The Conclusion

The case of Cressingham Gardens is the story of one of many regeneration and gentrification stories. This is just one of those cases that are heavily publicised on the news not just because of the scale of the proposed development, but it is because of the people’s fight to save their homes. It is the people, in my opinion and I’m sure many others feel the same way, that makes Cressingham Gardens worth saving. People have grown to love their homes, despite people’s generalised perception of social housing as areas of disrepair, neglect, and crime. This is clearly demonstrated through their activism towards keeping their homes, even those who do not live there. They have grown to appreciate and have developed strong community ties with those living in the estate.

the words of Rob Nice,

As a result, I do believe, wholeheartedly, that the power of people’s on-going beliefs on doing what is right, towards things that they are passionate about does affect the outcomes of such big architectural, social, and political decisions.

And that is exactly what we, as designers and developers should never forget. That is something that I also feel strongly about. In the case of Cressingham Gardens, the council, the developers, and all those involved fail to empathise and forget that there are people who are content at where they live. They have forgotten or have been blinded by their toxic desire of the ‘new’ and the ‘shiny’, especially in this modern, constantly evolving world. All the people of Cressingham needs is a little more consideration to the place they happily call home.

Although, there are various case studies that have unfortunately not been successful. One of which is Robin Hood Gardens and Aylesbury Estate, a consequential example of noteworthy architecture for mass housing, where they have been demolished. However, the fight to save them have not gone un-noticed and forgotten. Hence why people, like myself, still aim write about them to raise awareness of such issues, and to learn from the mistakes of the past, and to try and save the homes of people, especially at a time of a crisis in housing.

From what I have learned with my conversation with Anne Cooper and the research that I have carried out, the main recurring factor to such issues inevitably comes back to the incompetence and lack of consideration and empathy of those in authority. Like I have mentioned before, I understand that it is unfair to say just how much of the council’s approach to coming to a conclusion are trying leave people out of the conversation, subconsciously or not, or just a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ situation. With that said, one of the reasons why residents of Cressingham Gardens estate still remain sceptical for example, is because whenever the council organises workshops and meetings to try and end with an understanding with the people, the events are often poorly planned in a way that restricts certain members of the community to be able to actively attend. According to Andy Plant, there are approximately 10% of the residents living at Cressingham Gardens Estate have disabilities, and 10% are senior citizens, which are higher than most council housing estates in the area at the time of his interview. Therefore, it was more difficult for said demographic to attend and access the workshops and meetings that the council often organised. On top of that, these meeting were often held in winter seasons, weekday evenings which, again, reduces the access and ability to attend by some people (Plant, 2016).

In 2015, the people of Lambeth stood alongside residents of Cressingham Gardens through a public demonstration to Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton Town Centre every Saturday from what Anne has informed me. She declared how that was definitely a key turning point for the movement for two very important reasons. One of which was that it raised awareness to what was happening to the estate to other residents in the borough of Lambeth, which eventually caught the attention of the media and spread further afield. And secondly, officials and members of the council came to the realisation that Anne, and those part of the fight meant every single thing they were fighting for. Although Ms. Cooper has virtuously and very honestly expressed her concerns, doubt, and slight regrets for being part of the decision to go ahead with the demonstrations; how the ‘what if’ questions started to flood in as Anne recalls the moment Lambeth council revoked the initial five options that have been proposed after the 2015 demonstrations occurred. She sometimes feels that, if they had not done such an open, public protest, could the council have responded more softly, compared to slightly more forward way of retaliation? (Cooper, 2022).

But one thing is for certain… if that does not clearly demonstrate just how much power and influence, we, the people, have in putting pressure on those at the top to make the right choice, I’m not sure what will. This act of resistance to those in power ultimately changed the course of the decade-long fight for the spatial and social injustices of the system (Sendra, 2018). The deciding fate of Cressingham Gardens has been a tumultuous one, with highs and lows, back and forth along the way. Whether the result is for the better, or not. Only time will tell. But we can hope that all their efforts will never go unnoticed, with hopes of a positive and successful outcome for everyone. Debates and fights to save homes, not just in London, are never guaranteed. But from what I’ve learned in this piece of writing and my piece on Robin Hood Gardens, is that the position of people’s active involvement in these situations does matter and can often alter the course of the case, no matter how small.

In the end, it comes down to the enthusiasm and passion of the people that drives these things to move forward; the pressure that is put in those power to make a difference. Hence why the fight to save Cressingham Gardens Estate has now been a decade-long battle since 2012, and to this day, the people continue to fight for the place they call

Don’t stay in the dark, come out and fight. Don’t despair, there is always light...

No one can destroy us entirely...

Be optimistic, be bold and walk in the light together.

(Eileen O’Keefe, 2017 cited in Cooper, 2017)

Bibliography

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Cooper, A. (2022) In-person Interview with Anne. 21/12/2022 (See Appendix)

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List of Illustrations

Cover Image, (2015) Save Cressingham Gardens – Activists on Hardel Walk [Photograph] At: https://www.facebook.com/SaveCressinghamGardens/photos /a.476566179031401/975051569182857/ (Accessed 01/12/2022)

Fig. 1 Berry, S. (2021) Social housing net loss/gain - completed schemes in London (Since 2003, data from London Development Database, July 2020, all schemes on sites with existing social housing demolition, completed schemes only) [Diagram/Chart] At: https://www.london. gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021_01_estate_redevelopment_in_london_data_sian_berry_am.pdf (Accessed 01/11/2022)

Fig. 2 Municipal Dreams (s.d.) A photograph of Aylesbury Estate [Photograph] At: https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/the-aylesbury-estate-southwark-state-led-gentrification/ (Accessed 01/11/2022)

Fig. 3 Financial Times (s.d.) Illustration of Margaret Thatcher’s Right-to-Buy Scheme [Photograph] At: https://www.ft.com/content/2e2c1eda-9c6f-4dfc-a79c-5186b1d423ad (Accessed 12/12/2022)

Fig. 4 Rousseau, S. (1997) Tony Blair’s Speech at Aylesbury Estate [Photograph] At: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/jun/02/policeman-aylesbury-estate-tony-blair-thats-me-picture (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 5 Architect’s Journal (s.d.) Aerial View of Cressingham Gardens Estate [Photograph] At: https://cdn.rt.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/07/18033805/CressinghamAerialShot.jpg (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 6 Open House Festival (s.d.) Meeting/Workshop held at the Rotunda at Cressingham Garden. [Photograph] At: https://d25hwkr75zzfa.cloudfront.net/store/photo/large/building_6047_ img_1422_aedd378a2303054b487b06b30b6801bf.JPG (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 7 Open House Festival (s.d.) The Communal, Open Space for residents adjacent Brockwell Park. [Photograph] At: https://d25hwkr75zzfa.cloudfront.net/store/photo/large/building_6047_cressinghamgardenstour-3_highres_b18d38fad12ffe3e7c9b2a3e75f86a0e.jpg (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 8 Brixton Blog (2022) Bodley Manor Walk - Designed for a community: Cressingham Gardens front doors face each other [Photograph] At: https://brixtonblog.com/2022/10/cressingham-gardens-plan-reckless-say-architecture-awards/ (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 9 Mellish, S. (2015) Cressingham Gardens residents at a demonstration. [Photograph] At: https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2015/nov/30/lambeth-council-demolish-homes-illegal-cressingham-gardens-high-court (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 10 Lambeth Council (s.d.) Indication of Support for the Options. [Graph] (Accessed 23/12/2022)

Fig. 11 Brixton Buzz (2015) Lambeth residents participating in the 2015 Demonstrations. [Photograph] At: https://i0.wp.com/www.brixtonbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cressingham-1.jpg?w=735&ssl=1 (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 12 Gonzales, L. (2022) A Portrait of Anne E. Cooper [Photograph] In possession of the author: Canterbury

Fig. 13 Gonzales, L. (2022) Cressingham Gardens – Sanctum Ephemeral [Photograph] In possession of the author: Canterbury

Fig. 14 Firth, R. (s.d.) Michael O’Keefe outside his house at Cressingham Gardens Estate. [Photograph] At: https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/families-south-london-estate-fear-22931215 (Accessed 10/01/2023)

Fig. 15 Gonzales, L. (2022) Anne E. Cooper – A resident and activist. [Photograph] In possession of the author: Canterbury

Fig, 17 Save Britain’s Heritage (2015) 2015 Cressingham Gardens Demonstrations in Brixton. [Photograph] At: https://www.savebritainsheritage.org/campaigns/item/691/PRESS-RELEASESAVE-and-C20-call-for-urgent-protection-of-historic-south-London-garden-estate (Accessed 10/01/2023)