Consulting the ubiquitous community..

A BBC report cites a “community consultation” for its story on anti-social behaviour and the apparent conclusion that residents – “up to six families” according to the report – in a block of flats in Lenadoon want to be moved and the flats demolished, a conclusion that the Housing Executive are reportedly considering. But who did the consulting? The only other reference I can find to that ‘consultation’ is in the statement by Sinn Féin MLA, Sue Ramsay, “Following the completion of a community consultation supported by Sinn Fein..” All of which reminded me, again, of a previous post..

Because community implies grassroots legitimacy it is an ideal disguise for such top-down exercises in social control. Being so deliberately ill-defined it is also a tricky disguise to unmask. But unmask it we must if we are not to be told who we are, what we are, how to think and where to think it by everyone anxious to group us under their own agendas. A fair society, as St Augustine observed, must comprise one community of law.

Adds Interestingly the Andersonstown News has a more focussed reportFrom that AN report

A spokeswoman for the PSNI confirmed it was investigating a disturbance in Lenadoon Avenue last weekend.
She said: “It would appear that a disagreement at a party spilled on to the street. On arrival of police a number of youths made off from the scene.”
A spokesman for the Housing Executive revealed around half of the tenants at Block 146 have applied for transfers.

and

The spokesman [for NIHE] said housing bosses have been working with the local community to make Block 146 a better place to live.
He added: “Recently we have made some physical improvements to the flats to improve security and privacy, and we are examining a number of long-term proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.”
However, Block 146 residents are in no doubt as to how to improve the area.
“They should kick out the tenant who is partying all weekend,” said one man. “If they did that the noise and fighting would stop overnight.”

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