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The shiny metal billboards lining the evicted premises along Station Road and Atlantic Road vanished again last week, and now have been replaced by ones bearing a full-on PR offensive from Network Rail.
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The boards first went up in December 2016 under the name of Brixton Pillars, which was, apparently, a ‘Supa community of traders.’
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A Twitter hashtag of #brixtonpillars was printed on the boards to support the advertising campaign, but no one bothered to post a single tweet after the December 15th launch last year.
In March this year, the billboards suddenly vanished only to reappear a week later. By May, they had turned into an eyesore, with many covered in graffiti and tags.
They disappeared once again last week, but have now returned with a new, more positive message extolling the virtues of the redevelopment which was so unpopular that a petition opposing it managed to attract nearly 30,000 signatures.
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The new boards proclaims Network Rail’s virtuous promise that it is ‘committed to maintaining the retail diversity and independence that is a signature of Brixton.’
That all sounds wonderful, but seems to fly in the face of what actually happened to one of our favourite independent traders. See: Brixton’s A&C Deli: the inside story of a small business destroyed by gentrification, Network Rail & Lambeth Council.
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Meanwhile, local residents have expressed concerns at the lack of a finish date for this project, and also the severe disruption it is likely to cause, while Cllr Rachel Heywood has said that she has “little confidence” in the plans of Network Rail.
She also expressed her concerns about the impact on local businesses and on health and safety issues to the public, and fears that the work could go on for as long as four years.
Read more here: Cllr Heywood issues highly critical submission as Network Rail prepares to start work on ‘regenerating’ Brixton Arches.
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More info:
The vote to redevelop Brixton Arches: smear campaigns, doublethink and foregone decisions
Brixton’s A&C Deli: the inside story of a small business destroyed by gentrification, Network Rail & Lambeth Council.
About the Save Brixton Arches campaign:
Save Brixton Arches official website
Twitter: #savebrixtonarches