Tuesday 15 March 2016

West Hendon documentary BBC1 tonight spotlights the housing crisis


Wembley Matters has covered the scandal of the social cleansing of the West Hendon Estate at the north end of the Welsh Harp over the years.  The Our West Hendon campaign has fought tooth and nail for the rights of tenants and leaseholders. in Brent Labour, Greens and community activists fought against the plans which is on our borders. Most of the Welsh Harp is in Brent and the development will set a precedent for future development attempts in the area.   LINK 

Now a documentary will be screened on BBC1 at 10.45pm (after the news) until 11.45pm.

--> THE ESTATE WE'RE IN - 60 minutes BBC1 Tuesday 15th March 2016 10:45pm

A North London council estate is to be demolished as part of a multi-million pound regeneration. But will the residents get a place to live on the new development as promised?

High rise luxury private housing looms over the old estate










Situated beside the beautiful Welsh Harp Reservoir, the West Hendon Estate was built in the 1960's to provide housing for families on low incomes. Today, the local council have deemed that the estate's 'grotty' buildings are beyond repair, and, in partnership with private developers, the estate is being demolished to make way for a multi-million pound regeneration.

For many of the residents, the regeneration has caused uncertainty and stress. Council tenant Katrina, who has lived on the estate all her life, has been told that she and her daughter are being evicted from their flat. Pensioner Joe, will have to sell the maisonette that he has lived in for 30 years and saved up to purchase under right to buy. If the council do not increase their offer he will have to leave London and the three generations of his family who live locally, to afford a home elsewhere.

Filmed over a year, 'The Estate We're In' follows home-owners and council tenants as they fight to save their homes and campaign against the regeneration, which they claim is forcing low-income families out of London. Council leaders argue that there is no public money available and that private investment is the only way to supply much needed housing.

Through the experiences of the residents, 'The Estate We're In' gives an intimate perspective on the housing crisis and raises broader questions: What makes a community? What kind of cities do we want to live in? And are the rights of the poor being ignored for the benefit of the rich?

More in the Guardian HERE

4 comments:

Ben said...

Tom says it is the worst regen he has seen in London

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group said...

Now see also the BBC iplayer version http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00t0ydd/the-estate-were-in

Alan Wheatley

Alison Hopkins said...

This is being repeated at the Whitefields Estate.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group said...

The documentary states that Barnet Council sold the land to Barratt's for just £3! How many acres was that, and what is the related price per square foot?

And, as the Housing & Planning Bill proposes more tax-payer subsidised 'right-to-buy', I wonder how much below market price the compulsory purchase 'compensation' would be for 'right-to-buy' tenants when this Government and local councils go still further in selling off Britain to 'developers'?

I believe that if the content of Naomi Klein's 2007 book 'The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism' was common knowledge, councils and central governments would not be able to get away with what they have got away with so far. See http://www.naomiklein.org/reviews/ms-magazine-review-shock-doctrine>Ms. Magazine review of The Shock Doctrine.