I have been contacted by many constituents who are concerned about Hondo's planning application for Pope's Road. I share these concerns and have written to Lambeth Council to oppose the application. You can read my full objection below. 

Today marks the 72nd anniversary of our precious NHS, appreciated and valued this year perhaps more than ever. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, health and social care workers have been on the frontline caring for vulnerable people and saving lives.

I pay tribute to their tireless work, and my thoughts are with the families of the health and care workers who have tragically lost their lives to coronavirus. Shamefully, the Government’s testing regime has been poorly planned and slow to scale up to the challenges of the virus. This left far too many health and social care workers exposed and allowed the virus to rapidly spread through care homes.

Many local residents have been involved in the campaign to save a wonderful local independent shop in Brixton, Nour Cash & Carry. I’m delighted to share that yesterday Nour Cash & Carry reached an agreement with their landlord which means they have a secure, long term future in Brixton at a level of rent they can afford.

The Government has this week published a review into the tragically high number of covid-19 deaths within BAME communities, after much delay and with a key chapter setting out the responses to consultation missing. This review provides the devastating quantification of what many families knew already – that people from BAME backgrounds have an increased risk of death from coronavirus – twice the risk for people of Bangladeshi ethnicity and high for other Asian, Caribbean and black ethnicities too.  Statistics just add to the pain unless they are used as the basis for action.  The government must now use this report to save lives – we need a detailed plan setting out the action that will be taken to safeguard people who are at increased risk and prevent further heartbreak. Today I called on the Minister to deliver justice for Belly Mujinga and her family, who died from coronavirus after a spitting attack at Victoria station where she worked, and to ensure all BAME workers are protected from coronavirus in the workplace.  

This report is published at the same time as the horrific footage of the death of George Floyd in America has caused outrage across the globe and has resonated with many in the UK who have also suffered the multiple injustices of racism.  It is sickening that Donald Trump is inflaming this situation rather than listening to the anger and pain and making a genuine commitment to root out racism once and for all. 

I moved to Brixton in 1996 and I have known Nour Cash and Carry since that time.  It is a wonderful local shop providing both a wide range of fresh and staple foods at affordable prices, and a huge range of ingredients from across the world.  It is a joy and an inspiration to shop there, both in culinary terms and because Nour is an expression of the diverse communities it serves.

I was horrified to learn that Nour Cash and Carry had been served with an eviction notice by the owners of Brixton Village and Market Row, Hondo Enterprises earlier this year.  I proactively arranged to visit Nour as soon as I was able to back in February and discussed the events that had preceded the eviction notice.  I was clear then, and I am clear now that the eviction of Nour Cash and Carry is completely unacceptable and the eviction notice should be withdrawn.  This is further exacerbated by the subsequent coronavirus pandemic, which has created so many challenges for local businesses and throughout which Nour has been supporting our community with generous donations to our local Foodbank.

I have written to Hondo Enterprises on multiple occasions since February, repeatedly asking them to withdraw the eviction notice.  Hondo say that they need to move Nour Cash and Carry in order to build a new substation which can only be located in Nour’s unit.  If this is the case, Hondo must provide indisputable evidence of it and place this in the public domain.  Again, I have been clear about this and I have written to Hondo to say so.  Along with the local Coldharbour ward councillors, I have met with Hondo twice to date to represent the views of Nour Cash and Carry and the strength of feeling in our local community.

We need to save Nour Cash and Carry.  More widely, local independent businesses need more protection from government.  Just as we need reform of the private rented sector in housing, we need to find ways to strengthen the national protections and support for independent businesses which are the heart and soul of our communities.

I stand with Nour Cash and Carry in a battle they should not have to be fighting to remain in their premises.