Locals demand refurbished council housing instead of demolitions and sell-offs

~ Blade Runner ~

Another demonstration against gentrification gathered in Peckham Square on Saturday (1 March) and moved down through Camberwell Green and Elephant & Castle, ultimately arriving at Mercato Metropolitano. The march was organised by the Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency (SHAPE) coalition of fourteen housing justice and community action groups, and joined along the lengthy route by activists from Housing Action Southward Lambeth (HASL). The number of participants was noticeably larger than the previous demo last month, and again received positive reactions from bystanders and drivers. 

The groups aim to intensify pressure on the planning authorities to prevent overdevelopment and the displacement of local traders. Amidst the ongoing affordability crisis and the thousands on waiting lists for council housing, aggressive gentrification plans are being submitted.  One such plan is being proposed by Berkeley Homes for the Aylesham Centre on Peckham High Street. This proposal includes a high-rise complex with limited green space, reflecting investor priorities over community needs. 

The groups’ demands include ensuring genuine community involvement in planning, halting unsafe or poorly constructed developments, and prioritising the refurbishment of existing council housing rather than demolition and sell-offs.  There is also a call to requisition or acquire empty homes, protect and improve estates and community facilities, and empower workers through direct labour. Additionally, the demands stress the importance of addressing the climate emergency by preventing unsustainable building and preserving green spaces, as well as preventing the displacement of local traders due to unaffordable housing projects.

The next action is planned for Wednesday, 19 March.