Aylesbury Estate campaigners occupy community hall to save homeless charity

Occupation: Thurlow Lodge campaigners
Lucy Young
Matt Watts23 January 2017

Campaigners have occupied a community hall in the latest twist in their battle against a £1.5 billion redevelopment of one of Europe’s biggest housing estates.

Defend Council Housing has taken over Thurlow Lodge on the Aylesbury Estate amid fears that a homeless charity operating a soup kitchen there could be forced out.

The 2,700-home estate is to be bulldozed by Southwark council and replaced with a 4,000-home development.

Defend Council Housing opposes the regeneration project — which the council says is essential because the estate is in disrepair — as it provides less social housing.

The group supports eight homeowners on the estate fighting a High Court battle to stop them being forced to sell to allow the first phase of the project to go ahead.

The activists have joined food bank Divine Rescue to occupy the hall where the soup kitchen is based.

Tanya Murat, chair of the Southwark branch of Defend Council Housing, said: “The reduction in council homes on the Aylesbury is adding to homelessness because of a reduction in affordable homes.

"The fact a vital homeless project in the community now faces being driven from the estate as a result of this is hugely symbolic and we want to help them fight it.”

The occupation follows uncertainty over the future of Divine Rescue after the council took back possession of the hall on January 6.

"The project helps around 100 homeless people each day through a soup kitchen, support and training services, and runs a food bank for low-income families. But it was told by the outgoing management that it would have to leave.

The charity has taken “24-hour occupation” of the building as leaving would mean its closure. It is now in talks with the town hall about finding a solution for it to stay.

Valerie Msoni, who helps run the charity, said: “We are a lifeline for very vulnerable people. Having to close would be devastating. We are just doing what we can to secure our future.”

Fiona Colley, cabinet member for finance, modernisation and performance, said: “I just want to be clear that at no point has Southwark council tried to evict the Divine Rescue charity from Thurlow Lodge. The council wants to see it continuing in community use for as long as possible.

“Claims from other campaign groups that the regeneration of the estate will cause homelessness when tenants are being re-housed in the borough and new affordable and social rent homes are being built, are completely disingenuous.”

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