Arlington House revamp ‘snub’ for Labour

Published: 17 June 2010
by DAN CARRIER

MAYOR Boris Johnson has been accused of “basking in the glory” of the new Arlington House despite Labour politicians being behind much of its £12.8million facelift.

Mr Johnson celebrated the renovation of the famous former hostel in Camden Town at a special relaunch ceremony on Thursday along with artist Tracey Emin. 

Arlington House now has 95 larger rooms for residents as well as 35 flats available at low rents. It includes classrooms for training with building firm Lakehouse planning to run courses in basic building skills, leading to an NVQ certificate. Catering company City Dining will run a restaurant in the basement and will offer training alongside with Hackney Community College. NHS Camden are due to open a doctor’s surgery on site, and in the basement there is a conference centre which One Housing, who manage the building, hope to rent out. 

But there were claims that Labour-leaning campaigners who had worked on securing the hostel’s future had not even been invited to the re-launch reception.

Keith Bird, who has been involved in helping the hostel since the 1980s, said: “Perhaps most worryingly of all, there were no residents there at all. They are the most important people. 

“At the reception, it was like the Oscars – lots of people in suits eating expensive canapes, but no residents there.

“Why wasn’t Frank Dobson invited? He has worked tirelessly for the people who live there. 

“The vast majority of the cash came from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – John Prescott – worked really hard to get this done. He also was not invited.

“Tracey Emin and Boris Johnson do not reflect the organisation, Arlington, or the work that has gone in over the years. [Former managers] Novas did three-quarters of the job before they handed it on to One Housing after hitting financial issues, yet it was taken as if they’d been involved in this for years and years. 

“Tracey Emin and Boris Johnson had showed up to basically bask in the glory of other people’s hard work.”

Ms Emin said she decided to attend as she had twice been homeless.

“I am not here because I am a great artist or because I am successful,” she added.

“I have been homeless. When I was 17 I was homeless for nine months. I was in a DHSS room – I was the only woman. I had to lock my door every night. I was terrified.

“The second time I was aged 23. I went to Southwark Council every day and asked them for somewhere to live. They eventually found me a co-op flat in Waterloo. It was a place where neighbours knew each other and they really looked after you.”

And Ms Emin offered to help raise funds to keep the project alive, offering life drawing classes at £500 a go – which the Mayor pledged to sign up for. 

Arlington House originally opened its doors in 1905 when it accommodated more than 1,000 men. It was praised by George Orwell in 1931, who said he spent a shilling and got a room to himself.

Throughout the 20th century, it became home to many single working men, often from Camden Town’s Irish community.

Town Hall housing chief, Labour councillor Julian Fulbrook, recalled how in the 1980s one man, who had stayed at Arlington every night for 25 years, always insisted on paying for his bed and board on a daily basis “as he could not say if he wouldn’t move on tomorrow”. 

Cllr Fulbrook told how during his previous stint as the Town Hall’s chairman of housing there were 1,066 rooms available and a warden, called William, whose nickname was “The Conquerer”, ruled the corridors with a iron fist. 

But Cllr Fulbrook said times had changed and Arlington would now offer a more holistic approach to the people it helped. He added: “It is not enough to just give someone a roof over their heads.”

His thoughts were echoed by Mayor Boris Johnson. 

He said: “If this is London’s answer to homelessness in 2010 it is a great credit to London.”

He also vowed to go head to head with Prime Minister David Cameron to protect  investment in new social housing.

“Housing is massively important to the London economy,” added Mr Johnson. “You need to find places that are affordable for people to live in. It is vital we go on building affordable homes, and I will be lobbying for more cash for social housing from central government.”

One Housing group chairwoman Baroness Julia Neuberger said she had a personal link to the house. She said her father Walter Schwab had worked there as a volunteer in the late 1920s.

A One Housing spokesman said: “The reason no residents were invited to the launch was the refurbishment work only finished the night before. We held a launch for them later that day instead.” 

The spokesman said that the decision to invite Boris Johnson, who had previously never visited Arlington House, was partly based on his links with the Homes and Communities Agency, that provided funds, and his political role.