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With Network Rail’s development of Brixton arches about to commence, the remaining tenants still trading within Brixton arches and the stall holders of Brixton Station Road external market are now under direct threat of suffering at the hands of Spence Limited and their construction works.
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It is widely expected that the environmental conditions in the immediate vicinity of the works will be impacted by unacceptable levels of noise, vibration and poor air quality, with dust and dangerous particulate matter, (PM 10’s and smaller), possibly carrying remnants of asbestos and other unpleasant materials directly into the lungs of the local community.
In approving the seriously flawed proposals put forward by Network Rail for the safe management and operation of this development and building site, Lambeth Planning have also approved the final piece of social cleansing in this part of Brixton, removing any remaining links with the past and riding roughshod over the traders, families and multicultural communities that had kept faith with Brixton and sacrificed so much in order to remain in their own town.
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Having behaved as absentee landlords for decades, (under the earlier branding of British Rail and Railtrack), Network Rail have failed miserably over many years to carry out many of the most basic legal responsibilities for the maintenance and upkeep of the viaduct and the premises of the traders.
Despite this, businesses have dutifully paid their rents and rates and effectively kept the town’s centre operational, even during some of the most difficult times in Brixton’s recent history, (in the 80’s and 90’s, before Brixton became flavour of the month to developers), when the council and police abdicated most of their responsibilities for the cleaning, safety and security of the area in and around the viaduct and railway station and had effectively left this in the hands of the very same traders who are now being told to clear off.
However, even before work begins, this development is shrouded in confusion, with Network Rail recently being ordered by the government to sell off their entire commercial premises portfolio around the country, including the arches in Brixton, in order to reduce their debts of over a Billion pounds.
So how can Network Rail be trusted to keep any of the promises and commitments made to the community and which are plastered all over the intrusive and hopeless hoarding lines and Michael Smith’s Brixton Bid-funded propaganda panels, that has helped create Brixton’s Dead Zone and destroyed the trade of everyone in the area.
All of this is painfully ironic given the stated purpose and promises of Brixton Bid to “protect Brixton’s diverse range of businesses” and pledges to “strengthen business partnerships, better market the area and improve the environment”.
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Lambeth Council have also ignored the very real risks to the local environment by allowing Network Rail and their contractors, Spence Limited, to operate a complex and dangerously splintered building site(s) for for over 70 hours a week, between 05.00-1700 hours Monday to Friday as well as the weekends.
After the development begins, local residents and businesses will be seeing hoarding lines dismantled and rebuilt each day, with plant and equipment being dropped off by construction lorries from 05.00 hours every morning.
These vehicles, as well as large waste grab vehicles and concrete pouring lorries, will all have to access the severely restricted Brixton Station Road, which has insufficient safe clearance for construction vehicles, (and even fire engines), between the recently installed vehicle access barriers, the existing bollards and properties on this pedestrian access route, (such as Bushman under the Recreation Centre entrance stairs).
Spence Limited will also be annexing the delivery bays on Atlantic Road for their works in the foreseeable future that will also severely damage the operation of businesses on that side of the viaduct, creating further gridlock on the already choked Atlantic Road.
In addition, the fire safety precautions and procedures put forward by Network Rail and Spence Limited appear woefully inadequate, (especially in this post-Grenville society), and fails to properly address the risks of fire within a difficult and constricted building site, placing everyone remaining in and around the arches at increased levels of danger.
It is to be hoped that this abysmally managed and unwanted development will pass off without incident, but unfortunately it is anticipated that these works will impact terribly upon Brixton and the remnants of the community still operating within the arches and the external market stalls, just inches away from the building site, as well as the little nursery that overlooks the site from the Recreation Centre, along with the other shops, cafes, businesses and residents nearby.
It is hard to see that anyone will be able to operate, trade or live normally whilst thousands of tons of concrete underneath the viaduct are broken out and removed before the new concrete is re-poured, specifically due to the noise, vibration and serious impact on the quality of the air whilst these works are ongoing.
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Of most concern is the dust, filth and potentially dangerous particles of asbestos and other undesirable and poisonous materials which will be layering the surrounding area on a daily basis and bringing potentially toxic particles into the kitchens, cafes, shops, market stalls, classrooms, businesses and homes that surround the viaduct.
Arrangements are therefore being made to independently monitor the quality of the air and presence of PM 10’s, along with the levels of noise and vibration that will be produced by these operations, in order to hold Network Rail, Spence Limited and Lambeth Council to account if, as expected, the local community and external street market are left dangerously exposed as a result of the inadequate mitigation methods proposed by Network Rail and Spence Limited.
This Sunday, 4th February, Save Brixton Arches and Our Brixton are holding an anniversary event between 1-3pm on Brixton Station Road and the community is invited to come along to find out more and show their support.
[This opinion piece by a local resident who has elected to remain anonymous]
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Brixton Arches background & resources:
Read the latest news and join the big discussion on the urban75 forums (over 1,500 posts)
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