[ad_1]
The government has rallied to the widespread condemnation of developers who have prevented children living in social housing from using the playground of a London complex.
Conservative Housing Minister James Brokenshire described the situation at Baylis Old School in Lambeth as "scandalous". He said the developers, Henley Homes, and the local council should immediately change sites.
Political leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were criticized after Guardian Cities revealed that Henley Homes had changed the layout of the old school site, creating hedgerows and hedgerows. barriers where approved plans have opened doors, thus preventing social housing residents from using shared spaces.
We would like to hear from readers who have experienced similar problems where a developer has created separate play areas for the richest and poorest residents or any other practice of "mediocre doors". You can share your experiences with us by completing this encrypted form – anonymously if you wish. We will not post anything without contacting you and only the Guardian has access to the contributions. You can read the terms of use here.
The controversy has been compared to the ongoing scandal of "mediocre doors", in which the poorest residents of a development are forced to use different entrances.
Brokenshire tweeted: "Children are excluded from enjoying a playground on the same development because they live in social housing is outrageous. A central element of the Green Paper on social housing is precisely the fight against stigmatization. [Lambeth] The council and the developer need to think and change. "
Politicians and child rights activists, including Corbyn, Khan, fictional education secretary Angela Rayner and children's commissioner Anne Longfield, have all criticized the developers, with Corbyn. tweeting: "It's wrong, it must end."
Addressing the Guardian, John Healey, Ghost Secretary of Housing, added, "This type of segregation is totally wrong. Over the past nine years, the government has left developers free to build what they want. "
In a statement, Khan said: "Segregation has absolutely no place in London and it is outrageous not to allow children living in the same development to play together. The developer must immediately put an end to this shameful practice. "
Longfield said: "Each of the different partners involved should think again," while Labor MP Rachel Reeves called the term "disgusting".
Although James Murray, Deputy Mayor of London Housing, described the situation as "morally unacceptable and shameful," he admitted that his office was unable to immediately force developers to give access.
Murray added, "We've talked to Lambeth Council and they're looking at their legal options to put pressure on the developer. But regardless of the legal position, we are convinced that the developer in this case must understand that his position is morally unacceptable and immediately put an end to this shameful practice. "
Henley Homes has contributed to the success of Khan's campaign for the Mayor of London. In 2015, Khan's team received two payments from Henley, £ 10,000 and £ 5,000, for his campaign.
Lambeth Council defended its actions. Matthew Barnet, a member of the council's housing bureau, described the situation as "totally unacceptable". He claimed that Lambeth had not knowingly allowed segregation to occur.
Lilian Baylis Old School Development Plan
The board also stated that it no longer had any control over access to the play areas. In February, after being contacted by the Guardian for this story, Lambeth Council wrote to Henley Homes.
The letter, from Councilor Joanne Simpson, said, "Developing a sense of community was a key argument presented at the planning stage … So I am deeply concerned to hear … that the social exclusion of children is being designed, because of their occupation mode. However, this is a civil case concerning the managing agency and it is only as part of your donation that you must ensure that all play spaces are available to all children. "
The leading housing lawyers say that there may be a basis for challenging the situation. Martin George, Associate Professor of Property Law at the University of Leicester, said he was discussing with colleagues in the legal services the possibility of action against some of the parties involved. His social media appeal asks people with legal expertise to join him in helping residents challenge segregation.
Residents of Wren Mews have stated that they have been trying for a year to open access to the playgrounds and have repeatedly asked Lambeth, Henley Homes and Warwick Estates to give shared access to all the children of the site.
"We tried to talk to developers about children's rights," said Jane Bloomfield, a private owner who bought her apartment five years ago and campaigned for social housing residents to get the same rights as she enjoys. "They have a tactic of pbading you from person to person. You never get a direct response. You never get anything. It's a vicious circle of unanswered questions. "
Resident Aster Ayele, 34, told the Guardian that it was very important for her and her neighbors to learn that activists and lawyers wanted to support them.
"It makes me happy that people want to help. It's a community and we have to be there for each other. My children look out of the window at children playing in the summer and they feel bad.
"They ask me," Mom, why am I not allowed to go? "And I can not explain – I can not say they're rich and we're poor, so I'm just saying we're not allowed."
Have you encountered any other examples of this type of segregation in subdivisions? If so, contact the cities publisher, Chris Michael
Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, follow our best stories or subscribe to our weekly newsletter
[ad_2]
Source link
