Home Articles posted by kpeta (Page 16)

Our Rents for 2016-17

  UPDATE 14 April 2016 – KPE RESIDENTS – MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR SERVICE CHARGE, RENT AND DIRECT DEBIT NOTIFICATIONS CAREFULLY. WE HAVE FOUND A NUMBER OF ERRORS! Contact your TA reps (see contact details in the right-hand column) if you need help in understanding these bills.  ****************************************************   Tenants will have received a notice from our landlord, Hyde, this week notifying us of the amount of rent due from 4 April 2016. The TA considers this notice misleading, to say the least, as it gives the impression that tenants will have to pay less than we currently pay. This is very unlikely to be the case because we pay service charges on top of our rents. Last year some residents saw their service charges nearly double and the TA has no expectation that they won’t be increased again this coming year. Indeed, most residents have already been informed (in the…

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The Housing and Planning Bill – Planning Changes

The plans set out by the government in the Housing and Planning Bill are shocking, and Joan has covered the threats wonderfully in her blog. The Bill includes changes to the Town Planning system that purport to increase the opportunity for development on brownfield land.  But what about the definition of brownfield land?  In my mind, I see a flat, empty disused site with nothing in it, that could possibly use some development, so that sort of sounds ok… Let’s check that definition, in the Department for Communities and Local Governments’ Technical Consultation document: “Brownfield or previously developed land is defined in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Sites on brownfield registers will be required to meet this definition of previously developed land. This is a very broad definition and, apart from the exclusions, covers all land in England where there are or have been buildings or other development.…

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The Estate We’re In

Barratt Homes’ regeneration (e.g. demolition) of a 1960s council estate in West Hendon is captured in this documentary, although Barratt refused to participate. Definitely worth a watch. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00t0ydd/the-estate-were-in

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Kill the Housing Bill!

Opposition to the Housing Bill is building. The Chair of KPETRA, Joan Twelves, has written a blog post about it, explaining the devastating effect it could have on residents of Kennington Park Estate. It can be found by clicking here or https://joantwelves.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/the-great-london-clearances/         More actions against the Bill are being planned and details will be posted here.

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Oval Gasholder Listed

Good News! Our big gasholder has been granted Grade II listed status. The gasholder is an important part of the Oval and Kennington Development Area (OAKDA), for which Lambeth Council and Berkeley Homes are currently working up the development masterplan. This is what the BBC News website says:   The Victorian gasholder that looms over the Oval cricket ground in south London has been granted Grade II status. The wrought-iron structure in Kennington was the largest gasholder in the world when it was built in 1847. Gasholder No. 1 was rebuilt in 1877-79, just before the first Test match in England was played at the Oval in 1880. The historical, architectural and technical background of the gasholder and its importance to the landscape led to it being granted protected status. ‘Iconic backdrop’ Emily Gee, head of designation at government heritage agency Historic England, which recommended the structure for listing, said…

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Mayoral candidates don’t join housing debate

Laziness is not a quality that people want to be associated with.  That’s why this jab by Zac Goldsmith towards fellow mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan sounded quite effective: http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/14257857.Zac_Goldsmith_brands_Sadiq_Khan__lazy__over_affordable_housing_debate/?ref=rss But it seems that when it really comes to it, yesterday both were too lazy to both show up to a key debate about housing in this city: http://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/mayoral-hustings-on-housing-to-go-ahead-without-khan

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