* the PFI regeneration could take another 5 years to get the go-ahead: the people of nearby Swarcliffe had to wait 6 years for a contract to be signed - and they didn't even get a ballot

* PFI is far more expensive than government borrowing the money itself and is notorious for being overdue and over-budget

Understandably, some tenants did not believe that they can defeat the council. Others, however, were confident that with a clever campaign and some hard work, the PFI can be defeated and the Council and government can be made to rethink the entire council housing renewal policy. Those present brainstormed ideas about where next in the campaign. It was agreed to try to hold weekly meetings in an open community space and not a pub - hopefully this will happen soon. Ideas put forward included: standing candidates for the forthcoming council elections; exploring tenant management alternatives; organise a city-wide meeting of residents and campaigners; get a petition; examine a legal challenge; use the press more.

The most immediate outcome of the meeting was to mobilise to get local residents to lobby the council at Leeds Civic Hall on Thursday 9 March between 2.30pm and 5pm. This is when a meeting of 'stakeholders' of the area - housing officers, Leeds North West Homes (the arms length company which manages the estate), Tenants and Residents Association, community workers - will meet to discuss the results of the recent council 'consultation' of the estate.

Campaigners want as many people as possible to come down - bring banners, musical instruments, v clever chants and slogans to shout at the council.

There will be a meeting to plan this and other aspects of the campaign at 7pm, Tuesday 7 March in The Rifleman pub on Little London estate.

All are welcome.

Bifo

Additions

Breaking News - Stakeholder meeting cancelled

06.03.2006 21:16

I have just been tipped off that Leeds City Council has now CANCELLED the planned Thursday 9 March stakeholder meeting between tenants, councillors, housing officers and community development workers at Leeds Civic Hall.

If anyone from the Council would like to anonymously explain why, please add a comment below.

bifo


Lobby Council Tuesday 14 March!!!

12.03.2006 19:00

A mass lobby of the Town Hall has been called by the Save Little London campaign, starting at 12.30pm, on Tuesday 14 March. Campaigners will march down to the city centre from Little London Community Centre with banners and music, and tell the Council that they don't want their homes to be demolished to make way for luxury flats, that they don't want PFI, they just want the promises of repairs and improvements made over the past 15 years to be kept.

imcer


Comments

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