Brick by Brick, the council’s wholly-owned, loss-making building company, wants to hear from you in an online discussion where they want to celebrate their great achievements in building social housing.
Like an over-excited six-year-old on Christmas Eve (left), the company that has been funded by at least £260million of public borrowing this morning issued its invitation to an event they are calling “The power of social housing”.
Brick by Brick, of course, are experts in the field of social housing, having actually built three one-bed council homes since 2015.
The event is due to be held “virtually” from 6pm on Wednesday, June 17.
“Join us for a discussion between three leading (female) architects about the power of social housing,” the company’s bumpf says.
“Annalie Riches, Sarah Wigglesworth and Chloe Phelps will be in conversation, chaired by Martyn Evans, from the virtual offices of Brick By Brick, the developer established by Croydon Council in 2016,” the publicity blurb lied (they really ought to check their own records at Companies House). Evans, by the way, is understood to receive a fee for chairing the board of the failing company.
“Whilst the delivery of new social housing continues to falter…”, as it has in Croydon, “…the design quality of many new developments far outstrips that of private tenure – one need only look to Goldsmith Street in Norwich, which won the RIBA Stirling Prize last year.” That scheme was designed by Riches’ architects firm. Not by Brick by Brick, who has been described as “wildlife despoiling cowboys”.
“This event will bring together three of these architects, to discuss the power of design to create homes where people can thrive, as well as the shifting attitudes towards social housing across the country.”
Anyone can take part, apparently. Brick by Brick’s jolly invitation offers a link to their free event on Eventbrite, which can be accessed by clicking here.
It appears to be an opportunity almost as good as Jo Negrini’s self-aggrandising 81-quid On The Buses tour of the town centre, and really ought not be missed by Inside Croydon’s loyal reader and Brick by Brick fans, of which we are sure there are … some.
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Brick by Brick, our Council ruling Cabal and Boris Johnson all share one unfortunate syndrome: they all suffer from delusions of adequacy.
Perhaps they should have the Brick by Brick love-in on Tuesday/Wednesday this week?
That way, Newman and Negrini could segway between this and their meetings with the council’s bankruptcy advisers.
There’s a sort of symmetry in this.