Andy Donald, Brent's Director of Regeneration and Major projects, has been a delegate to MIPIM at its Cannes meetings where he shared his thinking about development and regeneration - we can see the results of that thinking in Brent today. LINK
This year MIPIM is coming to London.
The description under this videa reads:
The world’s largest property fair, known as MIPIM, is coming to London for the first time in its 25-year history. Hundreds of property developers, financiers and politicians will be welcomed by the Mayor of London when they converge on Olympia to do deals that allow them to profit from our land and our neighbourhoods.
This is creating unaffordable, insecure housing and contributing to the corporate takeover of our community space and public services. It means big profits for the richest 1% whilst destroying our communities and keeping millions in poverty.
We don't need more luxury housing, office blocks and shopping centres. We don't want our neighbourhoods to be gentrified and entire communities evicted. We want quality genuinely affordable housing and public services for all.
Join affected communities, the Radical Housing Network, the European Action Coalition for the
Right to Housing and the City, trade unions, tenants groups and many others to say ‘Our communities are not for sale!’
London Mayor Boris Johnson will be giving an opening address welcoming the property developers and financiers who have come to profit from our communities.
Green Party Assembly Member for London, Darren Johnson, will be attending the demonstration at 9am.
#BlockBoris
Wednesday 15 October, 9am
Meet outside Kensington Olympia tube, Olympia Way, W14 0NE
What's in a name? Andy Donald's job-description has changed. He's now Strategic Director for Regeneration and Growth. Seems like not only 'major' but all 'projects' come under his belt. Nothing less than the shape of the London Borough of Brent in one man's hands - subject to the agreement of Brent's politicians, of course... Reassured?
ReplyDeleteAs for MIPIM - Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier to you and me - here's the link this year's international jamboree
http://www.mipimuk.co.uk/
You can revive your spirits, however, without resorting to the strong stuff by watching this fabulous 7-minute film from last night's Channel 4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/public-space-occupy-private-land-place-hacker
Now you know - no filming on the 13.5 acres of 'Irish limestone' around London's City Hall. Democracy - weirder and weirder...
Important point above re relationship between senior officers and politicians - officers can only get away with moulding local authority affairs to their unelected whim and fancy with the agreement of the politicians. It's the latter who must carry the can for the former, however appallingly behaved the over-paid coterie of senior managers is. Managers must be held accountable, of course, but so must the politicians who agree their appointments.
DeleteStupid me - not only Boris. Omitted the sentence justifying the reference to the mayor as a 'classicist', so above should have read: '... classicist Boris was too stupid to see that the fishing-exercise by Royal Mail Group will lead to fewer housing units than the MPA's alternative neighbourhood-led plan. A Pyrrhic victory for the would-be Tory MP and leader'.
ReplyDelete