Blog
We Protested the Town Hall to Demand Action
May 2024
Lambeth claims to have learned from its past “mistakes” with a new housing strategy, but what does it say when we have been forced to the streets to demand basic liveable homes?
On April 24th, we submitted a petition to the council, signed by 168 of our neighbours who share the same concerns over damp, disrepair and disrespect by the Council and their contractors. Despite the council acknowledging receipt of the petition and confirming a response by May 17th, we have yet to receive any communication.
We’ve also made efforts to gain support from our local elected representatives, including Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, and Maria Kay, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness. Despite our efforts, we’ve been met with silence and indifference from Lambeth Council.
In response to this treatment, we have been driven to protest at the most recent cabinet meeting at Lambeth Town Hall. For many of our neighbours, this was our first protest, driven by frustration over systemic failures. One member said “I felt empowered! We have a voice after feeling unheard for so long”, while another loved “hearing all the horns honking in support from passing drivers, and it was so important to have so many young people there”. Together we showed that Tulse Hill estate truly is united in its experience, and steadfast in our demands for:
An independent environmental inspection
A resident-led estate improvement plan
A single point of contact at the Council to be accountable to us
Despite our efforts to work with the system, it has proved to us that it is completely incapable of representing our safety or wellbeing. From here, we have no choice but to escalate until we are heard.