# Former job centre in Josephine Avenue in Brixton is squatted



## leanderman (Sep 26, 2012)

A tweet I saw today suggests that the former job centre in Josephine Avenue has been occupied, in some way or other.

A planning application had just been put in for 42 studio flats for students.


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## leanderman (Sep 26, 2012)

Here is the sign. No idea what it means


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## Crispy (Sep 26, 2012)

Original: http://www.squatter.org.uk/index.ph...new&catid=7:notes-for-new-squatters&Itemid=44

Well prepared squatters.


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## DJWrongspeed (Sep 26, 2012)

studio flats for students? you'd get a load more students in if it were a propa 'Halls of Residence.'

Nice one anyway, been empty a while,


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 26, 2012)

it's worth noting that the message of welcome is written on the outside of the glass, the notice on the inside.  so someone local is pleased to see them!


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## Onket (Sep 26, 2012)

el-ahrairah said:


> it's worth noting that the message of welcome is written on the outside of the glass, the notice on the inside. so someone local is pleased to see them!


 
You walk past there every day, you say?!


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 26, 2012)

Onket said:


> You walk past there every day, you say?!


 
heh, not me this time


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 26, 2012)

do i look like a man who uses smileys in graffiti?


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## Onket (Sep 26, 2012)

I have no idea!


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## ViolentPanda (Sep 26, 2012)

leanderman said:


> A planning application had just been put in for 42 studio flats for students.


 
Yeah, that seems to be the latest money-spinning wheeze for developers. I'd be interested to see how developers would get "change of use" from business to residential, though.


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## ajdown (Sep 26, 2012)

Why would students want to live in Brixton?  Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?

Or is it just more hipsterisation?


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 26, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> Yeah, that seems to be the latest money-spinning wheeze for developers. I'd be interested to see how developers would get "change of use" from business to residential, though.


 
Well, around here they ask Steve Reed and he says _ok then, just this once_.


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 26, 2012)

ajdown said:


> Why would students want to live in Brixton? Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?
> 
> Or is it just more hipsterisation?


 
student digs are very popular money making schemes at the moment for aspiring slum landlords.  you can charge almost 200 a week for basically a tiny room.  way more profitable than renting out flats.


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## colacubes (Sep 26, 2012)

el-ahrairah said:


> student digs are very popular money making schemes at the moment for aspiring slum landlords. you can charge almost 200 a week for basically a tiny room. way more profitable than renting out flats.


 
This is true.  That's what the proposal is for the building above Iceland. although I can't remember whether it was ever approved.  They originally put in planning for 100s of little flats in there, but it was refused and then they replied for a slightly more reasonable number.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Sep 26, 2012)

ajdown said:


> Why would students want to live in Brixton? Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?
> 
> Or is it just more hipsterisation?


 
That's not really very feasible for someone who goes to a City Centre uni.


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## Brixton Hatter (Sep 26, 2012)

ajdown said:


> Why would students want to live in Brixton? Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?


Well there's Camberwell Art College, Southbank University, Kings College and Goldsmiths all within a couple of miles, and I guess there's the attraction of a tube station, loads of nightlife and a Foxton's on the High Street.


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## colacubes (Sep 26, 2012)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Well there's Camberwell Art College, Southbank University, Kings College and Goldsmiths all within a couple of miles, and I guess there's the attraction of a tube station, loads of nightlife and a *Foxton's on the High Street*.


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## ViolentPanda (Sep 26, 2012)

el-ahrairah said:


> Well, around here they ask Steve Reed and he says _ok then, just this once_.


 
You forgot _"...and here's my account number"._


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## Brixton Hatter (Sep 26, 2012)

el-ahrairah said:


> student digs are very popular money making schemes at the moment for aspiring slum landlords. you can charge almost 200 a week for basically a tiny room. way more profitable than renting out flats.


Yep - there's some proposed to be built at Herne Hill, and there's a MASSIVE development going up on the corner of Landor Road/Stockwell Road with hundreds of student flats.


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## Not a Pleb (Sep 26, 2012)

el-ahrairah said:


> student digs are very popular money making schemes at the moment for aspiring slum landlords. you can charge almost 200 a week for basically a tiny room. way more profitable than renting out flats.


As Crispy would point out, were he here, building student flats reduces the pressure on big family homes that might otherwise be used as shared student housing.


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## ddraig (Sep 26, 2012)

*eyebrow!
and how would _you_ know that?


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## Crispy (Sep 26, 2012)

Not a Pleb said:


> As Crispy would point out, were he here, building student flats reduces the pressure on big family homes that might otherwise be used as shared student housing.


I had this very thought, but had to rush for my train


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## paolo (Sep 26, 2012)

ViolentPanda said:


> I'd be interested to see how developers would get "change of use" from business to residential, though.



I'd be surprised if they _didn't_ get change of use.

The building, in a residential road, has failed to attract any business tenants whatsoever since it's one-off venture as a business premises. That would suggest its current designation is not viable.


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## Manter (Sep 26, 2012)

ajdown said:


> Why would students want to live in Brixton? Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?
> 
> Or is it just more hipsterisation?


I have a group of students living next door.  They are lovely- charming, friendly, etc etc, but never have parties and 2 drive new Beamers.  I knew there were students like that, but never thought I'd meet them in Brixton.  Clapham, quite possibly.  (And  can't help feeling student life is seriously missing something these days....)


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## leanderman (Sep 26, 2012)

The lights are very much on in there - quite a few squatters. After six years of idleness, it is odd, and pleasing, to see the building in use. 

I suspect the studio scheme will prevail however, and that is not all bad.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Sep 27, 2012)

leanderman said:


> The lights are very much on in there - quite a few squatters. After six years of idleness, it is odd, and pleasing, to see the building in use.
> 
> I suspect the studio scheme will prevail however, and that is not all bad.


 
Good, the building can't have been there more than 20 years and to have been sitting there doing nothing for six years is ridiculous


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## el-ahrairah (Sep 27, 2012)

Not a Pleb said:


> As Crispy would point out, were he here, building student flats reduces the pressure on big family homes that might otherwise be used as shared student housing.


 
true, i hadn't thought of that.  and actually that's definitely a good thing around here.


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## Rushy (Sep 27, 2012)

Manter said:


> I have a group of students living next door. They are lovely- charming, friendly, etc etc, but never have parties and 2 drive new Beamers. I knew there were students like that, but never thought I'd meet them in Brixton. Clapham, quite possibly. (And can't help feeling student life is seriously missing something these days....)


I guess that once you've taken on tens of K debt for your course and tens more K for living, the price of a Beemer doesn't seem all that extravegant!


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## Winot (Sep 27, 2012)

Rushy said:


> I guess that once you've taken on tens of K debt for your course and tens more K for living, the price of a Beemer doesn't seem all that extravegant!


 
Oh come on, ketamine's not that expensive.


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## billythefish (Sep 27, 2012)

Just seen someone putting padlocks on the gates... not sure if it was an owner or a squatter though.


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## Rushy (Sep 27, 2012)

billythefish said:


> Just seen someone putting padlocks on the gates... not sure if it was an owner or a squatter though.


Even the squatters are at it now


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## Frumious B. (Sep 29, 2012)

I hope they come on here to say hello. Are there any squatters on the boardz? I live opposite some on Rushcroft Road. But I suppose they won't be there much longer.  Not that I'll miss the knob who's shelled out for a loud exhaust for his piddling motorbike.


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## Thimble Queen (Sep 29, 2012)

Frumious B. said:


> I hope they come on here to say hello. Are there any squatters on the boardz? I live opposite some on Rushcroft Road. But I suppose they won't be there much longer.  Not that I'll miss the knob who's shelled out for a loud exhaust for his piddling motorbike.



Aargh he was doing that again today. Fuck off motorbike wanker.


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## Frumious B. (Sep 29, 2012)

Do you mean the one at the Vining Street end with the small newish bike? He's such a bell end that when he gets home and stops the bike he gives it one last rev. He must think he's James Dean. 

The other wanker is half way along the street and has a bigger, older bike. It's stupidly loud, but at least he's not enough of a cock to make extra noise when stationary for the benefit of his neighbours.


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## Thimble Queen (Sep 29, 2012)

Second wanker is the one I'm on about. He often revs it for.longer than neccessary says it would damage his bike to take straight off!!

Btw sorry for slight derail!


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## leanderman (Sep 29, 2012)

Walked past a couple of the Josephine squatters today who were drunkenly, slurringly saying: 'we should have taken that room, it was much larger'


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## Gramsci (Sep 30, 2012)

Crispy said:


> Original: http://www.squatter.org.uk/index.ph...new&catid=7:notes-for-new-squatters&Itemid=44
> 
> Well prepared squatters.


 
The first custodial sentences for squatting residential property have already happened. I expect to see more of this squatting of non residential property.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/27/first-squatter-jailed-new-law

This new law is particularly vindictive piece of Tory legislation. The squatter who was given custodial sentence was not bothering the neighbours and had occupied an empty flat. It also looks like he was not given the chance to leave the flat. Just arrested and charged for being there. 

Dont see the Tory scumbags banging up Bankers.


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## Gramsci (Sep 30, 2012)

ajdown said:


> Why would students want to live in Brixton? Surely somewhere nearer their place of study would be a better idea?
> 
> Or is it just more hipsterisation?


 
 Universitys have flogged off there student accommodation over recent years. . As someone else posted this is the latest moneyspinner for developers. Brixton is near transport links to central London. So for a profit seeking developers this would be a good way to get a guaranteed profitable "rental stream". Students are just another commodity for the capitalist class now.


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

The squatters - at least two dozen, mainly Italian and Slovakian - have just moved out.

They said they were pre-empting being evicted tomorrow. 

They are off to a site in central London.


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 29, 2013)

There's a Private Member's Bill in Parliament at the moment to criminalise squatting in _commercial_ properties as well. Cunts


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 29, 2013)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There's a Private Member's Bill in Parliament at the moment to criminalise squatting in _commercial_ properties as well. Cunts


 
brilliant, loads of empty buildings sitting there for years doing fuck all


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 29, 2013)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> brilliant, loads of empty buildings sitting there for years doing fuck all


I'm not sure how much chance it has of going in to law though. Private Members' Bills usually fail through lack of time and support. But knowing the horrible, vindictive cunts that are in the Commons/Govt at the moment, it could go through, especially if rich property owners and businesspeople lobby the tories about it.


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

Lambeth seems to have approved the conversion of the job centre into student accommodation.

But I doubt anything will happen - just as the site opposite has lain idle for a couple of decades.


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## RaverDrew (Jan 29, 2013)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There's a Private Member's Bill in Parliament at the moment to criminalise squatting in _commercial_ properties as well. Cunts


 
FFS


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## Thimble Queen (Jan 29, 2013)

Brixton Hatter said:


> There's a Private Member's Bill in Parliament at the moment to criminalise squatting in _commercial_ properties as well. Cunts



So they can occupied by property guardians through companies like ad hoc to keep real squatters out I suppose. Boils my piss. Cunts like that making money out of vulnerable ppl on low incomes grr


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## Rushy (Jan 29, 2013)

leanderman said:


> Lambeth seems to have approved the conversion of the job centre into student accommodation.
> 
> But I doubt anything will happen - just as the site opposite has lain idle for a couple of decades.


There's another application with status pending for flats on the Jobcentre site.


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

There was quite a lot of tension as the squatters were moving out today.

Understandable in the circumstances.

One of the Slovak girls said she was okay because she had a job as a chef in Waterloo.


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

Rushy said:


> There's another application with status pending for flats on the Jobcentre site.


 
Yes. Puzzled by that.

But we need something to happen there to provide housing and improve personal safety (muggings)


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 29, 2013)

leanderman said:


> just as the site opposite has lain idle for a couple of decades.


 
Maybe still Party Wall bollocks going on?


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

Minnie_the_Minx said:


> Maybe still Party Wall bollocks going on?


 
Planning has been granted. But the site's owner, who also owns large swathes of South London, shows no inclination to act on it.


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Jan 29, 2013)

leanderman said:


> Planning has been granted. But the site's owner, who also owns large swathes of South London, shows no inclination to act on it.


 
My friend used to own that whole house. 

Had to leave after whoever owned that bit wanting to charge him £10,000 for Party Wall bollocks


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## Ol Nick (Jan 29, 2013)

It's surpis





leanderman said:


> The squatters - at least two dozen, mainly Italian and Slovakian - have just moved out.
> 
> They said they were pre-empting being evicted tomorrow.
> 
> They are off to a site in central London.


 
It's inspiring to see how the Italian and Slovakian housing crises are being alleviated by people moving to Central London.

If they existed of course.

http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Slovak-Republic/Price-History
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Italy/Price-History

Maybe Time Out could do a piece.


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## leanderman (Jan 29, 2013)

Ol Nick said:


> It's surpis
> 
> It's inspiring to see how the Italian and Slovakian housing crises are being alleviated by people moving to Central London.
> 
> ...


 
The occupiers struck me as very young. Teenagers in most cases.


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## Ol Nick (Jan 29, 2013)

leanderman said:


> The occupiers struck me as very young. Teenagers in most cases.


Good luck to them as long as we don't base any of our housing policy around their "needs".


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 30, 2013)

Ol Nick said:


> Good luck to them as long as we don't base any of our housing policy around their "needs".


In what way are they asking for their 'needs' to be met?


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## paolo (Jan 30, 2013)

Planning permission for student accomodation was denied tonight, btw. So for now, it's back to being an empty building.


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## leanderman (Jan 30, 2013)

paolo said:


> Planning permission was for student accomodation was denied tonight, btw. So for now, it's back to being an empty building.


 
Great. Further proof that developers and council types do not care about our streets.

Why would they? They probably live in the 'burbs.


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## Thimble Queen (Jan 30, 2013)

Feeling sorry and pissed off for the people who've had to leave their home today just for it to be left empty and unused


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## cuppa tee (Jan 30, 2013)

7 years + since the St Agnes Place evictions ........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Agnes_Place .......... The vast bulk of the site remains fenced off and unused..........


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## paolo (Jan 30, 2013)

cuppa: Do you know why the housing association proposals failed?


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## cuppa tee (Jan 30, 2013)

paolo said:


> cuppa: Do you know why the housing association proposals failed?


 don't know the details but I remember the evictions, I wasn't a resident but knew a couple. I can't understand the way the site has just been left, the army of "filth" and bailiffs gave the impression the evictions were all very urgent.


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## Gramsci (Jan 30, 2013)

Ol Nick said:


> Good luck to them as long as we don't base any of our housing policy around their "needs".


 
The last governments agreed to a policy of open borders with the rest of the EU. Slovakians and Italians have a right to live and work here without visas. They also have rights here as members of the EU.

So "our" ( who is "our"?) housing policies in the broadest sense (public and private) should take into account a EU wide labour force and free movement of people within the EU.

Who is "we"? You do not speak for me.

My view is that the last government encouraged people to come here from the rest of Europe as it provides a flexible and cheap labour force. They said it was good for the economy. In which case they should have built more Council housing whilst they were in power and put in rent controls on private rental property (which from your link Italy still does).


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## crustychick (Jan 30, 2013)

cuppa tee said:


> 7 years + since the St Agnes Place evictions ........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Agnes_Place .......... The vast bulk of the site remains fenced off and unused..........


 
Wow, that is really sad, i hadn't realised since I'm not in London any more. Bastards.


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## paolo (Jan 30, 2013)

That's criminal


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## Brixton Hatter (Jan 30, 2013)

cuppa tee said:


> 7 years + since the St Agnes Place evictions ........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Agnes_Place .......... The vast bulk of the site remains fenced off and unused..........


Yeah I remember the evictions - just before Christmas when it was fucking freezing cold. Some of my friends lived there. There has been no development on that site apart from a small block of flats which replaced the old rasta squat - which was raided and evicted after "firearms and drugs" were found (actually, no guns were found, only a cartridge casing iirc, and a small bag of weed). They were perfectly good three-storey terraced houses - some admittedly in better condition than others. A few people I knew who were living there were rehoused in other local authority places around Brixton - which was good, but obviously denied other people on the housing list somewhere to live.

There have been various plans to redevelop the site, straighten the road and move the Charlie Chaplin adventure playground (which is next door) but nothing seems to have happened. There was a public meeting about it about three years ago now. A huge block has been built just behind this site on Camberwell New Road, but St Agnes Places lies empty, and rogue builders use it now to illegally dump building rubbish. When I get a moment I'll try to find out what Lambeth's plans are.....my assumption is Lambeth and/or developers are sitting on the site waiting for property prices to rise a bit more  It's a prime site - perfect for 'luxury apartments with stunning views across Kennington Park'...


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## cuppa tee (Jan 30, 2013)

Brixton Hatter said:


> ...........my assumption is Lambeth and/or developers are sitting on the site waiting for property prices to rise a bit more  It's a prime site - perfect for 'luxury apartments with stunning views across Kennington Park'...


 
that would be my assumption too, there are plenty of anecdotal accounts of deception and skulduggery by the ptb in this matter, maybe they are hoping people will forget before cashing in their chips.


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## leanderman (Jan 30, 2013)

It's outrageous how many sites and buildings lie idle. Compulsory purchase!


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## passivejoe (Jan 30, 2013)

I don't understand the anger here at anti-squatting laws.
I do understand that some people have no other option and they're better with a roof than on the street. However we need laws in place to defend people's homes from being squatted.

As an example, my sister owns, with a mortgage, a 2 bedroom house in Camberwell. Her husband's job was relocated to Manchester for a 2 year contract. Knowing that after the 2 years was up, she'd be moving back down again, they opted to rent out their house in Camberwell to and use the rental income to lease a flat in Manchester for themselves.
Their tenants signed a 2 year contract with a 12 month break clause. After the 12th month, they stopped paying the rent and changed the locks. With the law on their side, my sister was unable to remove them until their tenancy agreement had expired... the tenants turned squatters then had 12 months livingfor free in the property while my sister struggled to make ends meet as she still had to pay to rent the flat in Manchester and pay off the mortgage on their home. 
When the squatters were finally removed, they'd trashed the house.


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## Monkeygrinder's Organ (Jan 30, 2013)

Gramsci said:


> The last governments agreed to a policy of open borders with the rest of the EU. Slovakians and Italians have a right to live and work here without visas. They also have rights here as members of the EU.
> 
> So "our" ( who is "our"?) housing policies in the broadest sense (public and private) should take into account a EU wide labour force and free movement of people within the EU.
> 
> ...


 
TBF UK housing policy doesn't seem designed to meet _anybody's_ needs, so why should the Italians be any different?


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## Gramsci (Jan 30, 2013)

passivejoe said:


> I don't understand the anger here at anti-squatting laws.
> I do understand that some people have no other option and they're better with a roof than on the street. However we need laws in place to defend people's homes from being squatted.
> 
> As an example, my sister owns, with a mortgage, a 2 bedroom house in Camberwell. Her husband's job was relocated to Manchester for a 2 year contract. Knowing that after the 2 years was up, she'd be moving back down again, they opted to rent out their house in Camberwell to and use the rental income to lease a flat in Manchester for themselves.
> ...


 
For your information this case would not have been covered by the new squatting laws.

This is a case of someone not paying rent not a case of squatting. 

You even say that your sister was able to remove them once there tenancy agreement had expired.


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## Gramsci (Jan 30, 2013)

Monkeygrinder's Organ said:


> TBF UK housing policy doesn't seem designed to meet _anybody's_ needs, so why should the Italians be any different?


 
Not the point I was making in reply to Ol Nick.


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## Gramsci (Jan 30, 2013)

passivejoe said:


> I don't understand the anger here at anti-squatting laws.
> I do understand that some people have no other option and they're better with a roof than on the street. However we need laws in place to defend people's homes from being squatted.
> 
> As an example, my sister owns, with a mortgage, a 2 bedroom house in Camberwell. Her husband's job was relocated to Manchester for a 2 year contract. Knowing that after the 2 years was up, she'd be moving back down again, they opted to rent out their house in Camberwell to and use the rental income to lease a flat in Manchester for themselves.
> ...


 
There were already laws to protect peoples homes.

Also the new law made squatting itself an offence. So even if one agreed to leave a property when asked u could still be done under the new law.

The new law was opposed by The Criminal Bar Association and the Law Society 




> The Criminal Bar Association and the Law Society strongly opposed the creation of a new criminal offence, arguing that the current law was effective and that unnecessary new regulation should be avoided. However, the Property Litigation Association took the opposite view.
> The Law Society argued that squatting was a rare problem and introducing new offences when there was already a range of existing offences would be disproportionate and counterproductive. It also queried whether the police would have the resources to enforce new offences when they appeared to be unwilling to enforce existing laws.
> A Law Society spokesperson said: ‘Residential occupiers are already adequately protected from trespass under the Criminal Law Act 1977, and for that reason we, along with the Metropolitan Police, the Magistrates’ Association and many others, did not see the need for the introduction of a new criminal offence for squatting.’


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## Onket (Jan 31, 2013)

Brixton Hatter said:


> Yeah I remember the evictions - just before Christmas when it was fucking freezing cold. Some of my friends lived there. There has been no development on that site apart from a small block of flats which replaced the old rasta squat - which was raided and evicted after "firearms and drugs" were found (actually, no guns were found, only a cartridge casing iirc, and a small bag of weed). They were perfectly good three-storey terraced houses - some admittedly in better condition than others. A few people I knew who were living there were rehoused in other local authority places around Brixton - which was good, but obviously denied other people on the housing list somewhere to live.
> 
> There have been various plans to redevelop the site, straighten the road and move the Charlie Chaplin adventure playground (which is next door) but nothing seems to have happened. *There was a public meeting about it about three years ago now.* A huge block has been built just behind this site on Camberwell New Road, but St Agnes Places lies empty, and rogue builders use it now to illegally dump building rubbish. When I get a moment I'll try to find out what Lambeth's plans are.....my assumption is Lambeth and/or developers are sitting on the site waiting for property prices to rise a bit more  It's a prime site - perfect for 'luxury apartments with stunning views across Kennington Park'...


 
I went to that meeting. There were people there representing the site on Camberwell New Road. They lied that the trees they were removing were dead, so I fully expect that whole development was based on bullshit.

I moved away from St Agnes Place in 2010 (I wasn't in the squatted houses)- it was sad to see the fenced off areas of rubble year after year. The road was slowly sinking too, probably somethign to do with the cellars/foundations.


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## Blagsta (Jan 31, 2013)

passivejoe said:


> I don't understand the anger here at anti-squatting laws.
> I do understand that some people have no other option and they're better with a roof than on the street. However we need laws in place to defend people's homes from being squatted.
> 
> As an example, my sister owns, with a mortgage, a 2 bedroom house in Camberwell. Her husband's job was relocated to Manchester for a 2 year contract. Knowing that after the 2 years was up, she'd be moving back down again, they opted to rent out their house in Camberwell to and use the rental income to lease a flat in Manchester for themselves.
> ...



Either you just made this up or your sister had very bad legal advice.


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## leanderman (Jan 31, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> Either you just made this up or your sister had very bad legal advice.


 

This happened to friends of mine in Berwyn Road, Tulse Hill. 

It took them 12 months to get back in.

They may not have lost out too much financially because the rent - for at least some of the time - was being paid through housing benefit.


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## ViolentPanda (Jan 31, 2013)

passivejoe said:


> I don't understand the anger here at anti-squatting laws.
> I do understand that some people have no other option and they're better with a roof than on the street. However we need laws in place to defend people's homes from being squatted.
> 
> As an example, my sister owns, with a mortgage, a 2 bedroom house in Camberwell. Her husband's job was relocated to Manchester for a 2 year contract. Knowing that after the 2 years was up, she'd be moving back down again, they opted to rent out their house in Camberwell to and use the rental income to lease a flat in Manchester for themselves.
> ...


 
1) What your sister's tenants did was *not* squatting. Squatting is entering an empty/unused property in order to obtain shelter. What your sister's tenants did was falsely occupy.

2) Your sister is a mug and should kick whoever talked her into a 2 year contract with a 12 month break clause hard in their genitals. A standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy rolling over from an initial 6 month period would have allowed her to get the tenants out in 8 weeks max, 6 months if she'd given the maximum *standard* break period.


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## ViolentPanda (Jan 31, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> Either you just made this up or your sister had very bad legal advice.


 
Appalling advice all the way through, both from the POV of allowing a 24 month contract with a 12 month break (I've heard of this for large palatial-type homes in Hampstead etc, but Camberwell?), and for it taking so long to kick 'em out.


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## Blagsta (Jan 31, 2013)

leanderman said:


> This happened to friends of mine in Berwyn Road, Tulse Hill.
> 
> It took them 12 months to get back in.
> 
> They may not have lost out too much financially because the rent - for at least some of the time - was being paid through housing benefit.



Its a breach of contract. Go to court, get 'em out. How fucking hard is that?


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## leanderman (Jan 31, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> Its a breach of contract. Go to court, get 'em out. How fucking hard is that?


 
That it was they did. No idea why it took so long. Probably useless lawyers.


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## Gramsci (Jan 31, 2013)

ViolentPanda said:


> 1) What your sister's tenants did was *not* squatting. Squatting is entering an empty/unused property in order to obtain shelter. What your sister's tenants did was falsely occupy.
> 
> 2) Your sister is a mug and should kick whoever talked her into a 2 year contract with a 12 month break clause hard in their genitals. A standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy rolling over from an initial 6 month period would have allowed her to get the tenants out in 8 weeks max, 6 months if she'd given the maximum *standard* break period.


 
You are correct. But what passivejoes post shows (and I am not having a go at him personally) is that the way that a lot of things get put under the label of the "squatters". 

Both the Evening Standard and the Daily Mail ran hate campaign against squatters. They usually managed to get race and immigration into it as well. Usually Roma as in this convoluted piece from the Hate Mail.

Its not possible to have a go at Black people anymore but Roma are fair game apparently.


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## passivejoe (Feb 18, 2013)

ViolentPanda said:


> Appalling advice all the way through, both from the POV of allowing a 24 month contract with a 12 month break (I've heard of this for large palatial-type homes in Hampstead etc, but Camberwell?), and for it taking so long to kick 'em out.


 
It would seem so. Not made up though.
My mistake... my misunderstanding was that if you're in a house that you're not paying rent for and you didnt force access, you're squatting. That's clearly wrong.


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## zenie (Feb 19, 2013)

There is a load of development on the St Agnes site now. The block of flats that used to butt up against the houses stands empty and I think is being demolished. The flats on camberwell new road are depressingly overwhelming and tower over you. ((( lost green spaces )))


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## ringo (Feb 25, 2013)

zenie said:


> The block of flats that used to butt up against the houses stands empty and I think is being demolished.


 
Cycled past this morning and the two big 360 diggers had just demolished that block of flats too. From the look of the surveyors marks they're about to build over the whole side of the road backing onto the eastern section of Kennington Park by Brandon Estate. Haven't noticed anything new on the west side by the football pitches.


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## Crispy (Feb 25, 2013)

It's a huge project. Planning Application here: http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/onli...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LGAOVVBO0GL00

They're relocating the playgrounds to the North, to better integrate with the park. They're straightening out the kink in the road.

Existing:



Proposed:



View looking South-West:


"47% Affordable" - the flat roofed buildings in the center of the block are for HA and Shared Ownership. The 3 and 4 bed terraced houses are for the private market.


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## cuppa tee (Feb 25, 2013)

ringo said:


> Cycled past this morning and the two big 360 diggers had just demolished that block of flats too. From the look of the surveyors marks they're about to build over the whole side of the road backing onto the eastern section of Kennington Park by Brandon Estate. Haven't noticed anything new on the west side by the football pitches.


they are realigning the road, the old St Agnes Place will be completely erased and the new road will cut across the park ending up by Bolton Crescent, no doubt the big chunk of ground created between the new road and the park will be more attractive as a  development than two strips in the footprint of the old St Agnes.


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## ringo (Feb 25, 2013)

Blimey, cheers for the info.


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## Crispy (Feb 25, 2013)

It's actually a pretty damned good bit of urban planning


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## Brixton Hatter (Feb 25, 2013)

looks like the two bits of Kennington park are finally joined up again


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## Crispy (Feb 25, 2013)

Well, you have to cross the road, but yes.


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## leanderman (Nov 4, 2013)

Squatters have just moved in again, a year or so after the previous eviction. Council and owner have failed, disgracefully, to put the site to use. Neighbours had objected to student accommodation.

So, mirabile dictu, I approve of the latest development.


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## Rushy (Nov 4, 2013)

That note is a nice touch if the previous squatters had been unneighbourly.

Presumably this can be converted to flats now under the new permitted development rules - without planning permission, per se.


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## editor (Nov 4, 2013)

Good for them for being so neighbourly, and good for them for putting a site that has criminally been left empty to productive use.

And this is just the sort of thing that our 'co-operative' council leaders are trying to stop.  They'd rather the place remained empty and any homeless squatters criminalised.


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## leanderman (Nov 4, 2013)

Rushy said:


> That note is a nice touch if the previous squatters had been unneighbourly.
> 
> Presumably this can be converted to flats now under the new permitted development rules - without planning permission, per se.



The neighbours - and council - opposed the application for student accommodation.

They might have been right to do so, however, without any fresh proposal, it seems a bad call.


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## Gramsci (Nov 4, 2013)

leanderman said:


> The neighbours - and council - opposed the application for student accommodation.
> 
> They might have been right to do so, however, without any fresh proposal, it seems a bad call.



Student accommodation sounds like a good thing. However its the latest wheeze to make money from students. 

Its classed in planning terms like a hotel so the need natural for light etc does not apply. The argument is that students only will sleep in there homes. 

Worst building award went to this development.


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## Gramsci (Nov 4, 2013)

And this in FT

How to make money out of hard pressed students. An investment opportunity.


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## leanderman (Nov 4, 2013)

Gramsci said:


> Student accommodation sounds like a good thing. However its the latest wheeze to make money from students.



Yes. Unite, which builds and runs student accommodation across Britain, is a right racket.

My niece, herself a student, has babysat for Unite's chief financial officer and he lives in some style.


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## Gramsci (Nov 4, 2013)

leanderman said:


> Yes. Unite, which builds and runs student accommodation across Britain, is a right racket.
> 
> My niece, herself a student, has babysat for Unite's chief financial officer and he lives in some style.



This country still gets a lot of overseas students. Which I think is a good thing. Though becoming more difficult for them with immigration rules. Investors see them as a market to exploit.


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## Belushi (Nov 4, 2013)

I live next door to a Unite building, rent is £194 a week all inclusive. Appears to be nearly all overseas students, mostly from the Far East.


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## cuppa tee (Nov 4, 2013)

Gramsci said:


> Student accommodation sounds like a good thing. However its the latest wheeze to make money from students.
> 
> Its classed in planning terms like a hotel so the need natural for light etc does not apply. The argument is that students only will sleep in there homes.
> 
> Worst building award went to this development.



The latest issue of Lambeth Life contains a piece on the new developments around Vauxhall and there seemed to a few of these student accommodation blocks going up.


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## Gramsci (Nov 4, 2013)

cuppa tee said:


> The latest issue of Lambeth Life contains a piece on the new developments around Vauxhall and there seemed to a few of these student accommodation blocks going up.



Will check that out. As Unis have sold off any accommodation they have and the cheapish accommodation in London is going students are a captive market. As an investor you cannot lose.


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## peterkro (Nov 4, 2013)

cuppa tee said:


> The latest issue of Lambeth Life contains a piece on the new developments around Vauxhall and there seemed to a few of these student accommodation blocks going up.


There's one in Herne Hill advertising flats from 17sqm (I live in a one bedroom flat at 40sqm and it's small).There's another one just being completed on Hatfields at Waterloo, from £350 a week and I assume the sizes are similar to the Herne Hill one.


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## leanderman (Nov 7, 2013)

I didn't realise this, but the Job Centre has permission (tho' none actually required) to be turned into seven flats.

So the squatters may not have long in there.


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## timothysutton1 (Nov 12, 2013)

leanderman said:


> I didn't realise this, but the Job Centre has permission (tho' none actually required) to be turned into seven flats.
> 
> So the squatters may not have long in there.



Yep. Planning. Planning reference number 13/03375/P3JPA

http://www.josephineavenue.org.uk/hermes-house-residential-proposals/


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## leanderman (Dec 11, 2013)

The squatters, who were Italian and Spanish, were evicted at an hour's notice this afternoon.


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## editor (Dec 11, 2013)

leanderman said:


> The squatters, who were Italian and Spanish, were evicted at an hour's notice this afternoon.


Nice weather for it too. 

I wonder how long the building will lie empty for this time.


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## CH1 (Dec 11, 2013)

leanderman said:


> The squatters, who were Italian and Spanish, were evicted at an hour's notice this afternoon.


from Twitter:


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## leanderman (Dec 11, 2013)

editor said:


> Nice weather for it too.
> 
> I wonder how long the building will lie empty for this time.



Consent has been granted for flats. 

But same can be said for site opposite - and nothing has happened in years. 

I would not bet against a third occupation.


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## wemakeyousoundb (Dec 12, 2013)

leanderman said:


> The squatters, who were Italian and Spanish, were evicted at *an hour's notice* this afternoon.


that's pretty rude :/


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## Jangleballix (Dec 12, 2013)

leanderman said:


> Consent has been granted for flats.
> 
> But same can be said for site opposite - and nothing has happened in years.
> 
> I would not bet against a third occupation.


Probably not via the front door. A chunky padlocked steel gate now in place in the lobby.


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## AKA pseudonym (Dec 12, 2013)

feck... thats harsh.. there was another squat in Loughborough due to be evicted today too... 

Should be an interesting South London Squatting meeting this evening...


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