Gentrification blues

Lively debate has been going on for the past couple of days on Twitter, Facebook and local blogs over a Guardian Comment Is Free article written by a journalist who has recently moved to the area. Jane Elliot claims, rather late in the day, that naming the new high street bar The Job Centre (after the building's previous use) is an insult to the unemployed. 853 Blog has a great round-up of the row.

We cautioned much the same ourselves on this blog when it opened. But we went to the opening, liked it and went back again. Less noisy, smelly and crowded than our beloved local of over thirty years, The Bird's Nest. Cheaper than the Duke and nearer than the Royal Albert. A lot nearer and just as good beer as the equally beloved Dog and Bell. It's great to have a new local and we don't really care what it's called. It's named after what it was. Not like Resolution Way which was once Mechanic's Path.

It turns out Jane Elliot is a member of People Before Profit who are always ready to jump on a bandwagon and claim it as their own. She makes some interesting points, but is wrong to say "Older residents see the more affordable stores on which they depend displaced by pricier establishments" – has she been down the high street recently? The latest new 'store' is a pound shop! Efforts to preserve the architectural gems in the street (which some might see as middle class gentrification) are thwarted by careless landlords and businesses who flagrantly ignore any rules about preserving the character of buildings in the certain knowledge the council cannot afford to enforce them. The high street is still a law unto itself. 

Things are changing though, especially around the new station. Who knew the owner of the building opposite the pub in question (and next to Cathedral's luxury flat development) wants to convert it to a hotel? But if PBP want to make a fuss about something why not this:



This was the Deptford Brunch Club last Sunday in Giffin Square at around 1.30pm. About 14 diners are eating brunch prepared by Hot Skillet who specialise in tastes from the southern states of the US. This is what it was like at around 11.45am. Empty. More or less what cynical locals expected.

It's not as though there was no publicity for the Brunch Club, which had two 'sittings', 10am-12noon and 12noon-2pm. And we've no doubt the food on offer was absolutely delicious. But the ticket price of £12 was a bit much. Even 'foodies' not put off by the ticket price should be put off by the location. Giffin Square on a Sunday has none of the ambience which accompanies the monthly food market that presently runs in the square amidst the hustle and bustle of the Saturday street market. (Although even that was looking a bit sad last Saturday).

But the most annoying thing about this enterprise is that it is subsidised by Lewisham Council. "An exciting new pop-up brunch club will open its doors in the heart of Deptford town centre on Sunday 6 July" runs their publicity. "...the latest project by the council to enhance the town centre's morning offer...will see some of London's best chefs and street food entrepreneurs showcasing their culinary brunch menus to hungry locals." Not the hungry locals using the local food bank run by People Before Profit, obviously.

The Council are working with London-based 'food portal' The Grub Club which it says "works to support chefs in providing exciting eating experiences in new venues". The lovely Grub Club rep onsite on the day told us the Brunch Club helps young chefs learn how to cook for a lot of people at one sitting. Deborah, the organiser from Lewisham Council, told us they'd had a few teething problems – like flyaway tablecloths – but had 49 people at two sittings.

Spending Section 106 money

Section 106 money subsidises this series that will run every weekend till the end of October. This is money developers pay to the council to mitigate the inconvenience they cause in their rush to make a profit out of cheap local land (not the official definition). Deborah said the S106 money being spent is for 'cultural activities in the community'. Is that S106 money that's come from a Deptford development? How does the local community benefit from this subsidy when it cost 12 quid to join in (£15 this Sunday, apparently)?

In Lewisham, the Dalston take-over of the old model market (the shop shacks next to C&A that have lain empty since 2010 due to plans to redevelop) has been hugely popular with trendy young (and old) people. So much so, they have been queuing to get in on the Friday and Saturday evenings it takes place. Tasty grub can be had for less than £12 (although a drink will set you back), but the main difference between this and the Brunch Club is it is in the evening. You don't really care what your surroundings look like when there's bright lights and music. Such a venture might work in Deptford. But instead we get an expensive breakfast in a barren civic square (that is filthy and stained from the market) on a day-lit Sunday, in full view of passing folk on their way to Iceland for some cheap provisions.

Foodwashing

If the Council want to throw some money at a big marquee on a Sunday that covered something the community would enjoy, they'd do better to subsidise an Ale Festival. That would draw a few to the boring new square who would otherwise avoid it. At least one or two locals could afford a subsidised pint. But oh no! We can't have drinking in the square, can we? It might get out of hand! This is Deptford after all, already full of street drinkers (and some very proud drunks!)...

An attempt is being made to redefine Deptford's cultural character to make it more attractive to new businesses and residents. We're already well accustomed to developers and councils using the local artistic output and reputation to add value to their properties and attract money to the area (when in reality the artists are here because it's cheap, and are being priced out along with everyone else). A recently coined phrase is Artwashing: "When a commercial project is subjected to artwashing, the presence of artists and creative workers is used to add a cursory sheen to a place's transformation" says Fergus O'Sullivan in a recent article.

Now, it seems, Deptford's scuzzy reputation (betting shops, pawn brokers, street drinking and all that goes with cheap rents and affordable housing) must be replaced with a new buzz where 'art' has failed. Food is the new Art. We are now being Foodwashed. Are we ready for it?

Is the Council not getting a little ahead of itself, spending Section 106 money on trendy Shoreditchy stuff for the middle classes that make Deptford appear hip, when there are so many other things it might go on?

This arguably misguided Section 106 spending comes when local campaigners are lobbying for more Section 106 money from the Convoys Wharf developers. The GLA, who controversially took the planning application out of Lewisham Council's hands and passed it, allowed the developer to get away with only contributing a miserly £250k to be spent in and by the community. The Council had asked for £2m. Had they got it, Ms Elliot might concern herself with how they see fit to spend the money when they are happy to waste it on an expensive brunch initiative that only the well-off can afford.

People Before Profit embarrassment

With Gorgeous George and the Respect Party in the news, one might be led to ponder what Lewisham's own version of real left politics, People Before Profit, might be up to.

Recently they've made some news for participating in the taking possession of properties owned by Lewisham council that were "earmarked for 'disposal' " (auctioned off at less than their market value), and housing homeless families in them. See the story here (PBP's website), here or here. By 'participating in' we mean John Hamilton has been publicising these activities, but many involved are activists who are not, as it were, PBP party members. Nevertheless there is a collective aim for the common good.

But what is this? Strange goings on in Deptford...PBP's flagship cafe Come The Revolution ("the brainchild of PBP campaigner Ray Woolford") has closed. Is the lease up? Maybe, but no word from Woolford, he's out of town.

Meanwhile, the cafe's workers, who, from PBP's publicity would appear to be the happiest in the world ("the work is more interesting and the pay is better than where I was in my last job, and you feel you're doing something for the community"), are now fighting their boss, Woolford, after he sacked them for unionising for better pay and conditions.

Although the cafe has been popular for some, its location has not been ideal for pulling in the casual punter. Some have been sceptical about the coupling of leftist politics with an estate agents (Housemartins, run by Woolford). According to the Facebook page set up by the cafe workers, they were afraid Woolford would close the cafe, only to reopen it with new staff. Lack of clarity about who actually owns the building seems to have contributed to paranoia after a member of staff who occupied a flat above the cafe was evicted by an untraceable company – more grist to the mill for those involved.

But planning permission has been in for this building for quite some time by the owners, P Logan (as in Logan's Chemists who had the shop front previously) to "demolish the existing building fronting" as part of a plan to (re-)construct a 5-storey building (see the application DC/11/78237/X, still not decided). Woolford's lease was obviously tenuous and the cafe's (and the workers') future was never secure. Of course, this is no excuse to pay your staff poor wages but imagine if all of the businesses on the high street had to conform to union standards.

Unite (Britain's largest Trade Union and already in the news) are supporting the workers and co-hosted a meeting on Friday night at the Amersham Arms in order to demand reinstatement without penalty (as well as minimum hours contracts and union approved health & safety training).

Neither Woolford or Hamilton were in attendance, but George Hallam (PBP's rep in Feltham) came to smooth ruffled feathers and perhaps distance PBP from Ray Woolford's misadventures. A further meeting is planned for early next week.

See also cometheunion.wordpress.com