St Agnes Place

South London Press

Move out call hits 30-year occupiers

Apr 9 2004
By Zara Bishop

SQUATTERS who have lived in a street for three decades are facing eviction to make way for homeless people on a South London council's housing waiting list.

Residents moved into empty houses in St Agnes Place, Kennington, in 1974 and the road is now home to about 70 families.

One of the three-storey houses is a community centre where hot meals are served and there are yoga classes, a studio with music equipment and computers.

Former resident George James, 49, said: "There is not any place like it. We understand the needs of our community."

Community centre user Marilyn Ellis said: "Groups like ours have been cleaning up the community. Without us the community is going to go down.

"We are the only people emphasising problems such as rats and weeds and Lambeth council wants to take away our properties."

Fellow centre user Riki Loy said: "I used to go to Kennington School and come here after school or in lunch breaks.

"To evict us would mean a lot of people losing out."

South London record producer Charles Bailey visited St Agnes Place on Monday with London mayoral Green Party candidate Darren Johnson.

Mr Bailey said: "There are a lot of people who need this place.

"It seems quite basic but people need it.

"I would like to see this project get proper funding."

A council spokesman said: "Lambeth successfully defended a legal challenge in respect of these 12 properties and the Central London County Court ordered the current occupiers to vacate the properties.

"Due to the high level of demand for quality affordable housing in the borough we are actively seeking to provide alternative forms of social housing in Lambeth.

"Lambeth council has a duty to homeless people and to existing tenants in overcrowded and unsuitable property.

"Supplying affordable housing in St Agnes Place and elsewhere is essential to meeting our obligations."

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