We are holding a Campaign meeting on 12 January at 7pm in the Community Centre to discuss planning the next stages of our Campaign. It is not just Kennington Park Estate’s Community Centre that is under threat. Hyde also want to get rid of the Stockwell Centre, handing its management over to a private group. We are campaigning with Stockwell tenants and residents.
Our landlords, the Hyde Group, have announced that they are in merger talks with L+Q and East Thames Housing Associations. We only know what is on Hyde’s website. But information on their proposals can be found at https://www.hyde-housing.co.uk/news-events/news/corporate-and-financial/lq-the-hyde-group-and-east-thames-to-merge/ and https://www.hyde-housing.co.uk/merger-talks-with-lq-and-east-thames/ When we know more, we’ll let you know. Update! At the last TA meeting on 27 April residents expressed concern about remarks made by the CEO of the Hyde Group in press reports about the merger. The motion we agreed is here, as is Hyde’s reply. Residents have been invited to comment on the merger – see here – and the TRA Chair, Joan Twelves, has submitted several questions in a personal capacity – see here. Hyde’s further responses to our comments and questions can now be found here and here. Update 2! The merger is no longer going ahead. More information on Hyde’s website https://www.hyde-housing.co.uk/news-events/news/corporate-and-financial/lq-and-the-hyde-group-have-mutually-agreed-to-end-plans-to-merge/
In partnership with Prime Solicitors, the Stockwell Community Centre will offer free monthly legal advice surgeries to Hyde residents and local people. Surgeries will be held on the last Monday of every month with the exception of bank holidays where the surgery will take place the Monday prior. Occurs monthly on the last Monday of every month at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. For more information or to make an appointment, please contact the Stockwell Centre on 020 7346 6576 or by return email at stockwellcentre@hyde-housing.co.uk. Discussions and appointment details will be treated as strictly private and confidential. Drop In provision may be available on the day if not all appointment slots are filled by Monday. Please call ahead to check. KPE residents welcome!
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…
GETTING ONLINE FREE WORKSHOPS – Social Media for Beginners at the Stockwell Community Centre Looking to learn a new skill in the new year? We will shortly be running workshops in social media basics at the Stockwell Community Centre. Workshops will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. The following introductory courses will be delivered by our volunteer social media experts Helen and Sergio; Tuesday 16th February – Introduction Tuesday 23rd February – Facebook for Beginners Tuesday 1st March – Twitter for Beginners Tuesday 8th March – LinkedIn for Beginners Part 1 Tuesday 15th – LinkedIn for Beginners Part 2 (Anyone interested in the LinkedIn workshops must be able to commit to attending both parts and should bring their CV along with them for the 1st workshop!) There will be light refreshments provided at the session, and those who attend 3 separate sessions will receive a Love2Shop voucher! In addition all attendees will receive a certificate. Residents can book a place…
Back in March 2015 we reported on Hyde’s plans to redevelop the Harleyford Street and Community Centre site on the Estate. Their plans involved nine flats for sale, a replacement community centre with outdoor space and either offices or a small retail space on the ground floor facing the main road. Those plans can be found here. Hyde’s Saba Choudhury (New Business Project Director, Group Business Development) wrote to the TA recently as follows: “Sainsbury’s has told us that TfL has given them feedback on their application for the Harleyford Street loading bay, but not a final decision. The feedback is that TfL are very unlikely to allow a peak time use of the loading bay but will almost certainly allow off peak use of a bay on Harleyford Street which is a positive step forward. Consequently Sainsbury’s are revising their application to request a loading bay for off peak…
Mears and Hyde are holding a ‘Repairs Surgery’ on 10 November from 12 to 2 pm in Kennington Park Community Centre. If you have any outstanding repairs or repairs issues this is your chance to talk to the people responsible.
The Hyde Group has put forward revised plans for their proposed redevelopment of the Harleyford Street and Community Centre site on the Estate. Their plans are now for a smaller building than before, nine flats for sale, a replacement community centre with outdoor space and either offices or a small retail space on the ground floor facing the main road. Pictures of Hyde’s revised plans can be found here. Hyde’s information pack is here, including a Questions and Answers section. Their ideas for the Community Centre are here. Comments on Hyde’s proposals can be sent to: consult@hyde-housing.co.uk or to: the Hyde Group’s Oval office at Alverstone House, Magee Street, SE11 5TS, or Head Office at 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ.