London: Grow Heathrow, another legal challenge

201409_London_Grow_HeathrowIn the four and a half years since Grow Heathrow project started it has significantly grown in size and scope. The original abandoned plant nursery site where the project began is right next to another piece of derelict Green Belt land, that contains the ruins of several more glasshouse frames.

In the spirit of the original occupation, these have been gradually occupied and incorporated into Grow Heathrow, providing additional venues for activities, including the straw bale house that was built with the help of many willing volunteers and has been a prominent feature of the project since it was finished.

The occupiers of the Grow Heathrow site have been fighting a legal battle to retain the use of the land that the project is situated on, but that has so far been limited to the boundaries of the original site. The land bordering this, known in our community as the “Backlands”, is owned seperately by Lewdown Holdings Limited, a faceless company registered in Guernsey. After years of peaceful occupation, they have now decided to begin legal proceedings to remove anyone associated with Grow Heathrow from their land. [Read More]

London: Among the property guardians

Pic from protest at Rectory Gardens in 2012.

Rectory Gardens, a residential mews in Clapham Old Town, is being emptied, one household at a time. Henry, who has lived in the street since 1985, is among those waiting to be rehoused. When he leaves, Lambeth Council will probably hire Camelot, a ‘vacant property management’ company, to install ‘guardians’: people who pay the company for the privilege of staying in disused buildings and keeping out squatters. There are several property guardians already living on the street.
[Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow in Court next Week

London_Grow_Heathrow_No_Third_RunwayWe have just been served a court hearing for the backlands at Grow Heathrow. Tuesday 23rd September, 11am, Uxbridge County Court.

Please come along to court to show your support, or come along to the Grow Heathrow site in the day to get involved in cooking some delicious food and all the rest…

We will try and pursue every avenue to prolong our stay on site – keep your eyes peeled for any upcoming news. More information to follow soon. PLEASE PASS IT ON. [Read More]

London: Prosecution of Camden squatters collapses

Fuck s144! Another test of section 144 of LASPO has failed for the cops (This law criminalised squatting in residential buildings in 2012 for England and Wales).
[Read More]

London: Squatting, Media and the Liberal Myth

(No specific names or places have been used in this article. Much of the information is purposefully left vague for two reasons. Firstly to respect people’s anonymity and secondly so individuals and groups do not feel they are specifically under attack, which is not at all my intention. My intention is to put the squatting campaign in a wider political context, and examine some of the attitudes I have observed within this context)

As a prelude to the criminalisation on residential squatting in the UK in 2012, the right-wing media went on a hysterical smear campaign against those who self-house. All sorts of disparaging nonsense was thrown about. The media’s focus became the (in)conveniently timed squatting of a large house in a wealthy area of London. It was too tasty for the media to resist: a photogenic affluent professional couple. A baby due. And freeloading squatters invading their future family home. The hacks went mental.
[Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow are recruiting

201409_London_grow_heathrow_recruitingRole of Resistance at Grow Heathrow

Grow Heathrow, is an inclusive, sustainable community project on the site of the proposed 3rd runway. We are committed to furthering  positive social change through education, autonomy and campaigning.

We are looking for responsible, enthusiastic and compassionate people who understand the unique nature of Grow Heathrow as a squatted piece of land under threat of eviction, in a village fighting against airport expansion.

Grow Heathrow is a nationally recognized organisation, making front page news. This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the most exciting and innovative projects of its time and participate from the ground up in real change on both a local and global level. [Read More]

UK: Come to London in October! Say No to MIPIM and AUSTERITY, Yes to Housing Rights!

The “London Radical Housing Network” supported by international activists who try to build a “European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing an the City” have called for transnational action and meetings at the occasion of the real estate fair “MIPIM UK” in October (17th – 2oth). Here is their call in it’s 29th August version.

This is a call to housing activists across Europe to come to London this October 17th-20th to oppose austerity policies and the financialisation of our homes and cities, and to create the networks of resistance necessary to defeat it. From the 15th-17th MIPIM, one of Europe’s biggest real estate fairs, will be taking place in London. Landlords, real estate speculators and politicians are meeting to discuss how to make more profit out of the misery of housing and other urban consequences of the global crisis. [Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow, “You can’t evict an idea”

Nearly five years later the group has cleared 30 tonnes of rubbish and runs a popular community space called Grow Heathrow with a bicycle workshop, food-growing club, renewable energy courses, and an art space.
On Friday the 15th of August, after a three year court battle, bailiffs arrived for the first time to evict the group and were met with nearly 200 people supporting Grow Heathrow to continue the project.
The bailiffs will be returning soon and the members of community garden are preparing with various resistance tactics. The group are trying to negotiate with the owner to buy the land with the support of John McDonnell MP and the Sipson Resident’s Association. [Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow eviction Resisted Successfully

Eviction Resisted successfully on Friday 16th August.

From the tower I couldn’t see what went on at the main gate, but the whole site was secured by a good number of folk (50 – 100 odd?) and a local 15 year old d-locked herself to the front of the barricaded gate.

Lots of music and fun was had by all!!
[Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow, We’re Still Here! But more to come…

Support_Grow_Heathrow_eviction_resistanceWE DID IT, TOGETHER WE RESISTED AN EVICTION TODAY!
THANK YOU
everyone who helped resist the eviction at Grow Heathrow, the chefs, live band, bike powered smoothie makers, seed sowers, climbers, people locked on, Jonathan Goldberg for photos, organisers and more…
BUT….
Unfortunately this is not the end…
The Bailiffs may return any day without warning… to try and evict Grow Heathrow once more… we will need to come together again for this…Email us your phone number if you want to be part of the phone tree or join the mailing list on the website: http://www.transitionheathrow.com… info [at] transitionheathrow [dot] com Come down and visit, stay and help the site run… [Read More]

London: Grow Heathrow eviction notice 8am, Friday 15 Aug

On Friday 15th August at 8am, bailiffs will make their first attempt to evict Grow Heathrow (previously here and here). Four and a half years after the abandoned greenhouses in the middle of Heathrow Airport’s proposed third runway were occupied by local residents together with activists, Heathrow villagers are organising again to resist airport expansion that’s ruled out by climate science.
[Read More]

London: More anti-homeless spikes go up in Southwark

Yesterday, more anti-homeless spikes were installed outside a Southwark building.

Yesterday, a local resident sent us two photos of more spikes being installed outside what looks like another, possibly private residential building on the corner of Druid Street and Abbey Street in Bermondsey.
[Read More]