Gentrification or Regeneration? The fight for Brixton Market
By Jamel Smith
In the past few years, locals have seen evictions and new property development but is this for the market's benefit?
Background:
Brixton has been the cultural epicentre of South London since the arrival of the Windrush generation in the mid-1900s and what made Brixton a cultural force was its market.
From the 1950s Brixton was the home for the Afro-Caribbean community, as such, they needed a place where they could get their cultural foods – the market was the solution.
West Indian ingredients like okra, sweet potatoes and dashin were sold by traders and the Afro-Caribbean community were setting up shop serving dishes like jerk chicken and curry goat.
Credit: British Pathe TV
In an interview, Stedman Scott, the 66-year-old founder of Afewee Boxing Gym and Football Academy, based in Brixton Recreation Centre said: “The Windrush generation had record shops, groceries, travel agents and more.”
Afro-Caribbeans were not the only community to call Brixton Market home, other ethnicities and cultures from Colombia and Afghanistan set up shop in Brixton in the 60s.
The Afro-Caribbean historical and cultural significance of Brixton is delicately cared for by Brixton locals.
Brixton was the place where Lovers Rock Reggae rose to worldwide prominence and the 1981 Brixton Riots – which arguably changed Britain forever.
The riots were a clash between black local youths and the Metropolitan Police, racial discrimination was seen by many black locals as the cause for the disturbance.
Mr Scott details more information about the riots and its significance:
Credit: Jamel Smith
Credit: Jamel Smith
However, in recent years, the Brixton community has seen the landscape of the market change.
Gentrification is the word that is commonly used to describe the change that is happening in the market.
"Gentrification is a type of physical, economic, and cultural transition in low-income urban neighbourhoods in which disinvested, oftentimes minority neighbourhoods subsequently experience an influx of wealthier households and increases in real property values"
Credit: Jamel Smith
Credit: Jamel Smith
In the last five years, the fear of gentrification in the market has intensified in the eyes of many locals.
Lambeth Council and Hondo Enterprises are often the ones who are labelled as ‘gentrifiers’ by local campaign groups and others, which is fuelled by allegations of business evictions and their development plans for the area.
However, some would not consider the change happening in the Brixton market as ‘gentrification’, they rather view it as ‘regeneration’ - a means to improve and modernise the community.
Map of Brixton Market today:
Evictions:
The eviction of businesses has been the main cause of anger in the local community.
Evictions are nothing new in the market, but the Save Brixton Arches campaign from 2015 to 2018 ushered in the comparisons between gentrification and evictions in the community.
The campaign started after the Network Rail, with support from Lambeth Council, notified traders under the railway arches that their tenancy was to be terminated.
The campaign gained local and national attention, but ultimately their efforts fell short as longstanding traders were evicted.
Fast forward to 2018 and Hondo Enterprises, a Texas-based property development company bought Brixton Village (formerly Granville village) and Market Row.
As reported by Brixton Blog, when announcing its purchase of the market arcade Hondo said: “We look forward to beginning a conversation with traders, the local community, and Lambeth council in the coming weeks and months as we develop our plans to protect and enhance the market.”
The company headed by Taylor McWilliams, gained attraction in 2020 when it tried to evict Nour Cash and Carry, a shop selling multicultural food items in the market for nearly 30 years.
Once news spread to some local Brixton residents, it started the Save Nour Cash and Carry campaign with help of the shop’s owners, the Shaheen family, to stop the eviction.
Credit: Save Nour Campaign
The campaign went viral on social media gaining national media coverage.
In an interview with a spokesperson from the campaign, they recalled gate-crashing Taylor McWilliams’s online zoom party as they could not organise street protests due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Save Nour campaign also highlighted in October this year that Phil’s Cash and Carry was at risk of eviction in Brixton Village by Hondo Enterprises.
Its social media posts made traction online and Phil’s shop survived the eviction but Save Nour said on Twitter: “Phil's position in the Market is not yet permanently secure, our collective support behind him has greatly improved his position.”
Hondo has said: “As a long-standing trader, keeping Phil’s Fruit and Veg stall in the market has always been our preferred option. Phil is not being evicted, as we are currently in discussions with him to reach a mutually agreed outcome to keep him in the market”
The Tower:
In 2019, Hondo Enterprises announced its plans to build a 20-storey tower on Pope’s Road on the site of Sports Direct.
The tower would have markets on the ground and first floor, with offices it has described as ‘much-needed’ on the floors above, a public square will also be made.
Hondo said the tower will help deliver 2,000 new jobs in the creative, tech and cultural sectors, 3.4 million pounds of extra spend for the local area per year to enhance local businesses.
Hondo emphasises that office space is needed as office space in Brixton is six times lower than the London average.
And the company added it will help create safer neighbourhoods and natural surveillance.
Hondo said: “Our proposals are built around providing a multitude of benefits for the wider Brixton community.
“£600,000 will be put towards improving Brixton Station and for Local Streets Improvement. The new public square, located at the heart of the site, will provide a bustling new space for Brixton’s residents and has the potential to host even more street market traders than can currently trade on Pope’s Road.”
It added: “The scale of the development has allowed a comprehensive and generous package of benefits to be built into our proposals, which will provide long-term investment and opportunity to Brixton.”
Hondo Enterprises also said: “While we recognise that some people were not supportive of the proposed height of the Pope’s Road development, this is one factor that needs to be viewed in the context of the benefits this allows us to bring to the area.
“The scale of the development has allowed a comprehensive and generous package of benefits to be built into our proposals, which will provide long-term investment and opportunity to Brixton.”
It also added in its public consultation document: “Brixton is a growing business hub, and according to Hatch Regeneris’ research into the area, since 2012 there has been a 41% business growth in Brixton, compared to a 29% increase across London.
“There has also been a 28% increase in employment, more than double the average rate within the London Borough of Lambeth. The scheme offers a chance to resolve this, by creating office space.”
“Hondo always carefully consider the history and cultural significance of the market’s setting within Brixton, that is why we are addressing the lack of office space in Brixton, particularly affordable office space. We believe that high-quality and affordable workspace should not be confined to the north of Lambeth, while Brixtonians are left behind, or forced to move away from the community for space and opportunity," it added.
Lambeth council received Hondo’s planning application in April 2020.
Back of Sports Direct where the tower would be, Credit: Jamel Smith
Back of Sports Direct where the tower would be, Credit: Jamel Smith
Sports Direct, Credit: Jamel Smith
Sports Direct, Credit: Jamel Smith
The Save Nour campaign rebranded as the Fight the Tower campaign around August 2020, using their tried and tested social media platform to ‘#FightTheTower’.
They liaised with other groups, printed and gave out leaflets and had community rallies in Windrush Square in their attempts to halt plans for the tower.
Despite this, Lambeth Council approved Hondo’s plans in November 2020 – by two votes to three - with some changes to the original plan like establishing a Brixton job training fund of £40,000 per year for 25 years and an increase in apprenticeship opportunities in the development from 25 to 39.
The Fight the Tower campaign in an online document wrote: “[the changes] does nothing to enhance the economic and social benefits of Taylor Tower.
“According to Hondo’s own figures, only 14% of jobs within the development would go to Lambeth residents, let alone to people in Brixton. Lambeth’s own policy requires 25% local jobs. Hondo admits that this target is 'unachievable' because the office workforce would likely be commuting from outside of the borough.”
They also added: “This is clearly not a development aimed at tackling local inequality, in an area which is one of the most deprived in the borough. Hondo’s financial contributions towards Employment and Skills would do little if anything to create enough local jobs and the money is spread over a 25-year period.”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, did approve the plans in December 2020 – but in a turn of events - he decided to take over Hondo’s application and hold a public hearing before deciding whether or not to grant planning permission.
The public hearing was due to place on June 10 2022 but this has been delayed 'following a request from the applicant received on 31 May to postpone' the hearing.
A spokesperson from the Fight the Tower campaign said they were "devasted" by the postponement: “We thought that we had every written objection from Historic England, Brixton Society, from community groups, from Afewee boxing and football club, from architects, environmental specialist, engineers, legal professionals, city planners.
“We thought they cannot approve this because it's so bad.”
They added: “This postponement, these delays, for the decision affects the community, not only financially for the local traders, not only for residents, not only for workers of Brixton Recreation Centre but for everyone.
"Waiting for this decision affects their lives and also affects the mental health of community members because this delay affects them directly for those who make a living out of this area."
The spokesperson added: “There is no accountability from the developer to actually have deadlines for projects and as a result, it leaves everybody in limbo and it is very disturbing and very difficult.
“We tried to explain this to the GLA (Greater London Authority) how this affects the communities here and it is absolutely devasting.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: "The Mayor agreed to postpone the scheduled Representation Hearing following a request by the applicant to enable them to engage with the local community and address significant concerns raised by Historic England and others.
“City Hall officers are meeting regularly with members of the local community to fully understand their views and provide updates and have requested that the applicant engage with residents and businesses as a priority. A new date for a Representation Hearing has not yet been set."
Thoughts and Opinions:
The Fight the Tower spokesperson said they are worried about the construction of the tower and how it will affect the market.
They said: “To build a 20 to 22 storey office you will need three to four years to build that and this’ll affect Brixton Market.
“Because the dust and noise will affect food trading and health and safety in the market, it is actually going to be devastating for the trader as well as Brixton Recreation centre.”
“Tower will also draw a massive shadow on the flats of Coldharbour Lane,” they added.
Hondo Enterprises commented: “The Construction Logistics Plan, which accompanies the planning application, shows that all works will be contained within the site boundary. To make sure that construction does not disrupt market trading, the routes that vehicles take to the site have been specifically designed to avoid proximity to the markets.”
Historic England has also given its view on the issue:
"Brixton is one of London’s best preserved and most characterful historic town centres. Its scale is predominantly low-rise, featuring an eclectic mix of complementary architectural styles which form the backdrop to a vibrant, multicultural community. The ability to appreciate all these character-defining features and spaces against the backdrop of a clear sky and human scale is central to Brixton’s strong sense of place."
"At 20 storeys high, the proposed tower would have been significantly larger than anything in the vicinity. Consequently, it would have become the focal point in many views, at the expense of Brixton’s distinctive local character. The scheme’s most profound impact would have been on the much-loved Electric Avenue. The proposed development in its original form would, by virtue of its scale and assertive design, have aggressively loomed over Brixton’s famous market street."
Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, wrote to Sadiq Khan to state her objection of the planned tower.
Helen Hayes shared the same criticisms as Historic England, worrying about the height of the tower affecting conservation areas in Brixton Market.
In all, she believes the application should be refused.
Gentrification or regeneration? Locals give their views:
Stedman Scott, founder of Afewee Football Club and Boxing Gym in Brixton Recreation centre. Credit: Jamel Smith
Stedman Scott, founder of Afewee Football Club and Boxing Gym in Brixton Recreation centre. Credit: Jamel Smith
Lee Jasper, 64-year-old Chair of Lambeth Youth Safety Forum. Credit: Jamel Smith
Lee Jasper, 64-year-old Chair of Lambeth Youth Safety Forum. Credit: Jamel Smith
Terrance Grandle, the 60-year-old owner of Los Andes Butchers in Brixton Village. Credit: Jamel Smith
Terrance Grandle, the 60-year-old owner of Los Andes Butchers in Brixton Village. Credit: Jamel Smith
Alan Piper is a member of Brixton Society, an amnesty group monitoring planning and development in the Brixton area. Credit: Jamel Smith
Alan Piper is a member of Brixton Society, an amnesty group monitoring planning and development in the Brixton area. Credit: Jamel Smith
Wayne James, a 54-year-old Canadian youth leader in Brixton, teaches at the Marcus Lipton youth centre and Myspiral, a community group aimed to help young youths in Brixton. Credit: Jamel Smith
Wayne James, a 54-year-old Canadian youth leader in Brixton, teaches at the Marcus Lipton youth centre and Myspiral, a community group aimed to help young youths in Brixton. Credit: Jamel Smith
Lambeth council and Hondo Enterprises had some final comments on this issue:
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “Brixton town centre is a thriving and diverse district with an international reputation that Lambeth Council is rightly proud of and actively working to promote and sustain in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. The pressures on businesses, as well as our communities from rising prices and huge energy bills, is a real crisis. We are supporting the London Living Wage by encouraging businesses to become accredited because tackling low wages has never been more important. We are working with market traders in Brixton Station Road and Electric Avenue to create the best possible trading environment and secure the future of Brixton’s on-street trading. We also have well-developed plans for Brixton to build new genuinely affordable housing, new employment generating space to create jobs for local people in well-paid creative industries and have supported the opening of key local institutions, including the Black Cultural Archives in Windrush Square and Brixton House theatre on Coldharbour Lane.
“Brixton Village, the privately owned covered markets in Brixton, was saved from demolition by the community with support from the council in 2012. Today we are supporting traders and liaising with the site’s owners to help maintain its character and diversity. The application to build on the site is subject to ongoing discussions between the owner and the Greater London Authority. Lambeth Council is calling for any development on the site to recognise and support the local community, contribute to tackling inequality by creating opportunities for local people and to ensure the future of long-term and much-valued traders. More than 60 per cent of Lambeth council staff are from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities, and 40 per cent of our staff are from Lambeth."
Hondo Enterprises said: “Hondo has a proven track record of driving investment into Brixton’s covered markets, after years of managed decline and neglect. This investment and the new businesses that have joined the markets has increased footfall, helping long-standing traditional traders to continue to thrive. The Pope’s Road plans will help to further develop this, making Brixton an even more desirable place to work and visit, improving the business outlook of all traders in the markets. This was recognised by an overwhelming number of traders who were not only supportive of our plans, but formally lodged their support through letters to Lambeth Council in the build-up to the plans being approved."
“Hondo has a positive working relationship with business owners in Brixton Village. We are constantly in communication with them. During the pandemic, we demonstrated our commitment to the traders by not charging rent to every tenant for three months, unlike many others. We also made our teams available to assist traders getting access to grants. As a result, we received a widespread positive response from our traders, one of which being Danclair, owner of Fish Wings and Tings who said: “We are very appreciative of the kind gesture to grant three months of rent due to the uncertainty and hardship caused by the pandemic. I am sure all of Brixton Village’s traders and will be extremely relieved to receive this,” it added.
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