StopTheCity

Extensive radioactive contamination has been found…

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:58:00 -0700

Extensive radioactive contamination has been found on the London 2012 Olympic site. OPEN has made an appeal for funds to meet the cost of commissioning an independent nuclear scientist to report on the working methods and risks arising from the excavation works on the site at Stratford.
If you can assist with funding the independent scientist's report please contact info@openuk.net info@openuk.net.

Community campaign makes the developer see the light

About OPEN Shoreditch — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:07:00 -0700

Following a long running campaign by OPEN Shoreditch a major developer has now abandoned its plans to demolish and redevelop The Light building at 233, Shoreditch High Street.

The Light, previously derelict, but now repaired and converted to commercial uses. A landmark building on the border between Shoreditch and The City

Hammerson's Managing Director, Martin Jepson, announced yesterday that "Following the local campaign to preserve the Light Bar building, we are preparing amended proposals for our Bishops Place regeneration project. We believe we have found a way to incorporate the building into the proposals. We are now preparing a scheme to submit to the Council that recognises this Shoreditch landmark alongside delivering much needed investment for Hackney."

The Light would have been extinguished had the original redevelopment scheme not been dropped.

Local campaigners formed OPEN Shoreditch in January 2008 to resist inappropriate development in the area which offered insufficient community benefits and which threatened some of its unique buildings, the settings of its conservation areas and aspects of its local economy. You can read further details of the campaign here and here.

One particular concern was Hammerson's planning application for the demolition and redevelopment of The Light. The Light is on a former railway site now partly owned by Hackney Council and partly by Hammerson. OPEN Shoreditch, with other local interests, presented well argued objections to the Council's Planning Committee which deferred its decision .

Hammerson's planning application was for a 50 storey tower to provide a hotel, private flats and 87,000 sq ft of office accommodation. The newly revised scheme has not yet been unveiled for public view.

After deferral of the planning application OPEN Shoreditch then successfully campaigned for the inclusion of the building within the Council's newly defined Shoreditch Conservation Area boundaries. Inclusion would provide protection from uncontrolled demolition. OPEN lobbied the Secretary of State and English Heritage which had commended the building's restoration and strongly recommended its inclusion in the Conservation Area. They have power to intervene and themselves designate conservation areas where the local authority finds itself in a position of conflict of interests, as in this case where Hackney stand to make millions if a redevelopment scheme is given planning permission. Hackney Council eventually relented, on the advice of English Heritage, and the buiding is now within the conservation area.

OPEN has previously reported on the credit crunch difficulties facing property developers.

The Worship of Mammon 1909 by Evelyn de Morgan. Updated in 2009 by dunkdigital.com

Hammerson has continued to experience a chilling economic environment . No doubt a grant of planning permission for a revised scheme now will give great comfort to its shareholders and to Hackney Council which has already earmarked the proceeds of the land sale for its new Town Hall extension and has also been banking on the Section 106 money arising from planning permission.

Following Hammerson's announcement, OPEN Shoreditch's Co-Chair, Rebecca Collings said "We are delighted with this news. We continue to promote a community planning process with both the developers and the local planning authorities over the future of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard. The changes to the Bishop's Place scheme indicate that the developers are more willing to listen. We hope to move forward in search of the win/win - benefits for the community and sustainable development proposals for both the developers and the local authority.”

The wall of towers, including three of over 50 storeys, which had been planned for the Bishopsgate Goodsyard site without any comunity planning or consulation.

Victory for Queen's Market campaigners

About OPEN Shoreditch — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:18:00 -0700

On Wednesday 13th May 2009 the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson directed Newham Council to refuse planning permission for plans to redevelop Queen’s Market in Upton Park, which include the construction of a 96 metre high residential tower block.

The Friends of Queens Market have fought a long running campaign to reach this point. A spokesperson, Lucy Rogers, said: “I feel fantastic. We can hardly believe it. I feel in some boroughs, especially in East London, there is a brutish redevelopment agenda going on which doesn't represent what people want. We are very glad the Mayor has listened. This is exactly what he should be for.”

When plans were submitted to the Mayor for consultation in May 2008, the applicant was advised that they did not conform with the London Plan on several counts, including the quality of the design of the proposed tower.

The applicant subsequently revised the plans but these still failed to address the Mayor’s concerns on the appearance and, in particular the attractiveness of the proposed tower. The plans also failed to demonstrate that a tall building of the design proposed would be appropriate on the site.

The Mayor said:

“I have carefully considered this application. However, it is obvious that a tower of this size, so much higher than any existing tall buildings in the area, is neither attractive or in proportion or suited to any of the surrounding buildings, streets or the general urban realm of Newham.

“I am not opposed to the improvements to Queen’s Market, but I am against this inappropriate tower and have, therefore, instructed Newham not to approve these current plans.”

To download a copy of the Mayor’s Planning Decision here

Mammon. From superhero to sub-zero

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:35:00 -0800

As the credit freeze tightens its icy grip on our shattered economy the worshippers of mammon shiver with disbelief. The mammonists said Hell would never freeze over. But now, in the economic winter, the glittering prizes they craved have slipped through their frozen fingers.

The Worship of Mammon 1909 by Evelyn de Morgan. Updated in 2009 by dunkdigital.com

Eighteen months ago, in June 2006, Hammerson unveiled its planned £700m Bishops Place scheme in Shoreditch. Its Chief Executive told analysts and shareholders of Hammerson's "unparalleled record of securing and delivering developments to make big profits for shareholders"
Foster and Partners vision for Hammerson's Bishops Place - a landmark tombstone development of 65,000sq m of private housing, offices, shops and a hotel.

Last July Hammerson sought planning permission to demolish The Light and build the 50 storey Bishops Place tower. But by then developers had started to feel the chill of the impending economic winter.Although the demolition would proceed immediately Hammerson could not confirm when construction would actually start. Facing overwhelming community opposition Hackney Council deferred the application. Hammerson's shareholders looked glum.

The Light as it could be - saved from redevelopment

A second coordinated community campaign forced Hackney Council, on the advice of English Heritage, to finally concede that The Light merits the protection of conservation area status. That decision followed threatening letters to Hackney from City lawyers and was greeted with dismay by Hammerson. Achieving planning permission underpins the value of development sites. Hammerson may yet renew its planning application to demolish and redevelop The Light as Bishops Place but a refusal now could drive an icicle through Hammerson's heart.

Now, in the depths of economic winter, property developers are stricken by the value of their sites being locked into the permafrost of the credit freeze. Hammerson is Britain's fourth biggest property company. Its debt rating has recently been downgraded from stable to negative by credit ratings agency Moodys. It share value has crashed by 60% from a high in April 2007 of £1747p to a fractured 397p today. J P Morgan stated that it was at risk of breaching its bond covenants. Hammerson is reported to have put its flagship Bishops Place (the controversial redevelopment of Spitalfields Market) up for sale - for £60 million less than it was valued in June 2008. Now it also needs to raise £600million by a deeply discounted rights issue to improve its balance sheet.

Private sector pre-credit crunch plans for redevelopment of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard

With the carnage in financial services, and tens of thousands more City jobs in peril, the developers' dreams of "regenerating" Shoreditch's Bishopsgate Goodsyard, with a wall of high-rise offices, now looks like a distant mirage. Even if the credit could be raised to build them, and for businesses to buy in, there will be no-one to work there.

Another major developer, Telford Homes, has also been caught out in the East London frosts. Last May Telford was granted planning permission for The Block, a 25 storey twin-towers development in Bethnal Green. OPEN protested that Tower Hamlets' supression of its own Design and Conservation Team's strong advice, to reject the scheme, was a breach of environmental justice. In responding to OPEN's High Court proceedings Telford revealed that, on this site alone, it was sustaining losses of £185,000 every month and that any delay imperiled negotiations with its bankers. Its QC said progress “...has all had to be put on hold pending these judicial review proceedings.”

The Block - Telford's 25storey Bethnal Green Road scheme which would dominate and blight the surrounding conservation areas

In fact, a week before the Court hearing, Telford's Chief Executive Andrew Wiseman had already announced that construction of The Block, together with other major schemes, would not be proceeding. "Delivery of these schemes" he said, "...will depend on the availability of finance for Telford and for our customers and our ability to secure future revenues." The schemes are on ice.

Since March 2008 Telfords' value has crashed by 90% to its January valuation of £10.8million. Its lender, AIB (Allied Irish Bank), has recently been bailed out at Irish taxpayers expense. What preference AIB might now give Telford over the financial needs of its Irish business customers remains to be seen.

The Judge eventually dismissed OPEN's legal challange. But now it may already be too late for Telford's plans to build The Block in Bethnal Green Road for the forseeable future.

Neither have our public authorities escaped the chill of the economic winter. Speculative investments of public money are leading to huge losses. Hackney Council, with the GLA's London Development Agency and Transport for London, have invested over £40 million in The Slab at Dalston Junction - a massive concrete raft spanning the new station cutting intended to provide a turnaround site for 12 buses. Of 550 flats being built to pay for the scheme only 50 are reported to have been sold to date. Public awareness and unease continues to grow that Dalston Square will be left with half-finished concrete stumps.

The Slab where Barratt's are to build residential towers of up to 20 storeys. The private/public partnership hoped to sell 500 private flats and attract brand retailers to pay for scheme. With credit and mortgage lending frozen the prospects are now looking increasingly bleak.

The scheme was conceived and implemented by a handful of public officials and politicians. OPEN protested at the time that it was an extravagent waste of financial and natural resources and would blight Dalston. We brought three judicial review actions to oppose it and fought to conserve at least something of Dalston's architecural and cultural history. But our pleas fell on deaf ears. The authorities ripped the heart out of Dalston two years ago. If true as reported, that it is no longer 12 but only 7 bus stands that are now required on The Slab, the scheme's flawed logic, which underpinned the justification for the demolition of historic Dalston and its high-rise redevelopment, has started to fracture.
Then, last summer, there was panic. The developer, Barratt's, share price had crashed 90% and it would have to renegotiate its bank covenants. Barratt had £1.5 billion of debt.

If the Bishops Place scheme had gained planning permission last February Hackney hoped to take Hammerson's £14million planning contribution for "off-site affordable housing" in Shoreditch and spend it on The Slab scheme in Dalston - robbing Peter to pay Paul. Now Hackney's Mayor Pipe hopes to persuade the government's Homes and Communities Agency (formerly the Housing Corporation) to buy out some of the 550 private flats. If a "buy to let" scheme funded with yet more public money finds favour we will see, as OPEN predicted, families on housing benefit with children living up to the 20th floor. The slums of the future.

But of all the public authorities it would be revelations concerning the City of London's investments which attract the greatest public dismay. Since adopting its Vanity 2000 policy, to contest Canary Wharf's challange to become the nation's home of financial and professional services, the City has invested eyewatering sums of public money assembling sites in Shoreditch for office development.

Many of these investments, funded from its secretive "City cash" account, are joint ventures with its private sector partner, Hammerson. In the current economic climate Hammerson must be grateful to have such a well heeled and sympathetic friend in the City to help bear some of its risks.
A recent setback for this public/private partnership has been the defeat, by an articulate and well organised community opposition, of its appeal to redevelop Norton Folgate .

In the depths of our economic winter the Freemen of the City of London must shiver to hear some financial commentators reporting a 40% drop in Central London commercial property values and that speculative development sites now have a negative value. The £millions of City Cash, invested in property and land deals, are presently locked deep within the permafrosts of Shoreditch. When Spring comes round we may find that much of the City's frozen funds have melted away to slush.

The Worship of Mammon 1909 by Evelyn de Morgan. Updated in 2009 by dunkdigital.com

“mammon”: (noun) possibly of Aramaic origin, meaning riches. First personified in English as the false god of wealth, avarice and injustice in the mediaeval poem Piers Plowman and later as the fallen angel, Lucifer, in Milton's Paradise Lost.
“mammonistic”: (adjective) consumed by the desire for wealth at the expense of beauty, creativity and the human soul.
"mammonists" : (secretive) the dark forces, including Philistines, pursuing material gain by the obliteration of heritage, identity, culture and sunlight in the name of regeneration, best value, necessity and progress.

Has Hackney Council finally seen The Light?

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:44:00 -0800

Further progress has been made in protecting the character of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green from City developers. Hackney Council's Urban Design and Conservation Manager has finally agreed to recommend that The Light, at 233 Shoreditch High Street, should be included within the extended boundary of the Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area. The recommendation is shortly to be made to the Council's Cabinet and then, if agreed, its full Council.

The Light before redevelopment

Hackney had previously recommended that The Light be excluded from the Conservation Area but its change of heart follows OPEN and others making representations to English Heritage and the Secretary of State to urgently use their overarching powers to designate The Light within the conservation area. Hammerson had made clear, in Court proceedings against the current occupiers of The Light in December, that "demolition will be carried out immediately upon it obtaining vacant possession of the property.....irrespective of whether or not the Claimant is given planning permission for the major site scheme".

The Light extinguished after redevelopment

The recommendation follows a long campaign by OPEN, representing the local residential community, and by local and national amenity societies including the Save the Light Campaign, Hackney Society, Shoreditch Conservation Area Advisory Committee, SAVE Britains Heritage and the Victorian Society.It stands on a site where City developers Hammerson recently applied, to a specially convened Planning Committee, for permission to demolish and redevelop with a 50 storey tower to provide a hotel, private flats and 87,000 sq ft of office accommodation.

The development threatens to overshadow and dominate the local historic buildings. Hackney own a large part of the site and stands to make £millions from an option agreement with Hammerson, the proceeds of which had been earmarked to fund its new Town Hall extension. Hackney had been in a dreadful muddle trying to justify exclusion of The Light from the Conservation Area. Hackney also plan to rob Peter to pay Paul by using the developer's financial contribution, to "off-site affordable housing" in Shoreditch, to cram some social housing onto its Dalston Square development of 550 private flats where, contrary to it's and the GLA's 50% affordable housing target, there will be only 28 flats (5%) for social renting.

Barratt's development of 10 to 20 storey residential towers on Hackney Council's Dalston Square site where Dalston's historic buildings once stood. 522 of the 550 new flats will be for sale to help pay for New Dalston's £40million concrete slab for a Transport for London bus turnaround above the new railway station next door. News of Barratt's credit crunch crash caused fears that we'd be left with half-finished concrete stumps.

Even if The Light is eventualy given conservation area status its survival is not finally secure. Although the recent Planning Committee deferred Hammerson's application, with a strong indication that Hammerson should try to incorporate The Light in its new development, Hammerson may still argue that this is not possible. Changes to the composition of the Hackney Planning Committee could well produce a decision which is more sympathetic to the developer and the desperate for cash Council landowner.

Hammerson's redevelopment plans are part of much wider plans to redevelop the 12 acre Bishopsgate Goodsyard, with further towers of over 50 storeys high for office development, which threaten to drive out local thriving creative industries in favour of a lunchtime sandwich bar economy servicing City workers and which provide little benefit to the local community. Parts of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green could experience the equivalent of three solcar eclipses a day if the plans proceed.

Hammersons (pre-credit crunch) plans for development of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard

In Edition 7 of Hackney Podcast Francesca Panetta is joined by Joanna Smith from English Heritage for a tour of the buildings at the heart of the furniture trade in Victorian and Edwardian Shoreditch. The tour was organised by the Hackney Society. Francesca interviews Brad Lochore of OPEN Shoreditch. George Galloway MP for Bethnal Green and Bow argues for sustainable development on the advancing City Fringe. Children’s Laureate and Dalston resident Michael Rosen performs his agitprop Regeneration Blues, recorded at a recent OPEN event at Cafe OTO. Francesca also visits the art gallery FormContent, a curatorial project space in Ridley Road.

Has Boris bottled it?

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0800

On Monday 17th November Haringey Council Planning Committee voted by five votes to four to pass the Grainger plan to destroy the Wards Corner community market building and surrounding streets. Five Labour party members voted for the Grainger plan. Four Liberal Democrat party members voted against it. Does that ring any bells of Shoreditch?

One of several recent community demonstrations by the Wards Corner Coalition (WCC) against the Grainger/TfL/Haringey redevelopment plans.

Before the London Mayoral election Boris Johnson visited Wards Corner and expressed support for the alternative community plan for the site.Watch the video of his visit here. What will Boris do now he's won the election? WCC report that he's already agreed to back the Haringey decision.

A view of part of the interior of the Wards Corner building as it is today

How the covered market could look if the Community Plan were implementedLearn more about the Wards Corner Coalition's battle against ante-social development and what you can do to help here.

The waitress strikes back

About OPEN Shoreditch — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:03:00 -0800

Two established London artists, who have worked in restaurants in and around Shoreditch, have turned the tables on some of the more bumptious clientele they served.
Gallery 32 presents JUST DESSERTS. THE WAITRESS STRIKES BACK! exhibiting illustrations by Laura Quick and Anna Magnowska. You will see over 30 signed, original and framed illustrations of some the more colourful punters whose portraits they just had to record. And if you want to SAVE Shoreditch bring your cheque book - because part of the proceeds goes to the campaign. The selling exhibition continues until 30th November 2008.

Gallery 32 is in Charlotte Road,
EC2A 3PBTel: 020 7749 4779
Nearest tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street
What the press say is here

Mammon repelled from Norton Folgate

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:12:00 -0700

On 15 August a government Planning Inspector rejected an appeal by the City of London Corporation against the refusal of its planning application to demolish and redevelop parts of Norton Folgate.

The area is characterised by Georgian houses, Victorian warehouses, the art deco decoration of the former Nicholls and Clarke 1930s shopfront, historic street features and patterns resonant of the mediaeval Priory of St. Mary Spital.

The application had a contentious history. Tower Hamlets' planning officers, with backing from CABE (the government's Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), had recommended that Council Members grant planning permission for the scheme on the basis that the scale, height, detail and designs proposed made a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area. English Heritage did not object. However on 25 June Council Members rejected the application after hearing the objections of local residents and of The Georgian Group, The Victorian Society, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Spitalfields Society and the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust. The objectors pointed out the merit of the area's historic buildings and character and the damage, including the demolitions and the loss of light and overshadowing, which would result from the over-scale and inappropriate nature of the redevelopment proposed.

The Inspector had made a site inspection and noted the locally listed buildings, the fine 1886 buildings of Blossom Street, the 1880 Norton Folgate terrace and its rear wash houses, water towers and the historic road surfaces. The Inspector considered representations from the City Corporation and objections from local residents, architects and the Spitalfields Trust before reaching the decision. Tower Hamlets Council's officers found themselves objecting to the scheme which they had previously recommended. The Inspector decided that the scheme as designed missed the opportunity to enhance the Conservation Area and that the loss of existing historic buildings and other features taken together would cause "considerable harm to its character and appearance as a whole".

The Liberty of Norton Folgate

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:28:00 -0700

"There is no way this mediaeval so called Liberty of Norton Folgate can be allowed to stand in the way of progress. It's a diabolical liberty. This is Madness.
Sir Alfred Mammon GbH, C.E.O., Global Regeneration (Bahamas) plc

The Worship of Mammon 1909 by Evelyn de Morgan

“mammon”: (noun) possibly of Aramaic origin, meaning riches. First personified in English as the false god of wealth, avarice and injustice in the mediaeval poem Piers Plowman and later as the fallen angel, Lucifer, in Milton's Paradise Lost.
“mammonistic”: (adjective) consumed by the desire for wealth at the expense of beauty, creativity and the human soul.
"mammonists" : (secretive) the dark forces, including philistines, pursuing material gain by the obliteration of heritage, identity, culture and sunlight in the name of regeneration, best value, necessity and progress.

Patrick Hughes' welcoming words.

About OPEN Shoreditch — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:31:00 -0700

SHOXTON and
WHOREDITCH have been
without the city walls for
500 years of theatre,
Markets and market gardens,
Hospitals and hospitality,
Fashions and the unfashionable,
Nonconformists,
Boos and booze,
Real work and
The pleasure of leisure.

We are proud whores here,
Selling shocks to the city suits
Who need our vision as much
As we need their lucre.

Don’t let them takeover –
They love takeovers –
Our Ditch,
Put out our Light and
Replace it with another
Deeply dull erection
Just like the other ones.

Keep our Independence from
Bean counters,
Mouse wagglers,
Planners and ponces.

Patrick Hughes, July 2008

The games up. Hackney kicks Hammerson into touch.

About OPEN Shoreditch — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:47:00 -0700

OPEN’s campaign to Save Shoreditch from invasion by City office towers won an important victory at Hackney Town Hall on Thursday evening when objectors persuaded Planning Committee members not to approve the 51-storey Bishops Place tower block in south Shoreditch.

The Light before redevelopment

The scheme would have led to demolition of The Light, a landmark historic building standing at the gateway to Shoreditch from the City.

The Light extinguished after redevelopment

Save Shoreditch campaigner, Lucy Rogers, says: “We are delighted that councillors have rejected the plan to demolish the Light building, and that any new proposal must include its preservation. We welcome this brave decision that will protect Shoreditch and its character, and keep it distinct from the City.”

Committee members had been directed to disregard the fact that Hackney owns 85% of the land on the development site, and stands to make tens of millions under an purchase option agreement with Hammerson when a scheme eventually goes ahead.

Planning Committee members were unnerved when it became clear that independent consultants hired by Hackney had recommended that The Light should come under the protection of an expanded Conservation Area. It appeared that Hackney had convened the unscheduled Planning Committee meeting, after QC's advice, to ensure that Hammerson's redevelopment application was considered before the Council determines the new Conservation Area boundaries.

The committee deferred a decision on the Bishop’s Place scheme, telling the developers to scrap their current proposals and come up with an improved plan which preserves the 19th century building.

Objectors pointed out that local people would not benefit from the scheme which proposed only 11 (5%) flats for social rented housing and no affordable small business units. Hackney had negotiated a condition that Hammerson pay £14million for “off-site” social housing but the Council had already earmarked the cash for building affordable homes not in Shoreditch but in Dalston where the authorities towerblock scheme is looking rather wobbly. Hackney planned to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Councillors heard how the Council’s Head of Planning, who recommended approval of the scheme, had failed to properly advise the Committee of the overarching government policy guidance PPS1. This guidance concerns involving local communities in the planning process to ensure that development delivers inclusive opportunities for all whilst also protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment. Hammerson claimed that they had been consulting the community for three years but objectors were left wondering who was being referred to.

Councillors also heard that the proposed skyscraper would be out of keeping with the scale and mass of the existing buildings in south Shoreditch and would destroy the character of the local area. The Chair of the South Shoreditch Conservation Area Advisory Committee objected that the scheme appeared to have been designed to create a “glass and steel barrier which turns its back on Shoreditch and which looks to the City”.

Despite the haste to have the application determined, Hammerson’s representative was unable to give any assurances that its proposed scheme would actually be built in the foreseeable future or that it would not demolish The Light even if the redevelopment did not proceed. Although the grant of planning permission would have increased Hammerson's site value, and deferral of it is a setback, it seems unlikely that it would then have signed up to Hackney deal at this stage.

Lucy Rogers reminded the Committee of all the local community organisations which are affiliated to OPEN's Save Shoredtich campaign and that almost 7,000 people had signed a petition in favour of preserving The Light and that the Council had received 460 written objections to the plan. Only three people wrote in to support the scheme.

Hackney’s Head of Planning tried to support his recommendations that the new tower should be approved by highlighting plans to provide ‘brown space’ on the roof of the skyscrapers for birds to nest in. But when asked if the scheme included adequate space in which children can play, he was forced to admit that facilities fell far short of Greater London Authority standards. It also emerged that the carbon footprint of the new tower barely achieved 50% of the standard set by the GLA.

It is likely that Hammerson will resubmit the Bishops Place, or an revised, scheme once the Council determines the new Conservation area boundaries later this year. The form of any revised scheme will depend upon whether The Light is brought within Conservation Area protection.

OPEN’s Save Shoreditch campaign is a coalition of the following local bodies: Jago Action Group, Boundary Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, North Brick Lane Residents’ Association, Jesus Hospital Estate Residents’ Association, Spitalfields Community Association, Spitalfields Society, Spitalfields Trust, Columbia Neighbourhood Action Group, Columbia Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, Friends of Arnold Circus, Spitalfields Small Business Association, Shoreditch House and individuals and businesses in the area.

When first unveiling its planned £700m Bishops Place scheme Hammeron's Chief Executive, John Richards, told analysts and shareholders of its "unparalleled record of securing and delivering developments to make big profits for shareholders"
Estates Gazette 16.6.07

Hackney Planning Committee to rule on Hammerson application

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:05:32 -0700

Dear OPEN Shoreditch supporter,

You should by now have received notification about the Hackney
Planning Committee meeting to decide on the planning application on
the Hammersons development on land between Shoreditch High Street
and Worship Street, which includes the demolition of the Light Bar.

The meeting will take place at Hackney Town Hall at 6.30 pm this
Thursday (24th of July).

This is a special meeting and it is not on the list of planning
meetings on Hackney website.

It is very important that local people show up at this meeting to
show the councillors who will be making a decision that we care about
our area.

We are very unhappy that Hackney is rushing this decision forward
before the new boundaries of the expanded Shoreditch Conservation
Area are decided- The Light had been recommended for inclusion in the
conservation area by the independent consultants.

If you haven’t received notification about this meeting from Hackney
it means that your objection must have been lost. I visited Hackney
planning department to have a look at the files of the Bishop’s Place
development and was very shocked at the appalling state in which the
important documents were kept.
If Hackney have lost your objection please object again to
Andrew.Dillon@hackney.gov.uk (planning application ref 2227/2007) and
complain to Hackney, or let us know and we will make a complaint on
your behalf.

We hope to see you at the meeting,

Monika
OPEN Shoreditch coordinator

Fifteen minutes to Save Shoreditch

About OPEN Shoreditch — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:24:00 -0700

Hackney Council will allow the community just 15 minutes on 24 July to persuade its Planning Committee not to give the green light to a new skyscraper development on the City of London's northern boundary in Shoreditch.

City developer Hammerson plc plans to build the 51-storey Bishop's Place tower that would dominate historic south Shoreditch. Redevelopment of the site, Hammerson says, requires the demolition of the historic electricity generating station known as The Light. However an alternative scheme put to the Council shows this claim to be untrue.

Alternative treatment of The Light in Willingale's development

Hackney Council owns most of the development site and it has been banking on the £millions it will make, from its sale option agreement with Hammerson, to pay for a new Town Hall Annexe which is now under construction (see para 5.2 of the linked Report on the Hearn St site).

The Planning Committee meeting now set for 24 July was unscheduled. Hackney has had to obtain a QC’s advice that it could specially convene the meeting before the Hammerson option agreement expires on 31 July and before it considers the long outstanding public consultation on including The Light within the new Shoreditch Conservation Area boundaries. Against the advice of its own independent experts Hackney has been recommending to the public that the Light and other buildings should be excluded. Some of the other buildings have already recently been demolished.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, a government appointed body which advises on the design of major schemes, has stated in its report that the 'Bishops Place' scheme represents overdevelopment, that it fails to relate to the surrounding area and that it should not be passed in its present form. This conflicts with the advice of the Council’s own Design and Conservation Officer who supports the scheme.

There have so far been 417 letters of objection sent to Hackney Council opposing the Bishop’s Place development but only 3 in favour. Rebecca Collings, Co-Chair of OPEN's Save Shoreditch campaign, said "The decision to approve this building appears to have been made months in advance of this planning meeting by Hackney's executive.This is a strategic site outside the City's existing boundaries. The City’s development partners want to expand north into Shoreditch and, in the process, to establish a precedent for tall buildings in the area – buildings that will overshadow and dominate residential and business communities and contribute very little to local needs."

The image above was produced by the major City developer, Hammerson, to illustrate its vision of a "City Fringe Masterplan". Hammerson has planned massive developments in south Hackney and Bethnal Green. They plan to extend a curtain of towers from Shoreditch High Street eastwards across the Bishopsgate Goodsyard to Brick Lane with buildings up to and exceeding 50 storeys.

Another neighbouring scheme, promoted by Hammerson and the City of London for the Nicholls and Clarke site, is now under appeal following refusal by Tower Hamlets Council because it too failed to relate to the adjacent conservation areas. Tower Hamlets Council have also objected to the Bishop's Place scheme saying that by reason of its bulk, scale and height would fail to either preserve or enhance the Elder street conservation area" contrary to local and national poicies.

However Tower Hamlets has recently issued planning permission for The Block, a tower at the eastern end of the developers arc of skyscraper developments, contrary to its own Design and Conservation Team advice.

This is the proposed 25 storey tower on Bethnal Green Road and Sclater Street planned by Telford Homes and Genesis Partners. OPEN is challanging the planning approval

The £500 million Bishops Place mixed development scheme totals 1.25 hectares and includes 87,000 sq ft of office accommodation, an 80-room hotel and 189 private residential units. The amenties for children will be woefuly inadequate and there will be separate blocks for just 39 intermediate ("affordable") flats and only 11 (5%) flats for social renting.

The Council report recommends that, in addition to the agreed purchase price, Hammerson be required to pay £14 million, as a condition of planning permission, to subsidise some “off-site” affordable housing. Not for the benefit of Shoreditch resdidents, but in Dalston. Last year, after demolishing Dalston Theatre and locally listed Georgian houses, Hackney gave away its development site there for a peppercorn to help finance a £39 million concrete slab for a bus turnaround above the new Transport for London Dalston Junction station. The Dalston developer, Barratt, has been facing extreme financial difficulties recently. The lack of any affordable housing on TfL's Dalston site, despite the authorities 50% affordable housing targets, has been a huge embarrassment to the GLA, TfL and Hackney. By robbing Peter to pay Paul the authorities hope to mitigate the controversy over the Dalston development.

Representatives of many local community organisations, English Heritage, the Hackney Society and the Victorian Society all recommended that 'The Light' building at 233 Shoreditch High Street be included in the South Shoreditch Conservation Area. A petition of 6,757 signatures supports retention of the Light Building. But Hackney’s recommendations to its planning Committee includes the advice that The Light isn’t in the Conservation Area and so no special regard need be had to the effect which its demolition would have on the unique character and distinctiveness of the area.

The grant of planning permission could trigger a watershed test for London Mayor Boris Johnson. If Hackney Councillors give the go-ahead then Boris will then have only 14 days to give the thumbs down otherwise the tower can be built. Boris has recently indicated that he will not generally interfere with local planning decisions, but local residents and businesses will be calling on the Mayor to back their campaign and hold the local authority to account.

OPEN’s Rebecca Collings says the London Mayor would have a duty to intervene "If Hackney approve the scheme Boris will have a golden opportunity to show that he is running London for Londoners – not just for developers with money and influence. He must not allow this development to go ahead unchallenged. We will call upon Mayor Johnson to subject this development to rigorous and unbiased scrutiny. We also call on him to allow a genuine debate about the City Fringe area as a whole."

Save Shoreditch Campaign Exhibition

About OPEN Shoreditch — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:28:00 -0700

Thursday 3 July to Saturday 3 August 2008
Kemistry, 43 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3PD
Mon-Fri 09.30-18.00; Sat 11.00-16.00

Stop the Shadow - stop the City's take-over of London’s vibrant cultural heartland.

Proposed massive tower blocks on the City Fringe will dominate, overshadow and blight homes and businesses across Shoreditch and Brick Lane

The image above was produced by the major City developer, Hammerson, to illustrate its vision of a "City Fringe Masterplan". Hammerson has planned massive developments in south Hackney and Bethnal Green. They plan to extend a curtain of towers from Shoreditch High Street eastwards across the Bishopsgate Goodsyard to Brick Lane with buildings up to and exceeding 50 storeys.

The Save Shoreditch Campaign demands:
LOCAL CONSULTATION
A BRAVE NEW MASTERPLAN FOR THE AREA
RESPECT FOR OUR LOCAL HERITAGE AND THE PEOPLE’S NEEDS

Add your voice to those of the local actors and artists who openly support the Campaign including: Stephen Berkoff, Dinos Chapman, Adam Dant, Tracey Emin, Ralph Fiennes, Patrick Hughes, Cornelia Parker, Rachel Whiteread, Tim Noble and Sue Webster.

The exhibition is part of the OPEN Shoreditch campaign to promote excellence in the quality of the built environment.

Growing fears for Shoreditch’s industrial heritage

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:06:34 -0700

17 June 2008 – http://www.victorian-society.org.uk/news/69525/growing_fears_for_shoreditchs_industrial_heritage.html

News that a Victorian workshop in the Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area may soon be boarded up and left to rot has been met with alarm by the Victorian Society, which fears that the move could lead to the building’s demolition.

One of a fast-decreasing number of nineteenth [century] buildings linked to Shoreditch’s furniture-making past, 6 Bowl Court retains much of its original character and features, including paired taking-in doors on the second floor and a simple beam hoist. Although thought to be late-Victorian, evidence suggests that the building may contain parts of an earlier structure. Its neighbour, 5 Bowl Court, was demolished without conservation area consent some time between 2004 and 2006. Now campaigners fear that the eviction of squatters from the building could mark the first stage in the eventual destruction of 6 Bowl Court and herald the erasure of yet more of the East End’s industrial heritage.

‘We’re very worried about 6 Bowl Court,’ said Heloise Brown, Conservation Adviser of the Victorian Society. ‘An intriguing building which adds a great deal of character to Shoreditch, the workshop is a valuable part of the High Street Conservation Area. Buildings like this are a physical record of the development of the East End. To destroy them is to strip London of its past.’

GLA Draft Plan for the ‘City Fringe’ – please act now! Deadline: 4th July

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:35:51 -0700

Dear Local Community Groups Leaders in and around Weavers and the
Shoreditch area, concerned residents and small local businesses,

Consultation deadline: July 4th – please print and send the letter
attached, signed by you/your group or write your own.Important: Please
forward or deliver the objection letter to all your members, neighbours
and friends.
The GLA is currently taking comments on its Draft Plan for the “City
Fringe”.

This very important document will determine the future of Bethnal Green,
Shoreditch, Hoxton, Old Street and the surrounding areas.

The main thrust of the GLA’s plans for us is tower blocks.

The GLA wants tower blocks to stretch from the bottom of Shoreditch High
St to the Rich Mix Centre on Bethnal Green Road. The GLA doesn’t want to
set a height on these tower blocks. Every single site the GLA has
earmarked as being suitable for high-rise, high density development is a
site developers are already planning to build on.

Some of these planned developments are 50 storeys high. The Gherkin is 40
storeys high.

If this document goes through as it is it will give a legal framework to
the GLA’s and the developers’ plans.

But we can protest; we can be heard en mass. Join the fight to stop over
and inappropriate development by signing and sending off this letter.

You must put your full address, including postcode, on the attached
letter. Your voice counts, together we will be heard, alone we are lost.

Help stop the march of the towers and protest TODAY.

This is a residential area! Where will they stop?

To look at the GLA’s document go to http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/planning/docs/cityfringe/foreword.pdf or
call the GLA on 020 7983 4100.

Remember – the consultation ends on July 4 – if you don’t write the GLA
will count silence as support.

From: Save Shoreditch Campaign – trying to keep everyone informed.

The Hackney way: Decide first. Ask questions later.

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:42:00 -0700

On 4th June Hackney Council began its long awaited public consultation on the proposed new boundaries for the Shoreditch Conservation Areas. Designation of conservation areas prevents uncontrolled demolition and ensures that any adverse impact of new developments on the distinctivness and character of an area is considered. Changes to conservation area boundaries are therefore of great importance to landowners, developers and to local communties.

Councils are legally obliged to review their conservation areas periodically and to consult the public before approving any changes to them. On 25th February Hackney Council finally considered an independent expert’s appraisal of the buildings of Shoreditch. The appraisal contains recommendations to extend Shoreditch’s conservation areas to include additional buildings. The appraisal commented, for example, that The Light at 233 Shoreditch High Street “makes an important local contribution to the historic townscape character through its continuity of scale, architectural character and quality of design and contruction”. Other buildings were also recommended for inclusion.

However The Light stands on land which Hammerson propose should be redeveloped as a 50 storey towerblock. Hackney Council also owns part of the development site.

The Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, and its Director, both recommended that The Light, and additional buildings, should not be included within the new conservation area boundaries. The landowners will therefore not need to seek any approval for their demolition. All the additional buildings identified are, like The Light, also affected by outstanding redevelopment proposals. Indeed some of them have already been demolished.

None of this would be apparent from reading the Council’s public consultation leaflet. It appears to show that it is the independent experts, and not the Council, who are recommending that they be excluded from the Conservation Areas. No explanation is given.

The Council Solicitor’s advice on the form of public consultation was to “ensure that it reflects the Cabinet’s position namely that the premises remain outside the Conservation Area”. The Council is, in effect, consulting on whether it should now change its mind instead of first awaiting the public's views before adopting its "position" - namely to exclude these important buildings and thus allow their uncontrolled demolition.

“Con”(noun) a complicated confidence trick planned and executed with great care; (verb) to deprive of by deceit; (colloquial) abbreviation of public consultation.

Battlelines drawn in city squat eviction

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:02:11 -0700

(Taken from https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/400115.html)

On the front line of Londons expanding city fringe, opposing sides are squaring up for battle. On 4th June at Gee Street Magistrates Court, property giant Hammerson will seek a possession order on a Victorian warehouse that has been left empty and open to the elements since attempts to gain consent to demolish the building failed. Located in the Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area, the warehouse at 6 Bowl Court has been occupied and run as an autonomous social centre since March.

Having fixed the gaping holes in the roof and replacing the stairs previously removed to discourage squatters, the group has been putting on non commerical events such as films screenings, concerts, art exhibitions and public meetings. Perhaps it is the later which has drawn the wrath of Hammerson as the social centre has hosted discussions relating to the campaigns against Hammerson massive development plans for the Shoreditch area. The group running the community space attempted to initiate negotiations over the building which Hammerson have indicated they have no immediate plans for but the property giant has refused to engage.

It is clear that the future consent for demolition of the classic east end warehouse would be much easier to obtain without people actively looking after the building which had previously been left to rot. No doubt the company would also prefer that their property didn’t become a hub for community resistance against their future plans.

More than 5,000 people have already signed petitions against Hammerson plans to demolish the popular Light bar next to the Bishops Place development. Other challenges facing Hammerson include the residents of North Folgate declaring themselves an independent self governed parish after discovery that the ancient autonomous liberty may never have been abolished. The eviction of the social centre may backfire for Hammerson as its users focus their energy on campaigns against the development plans rather than maintaining the building and providing a non commercial venue for community activities.

Using a front company called RT Group Property Investments Ltd, Hammerson are trying to pull a fast one with their repossession claim. They’ve including not just the property which has been squatted but also about half a dozen other fronting Shoreditch High Street, many of which are occupied by people with tenancies or leases. Attempting to apply a trespass claim on such premises is a blatant abuse of process but the people in those properties are unaware of the threat as the court papers have only been served on the squatters.

Tomorrows court case will therefore see the unusual situation of squatters defending those with tenancies and other titles from the threat of unlawful eviction. Should the company get away with their dastardly duplicity, it will put them on the fast track to clearing a vast block of land for their hideous skyscraper plans. Social centre website = http://bowlcourt.co.nr Local campaign portal site = http://stopthecity.wordpress.com

Liberty Of Norton Folgate

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:38:39 -0700

Until being allegedly absorbed into the Borough of Stepney in 1900 Norton Folgate, was a small self governing enclave outside the administrative system. As in other liberties and immune places in London, the inhabitants of Norton Folgate were not always wholly law-abiding; a sanctuary for wenches, dissidents and non-conformers to the established order in Church and State.

Can the autonomous zone of Norton Folgate stop the city expansion? Victoria Huntley picks up the story in our local paper, the East London Advertiser…

Norton Folgate raises flag ready for ‘UDI’

16 May 2008 – By Victoria Huntley (victoria.huntley@archant.co.uk)

THE tiny enclave around Norton Folgate looks set to raise its flag over London’s East End for a ‘Unilateral Declaration of Independence’ — in a row about bulldozing a popular bar. Developers are applying for planning permission to build a skyscraper and tear down the famous Light bar, housed in a converted 19th century electricity station which used to feet the Great Eastern Railway.

Campaigners fighting to keep the historic building are worried the local planning authority, Hackney Council, will give it the green signal. But now they have found the 200-yard long Norton Folgate ‘liberty’ linking Bishopsgate to Shoreditch may not have been scrapped when the Metropolitan boroughs were created in 1900.

That means it may be outside the authority’s planning jurisdiction — and could have the status of a self-contained district, they are hoping. It’s not just ‘bar’ talk. They reckon they’ve found documents in the Guildhall archives backing their case for ‘UDI.’

That would give Norton Folgate the right to determine its own planning applications and reject decisions made ‘over the border’ by Hackney Council. The campaigners argue they could use the ‘proof’ of Norton Folgate’s independence to mount a legal challenge.

Norton Folgate, once home to Huguenot silk weavers like neighbouring Spitalfields, was originally in the precinct of the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital. The land reverted to the Crown during Henry VIII’s Reformation in the 16th century. But a small extra-parochial ‘liberty’ retained its special status and came under the control of St Paul’s Cathedral.

The ‘liberty’ was thought to have been abolished in 1900, when the 28 London metropolitan boroughs including Shoreditch and neighbouring Stepney were set up. The three boundaries drawn up that year between Shoreditch, Stepney and the City of London all converge right in the middle of Norton Folgate, the same boundary today between the successor authorities of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and the City. But the documents at the City’s Guildhall Library apparently refute the belief that the Liberty of Norton Folgate was actually ever abolished.

IT’S NOT THE FIRST ‘UDI’

East Enders once before declared Rhodesia-style ‘UDI’ to make a point about town planning.

The rebellious population of the Isle of Dogs barricaded themselves in from the ‘mainland’ in 1970 in protest at lack of services from Tower Hamlets council, five years after Ian Smith’s colonial government declared ‘UDI’ in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The saga of Norton Folgate is perhaps reminiscent of the 1949 Ealing comedy film Passport to Pimlico, starring Stanley Holloway and Betty Warren, where families in a turning behind Victoria railway station discovered an ancient treaty proving their patch of Pimlico is, in fact, part Burgundy in France and thus ‘foreign’ territory.

The Westminster Government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off utility services to the rebellious enclave. The ‘Burgundians’ fight back, demanding passengers on the London Underground show passports on Circle Line trains passing through their ‘sovereign’ territory.

Similarly, Norton Folgate is close to Liverpool Street station and also sits on top of the Underground, above the Central Line towards Bethnal Green, commuters are warned.

Passport to Norton Folgate? Hackney parish demands liberty by Jenny Engstrom, Evening Standard

The Manor and Liberty of Norton Folgate - Survey Of London
Wikipedia entry for Norton Folgate

More Madness

The Liberty of Norton Folgate is also the name of the upcoming album by the British ska band Madness. It will be their ninth studio album. The band have been working on the album for close to three years and it will be their first album of new material since 1999’s Wonderful. The preview video can be found on youtube here. Concerts are on the 24th, 25th, and 26th of June at the Hackney Empire.

Bowl Court occupation

Thu, 29 May 2008 06:41:07 -0700

On the 11th April the previously empty warehouse in Bowl Court was opened as an ‘autonomous social centre’. It is described as a participatory project moving towards bringing about radical social change and creating positive alternatives while seeking to address issues of ecological sustainability in temporary urban spaces. Projects in the self organised community space include a giveaway store, film festivals, art exhibitions, benefit concerts, permaculture, political discussions, public meetings, cafe and free school.

The project is already under threat of eviction despite the fact that the owners, Hammerson, have no (public) plans for the building. Eventually they will no doubt manage to obtain planning consent to knock it down, despite it being in a conservation area.

The occupiers have attempted to enter into negotiation with Hammerson but reserved no reply apart from notice of court proceedings for repossession on the 4th June. Hammerson obviously feel it’s not in their interest to allow people to care for the building which previously had gaping holes smashed through the roof and many of its windows torn from their frames. They’d prefer the building to fall into disrepair to help justify it’s eventual demolition.

The social centre has an open meeting every monday evening from 7pm to discuss use of the space and hear proposals. Email bowlcourt(@)riseup.net or phone 0208 8192596

See http://bowlcourt.co.nr

Conservation area building demolished without consent

Thu, 29 May 2008 05:49:13 -0700

On the corner of Plough Yard and Bowl Court there is an empty plot of land full of weeds, litter and deep holes. This used to be a Victorian timber and steel framed warehouse much like the one still standing at number 6. However, 5 Bowl Court was demolished without consent.

Gamma City (now owned by Hammerson) applied for permission to knock down both of the warehouses Bowl Court, which is inside the Shoreditch High Street conservation area. In November 98 the council refused consent for the demolition of number 5 and likewise, permission was also denied for number 6. A year latter and the council was still ardent that there be no permission to demolish the buildings.

Undeterred, the owners tried again with an application that was granted in 2002 (application 2002/1061 see copy of the application and OS map). No letter referring to the decision of the planning board can be found in those case files. However, a thorough hunt of the council website revealed the document below which sheds some light on the matter.

Hammerson was given retrospective permission with conditions when the council found out that the building had been illegally knocked down. They expressed little concern over the loss of the building but rather fussed about the appearance of the empty plot and its hoardings. The conditions specified that Hammerson undertake to certain agreement relating to the remedial site treatment, ongoing use of the site and that the site be maintained in an orderly and tidy condition at all times. No further correspondence on these agreement could be found by us and it’s clear from the rubbish and dangerous holes that Hammerson have not been held to those conditions.

Planning Sub Committee –18.12.2006
ADDRESS: 1 Plough Yard / 5 – 8 Bowl Court.
WARD: Shoreditch.

APPLICATION NUMBER(S): Relating to conditions pursuant to application reference 2002/1061.

DRAWING NUMBERS:

Covering letter from DP9 received 6th October 2006.

REPORT AUTHOR: Andrew Dillon. VALID DATE: 06/11/2002

APPLICANT: Hammersons plc, 10 Grosvenor Street London W1K 4BJ.
AGENT: DP9, Cassini House, 57 – 59 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LD.

PROPOSAL:

The removal of condition 2 of Conservation Area Consent reference 2002/1061 :

“The demolition works hereby permitted shall not be carried out otherwise than as part of the completion of development for which planning permission was granted on 11th November 2003 and such demolition and development shall be carried out without interruption and in complete accordance with the plans referred to in this consent and any subsequent approval of details”

RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY: REMOVE CONDITION SUBJECT TO INCLUSION OF NEW CONDITION. ANALYSIS INFORMATION

ZONING DESIGNATION:
CPZ YES
Conservation Area YES (Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area).
Listed Building (Statutory) NO
Listed Building (Local) NO
Defined Employment Area YES

OFFICERS VARIATION REPORT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Planning Committee at their meeting of 11 November 2003 resolved that Planning Permission and Conservation Area Consent be granted subject to conditions and the applicant entering into a planning agreement pursuant to Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act and Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980. Please note that the original planning report is attached.

1.2 As the Section 106 Agreement has not been engrossed planning permission is yet to be granted. Subsequent to the resolution of the Planning Committee in 2003 and the preparation of the a draft Section 106 Agreement the applicant has requested that condition 2 of the planning permission be removed. Consequently this variation report has been prepared to seek Members endorsement for these proposed changes.

2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION

1. The site is located at the rear of Shoreditch High Street, fronting Bowl Court. To the north of the site is Plough Yard, which is a narrow road connecting with Shoreditch High Street. To the east of the site fronting Shoreditch High Street are four and five storey Victorian properties, which are in commercial use at ground floor level, with a mixture of residential, commercial/ offices uses on upper storeys. A railway viaduct is located to the west of the site.

2. The site previously accommodated two buildings (5 & 6 Bowl Court, surrounded by open areas used for car parking. One of these buildings (5 Bowl Court) has subsequently been demolished and this part of the site is screened off by hoardings.

3. RELEVANT HISTORY

1. 2002/0954 – Erection of 5 storey and 6 storey buildings and conversion of existing 4 storey building with roof extension at 4th floor level to provide 2647sqm of office (Class B1) floorspace and 4 x 2 bedroom flats together with basement parking for 8 cars – Approved (Subject to conditions and completion of s106 agreement) – November 2003. The S106 agreement has not been signed to date and the development has not been implemented.

2. 2002/1061 – Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of 5 Bowl Court (pursuant to the above application) – Approved (Subject to Conditions) – November 2003.

3. Planning and Conservation Area Consent was refused for the demolition of the existing building for office and residential uses on 11th and 17th May 1999 and 1998 respectively. The applicant appealed against the council’s decision and both appeals were dismissed in April 2000.

4.0 CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS

4.1 The site is located within the Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area.

5.0 CONSULATIONS

4.1 Date Statutory Consultation Period Started (Reconsultation):
27/11/2006

4.2 Site Notice: No

4.3 Press Notice: No

5.4 NEIGHBOURS

5.5 23 neighbouring occupiers consulted. One letter of objection
received. Issues raised include:
o Condition prevents building being demolished except as part of a redevelopment of the site, providing control over the future development of the site.
o Adjacent building was previously demolished and is now used as a car park.

6. POLICIES

HACKNEY UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
EQ1 – Development requirements
EQ12 – Protection of Conservation Areas
E2 – Development within Defined Employment Areas
E5 – Retention of sites and Floorspace within Employment Areas
E18 – Planning Standards

7.0 COMMENT

7.1 The Planning Sub Committee resolved in November 2003 to grant Conservation Area Consent (Ref: 2002/1061) for the demolition of 5 Bowl Court subject to conditions. Condition 2 of the draft planning permission states that; ‘The demolition works hereby permitted shall not be carried out otherwise than as part of the completion of development for which planning permission was granted on 11th November 2003 and such demolition and development shall be carried out without interruption and in complete accordance with the plans referred to in this consent and any subsequent approval of details’.

2. The S106 concerning the full planning application (2002/0954) was never signed, as such no final decision has been issued in relation to both the full planning and the conservation area consent applications.

3. Subsequently the land owner “Gamma City Developments Limited” proceeded to demolish number 5 Bowl Court due to problems with Squatters. This demolition does not benefit from planning permission.

4. Gamma City Developments Ltd have recently been bought by Hammersons plc. Hammersons plc have brought this matter to our attention (no enforcement complaint has ever been received) and wish to regularise the planning situation to avoid the possibility of future enforcement action by the council. Hammersons are currently drawing up future plans for the site and do not intend to progress with planning application 2002/0954.

5. The Inspector dealing with the previous appeals on this site concluded that number 6 Bowl Court was of sufficient architectural merit to warrant its retention, but raised no objection to the demolition of number 5 Bowl Court. The same position was taken by the Planning Sub Committee in November 2003.

6. Given that the Council has not previously raised any objection to the demolition of number 5 Bowl Court, it is not considered expedient or appropriate to require the re-erection of number 5 Bowl Court. It is also not possible to require the owner of the site to complete and implement planning permission 2002/0954.

7.7 Notwithstanding this, it is important that the Council, retains control over the appearance of the site, to minimise any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the Shoreditch High Street Conservation Area. It is considered that the best way of achieving this aim, is to attach an alternative condition requiring details to be submitted and approved concerning remedial site treatment, hoardings and use.

8.0 CONCLUSION

8.1 It is considered that in the circumstances, the most approiate course of action is to grant retrospective Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of 5 Bowl Court, substituting Condition 2 for an alternative condition requiring details of proposed hoardings and temporary site treatment.

9.0 RECOMMENDATION:

9.1 That members resolve to agree the removal of condition 2 of Conservation Area Consent Reference 2002/1061 subject to the inclusion of and the following condition:

10.0 CONDITIONS

10.1 Within 3 months of the date of this approval, detailed drawings/full particulars of the proposed development showing the matters set out below must be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Such details to be implemented in accordance with a timescale to be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority to comprise:

* Details of proposed boundary enclosure, such as hoardings.
* Details of proposed remedial site treatment.
* Details of proposed temporary uses of site.

In addition, the site at all times, shall be maintained in an orderly and tidy condition.

REASON: To ensure the site is kept in a secure and tidy condition so as to safeguard environmental and visual amenity in the Shoreditch High Street Conservation area.

FIONA FLETCHER-SMITH
CORPORATE DIRECTOR, NEIGBOURHOODS AND REGENERATION

Hammersons master plan

Thu, 29 May 2008 04:42:44 -0700

Developer Hammerson plan to eradicate Shoreditch and expand the north western fringe of the City of London. The first phase is already under way with the Northgate Development (also known as Bishops Place) next to the Broadgate Tower. It is situated at the southern end of Shoreditch High Street bounded by Worship Street, Bowl Court, Curtain Road, Norton Folgate and Hearn Street. Bishops Place’s critics are particularly opposed to the planned demolition of The Light, a former electrical power station dating back to 1893 which now houses a popular bar and restaurant.

Construction may not start till perhaps as far off as 2010 since full planning permission has not yet been awarded but Hammerson are confident and have already started to clear the site by removing the old railway viaduct. Development time is estimated at 6 and a half years.

Galloway, in whose Bethnal Green & Bow constituency the Bishop’s Place scheme would be built, has called for the Hammerson development to be halted.

He said: “We need to send a clear message to developers that whilst London does need regeneration, we do not want a situation where skyscrapers are being built at all costs, with no respect for the surrounding environment. Are the people of the East End literally to be overshadowed by the City of London, the richest square mile on earth?”

Hammerson also plan to build a massive tower on a traffic island in Shoreditch and a series of towers stretching from west to east through the derelict Bishopsgate Goodsyard. The Shoreditch Tower is a joint venture with the City of London and would be built over the railway like Broadgate Tower. Then there is the Bishopsgate Goodsyard parcel – even larger in scale at over 10.

Further reading

Save The Light

Thu, 29 May 2008 01:49:37 -0700

Built in 1893, this former power station is an historic landmark. It is the first building that you see in Hackney when you approach from the City and as such it separates two very different areas. Now Hammerson would like to demolish the building and erect a 53 storey tower block in it’s place.

Hackney Council has ignored advice of English Heritage and its own independent advisors who say that The Light building should be included in the Shoreditch High Street conservation area. Hackney Council prefers to support Hammerson’s overbearing development.

This is not the first time that The Light has been threatened in this way. In 2004 a smaller scheme proposed to demolish The Light. With the help of over 1500 friends and customers The Light was saved. We can defend it again with your help.

We believe that to demolish The Light is wholly unnecessary:

The Light is a landmark building – the first seen by those entering Hackney from the City of London. The proposals do not include an appropriate replacement to the street scene
The Light supports a thriving business employing local people
The social and industrial heritage represented by The Light would benefit a modern scheme by adding variety of scale and design
We believe the full scheme could be re-designed and go ahead without the need to demolish The Light

There is future community value in retaining The Light.

Please make your views known to the Hackney Council, you can make your views known in a number of ways:

Sign the online petition, or one of the petitions at The Light, 233 Shoreditch High Street. Over 5,000 people have already signed!

If you are a Hackney resident you can write to the Council, addressing your letter / e-mail to your local Councillor who can raise the matter on your behalf.

To find out who your local Councillor is and their email address visit: http://www.hackney.gov.uk/w-wards-list.htm

Secondly, you can write or e-mail to the planning department if you are not a Hackney resident, stating why you think The Light should be saved at:

Planning Department – Hackney Town Hall
Mare Street, Hackney E8 1EA

Or e-mail for the planning department: andrew.dillon@hackney.gov.uk

You can also speak to your local Councillor or officers of the Council, either by telephone or in person. Please bear in mind that it would be helpful to make an appointment or go to one of their Surgerys if you want to speak to someone in person.

Further info:

You might be interested in the book ‘The Great Eastern Light’ by J.E. Connor published in 2000, available for download here. To request a printed copy of the book please e-mail zoen@stirlingackroyd.com with your name and address.

Local MP, George Galloway, supports Save the Light campaign

About OPEN Shoreditch — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:11:00 -0700

Watch the Save the Light campaign meeting, with George Galloway MP.

"It goes right to the heart of the lives that people lead and the legacy we leave to future generations."

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:09:00 -0700

Click here to read the speech of Lord Low of Dalston, Patron of OPEN, in a House of Lords debate on architecture and design. Thursday 27 March 2008.

Labour's block vote for The Block

About OPEN Shoreditch — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:32:00 -0700

On Thursday 13th March 5 Labour Councillors on the Tower Hamlets planning committee voted as one to approve this property developers' application to built 12 to 25 storey towerblocks at Sclater Street/Bethnal Green Road. The committee members from the Conservative, Respect and LibDem parties voted against it, but were outnumbered by 5 votes to 4

The proposed development will tower over the local conservation areas and the local community. A 70 metre long wall of 12 to 20 storey towers coming right up to the edge of the pavement will permanently cast deep shadows over the narrow Bethnal Green Road and beyond. Hundreds of local residents and businesses, the long-established local artistic community and English Heritage strongly objected to the proposal. Developers will claim the approval as a precedent paving the way for further soulless development. It jeopardises meaningful input from the community into plans for the future of this historic area.
The week had seen extensive press coverage which you can read about here and here.

The only justification the community has been given is the London Mayor’s support for tall buildings and the "City Fringe" draft planning document which sees the Bishopsgate Goodsyard as an ideal location for tall buildings. This document has neither been consulted upon nor approved. Mayor Livingstone now has 14 days to consider the application and decide whether to overule the committee's decision.
But we are losing confidence in the Mayor to do the right thing when we read stories like this and this
If you want to understand what's at stake for our community then watch the videos made by OPENshoreditch members here or click on the link "Stop the block. Save the light" above.

One man, two opinions

About OPEN Shoreditch — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:22:00 -0800

When recommending that The Light should not be protected from demolition by its inclusion in the Shoreditch Conservation Area, Hackney Council's Conservation Officer advised its Cabinet on 25 February 2008 that "it does not form an integral part of the pattern of Victorian commercial buildings and small scale workshops to the rear that have been identified as forming a significant characteristic of this part of the conservation area".

The Light before redevelopment

Curiously this uniform pattern of building type appears to have entirely disappeared from the Conservation Officer's view five days later when, in a memo dated 30 February (sic), he advised the Council’s Planning Officer that the context of the proposed 51-storey Bishops Place development, which would involve demolition of The Light, " is one of extremely varied streetscapes, contrasting massing and dramatic changes of scale...different types of urban fabric"

The Light extinguished after redevelopment

The Conservation Officer's two contrasting views of the area can, of course, have nothing to do with the fact that his employer, Hackney Council, stands to make a small fortune as the landowner of part of the site if it gives planning permission for the demolition of The Light and its redevelopment as Bishop's Place.

Council documents show that its windfall is not to be spent on improvements for Shoreditch people - it's earmarked for a swanky new Town Hall extension in Mare Street. One hopes that when residents emerge from the shadows of Shoreditch, to go and pay their Council Tax in Hackney, they will feel a sense of civic pride in what the Council has created.

Shoreditch and Brick Lane under threat

About OPEN Shoreditch — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:21:00 -0800

Click here to find out what you can do

Scary stuff at Sclater Street

About OPEN Shoreditch — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:22:00 -0800

This is the proposed 25 storey tower on Bethnal Green Road and Sclater Street planned by Telford Homes and Genesis Partners. It would cast neighbouring houses and Bethnal Green Road into permanent shadow.

Another planned development, "Bishop's Place", is a 51 storey tower on the junction of Shoreditch High Street/Norton Folgate and Worship street. Proposed by private developers, Hammerson, and designed by Foster and Partners it would be a hotel, office and apartment complex that forces demolition of the Light Bar building, a beacon at the edge of Shoreditch. The towers would dwarf and overshadow the area (see more: Mammon is at the gates of Shoreditch below

The future of over 13 acres of land in Shoreditch and Bethnal Green is currently in the hands of private developers, Hammerson and Ballymore, who want to build a forest of towers containing 1,700,000 sq ft of City office space.

The GLA, Hackney and Tower Hamlets have no combined masterplan or detailed local policies to steer development for this significant part of London.

OPENshoreditch, a growing coalition of local individuals, businesses and residents' groups, believes this situation is undemocratic and wrong.

But the planning applications for two sites will soon go before Hackney and Tower Hamlets councils.

Take action NOW by writing a letter of objection to each of these planning departments.

To object to the Sclater Street tower write to:
Shay Bugler
Development and Renewal, Town Planning
Tower Hamlets Council
Mulberry Place PO Box 55739
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 1BY
Email: shay.bugler@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Application no. PA/07/02193
(32-42 Bethnal Green Road)

To object to the "Bishop's Place" towers, and the demolition of The Light Bar building, write to:
Andrew Dillon
Planning Services
London Borough of Hackney
263 Mare Street
London E8 3HT
Email: Andrew.Dillon@hackney.gov.uk
re. application no. 2007/2227
(“Bishop’s Place” Development, Worship Street EC2)

Sign the petition against demolition of The Light Bar by following the link at the top of the page.

The worship of Mammon

About OPEN Shoreditch — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:37:00 -0800

Dr Simon Thurley, head of English Heritage, has criticised placing high rise buildings in inapproriate settings - using his home town of King's Lynn, Norfolk as an example. "The Council is frightened by developers" he said "development is money"

Unveiling its planned £700m Bishops Place scheme Hammeron's Chief Executive, John Richards, told analysts and shareholders of its "unparalleled record of securing and delivering developments to make big profits for shareholders"
Estates Gazette 16.6.07

The Worship of Mammon 1909 by Evelyn de Morgan

Mammon is at the gates of Shoreditch

About OPEN Shoreditch — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:09:00 -0800

A full house attended the OPENshoreditch public meeting on the 17th of January to seek information and express dismay at the development proposals for the former Railtrack sites off Shoreditch High Street. This turnout contrasts with the developer, Hammerson's, own public consultations in July 2007 which, despite circulating thousands of glossy leaflets, only managed to attract 22 people.

The meeting’s venue was on the historic Boundary Estate, the oldest council estate in the country, which will be severely affected by the developments planned. Residents learned of the Greater London Authority (GLA) report that "the site is part of an arc of potential development along... Shoreditch High Street and into the Bishopsgate Goodsyard" .

A number of speakers expressed anxiety about the height and density of the proposed developments. One feared that the wall of high-rise towers could cast shadows over homes and public spaces reaching as far as the Regents Canal in winter months. Residents' fears were heightened by the lack of public consultation both by the developers and Hackney and Tower Hamlets planning authorities and these Councils' failure to even have a masterplan for the sites. The proposals presently seem to be geared at securing maximum profits for the developer at the expense of the local community, which would suffer overshadowing and wind tunnel effect, increase in energy bills, deterioration of TV reception and light pollution.

There were also significant concerns for the loss of historic buildings and erosion of the character of the neighbouring conservation areas. Conservation-led regeneration has transformed Shoreditch into a popular tourist and entertainment destination and home to creative industries. The homogenised over-development dwarfing its surroundings will forever destroy the unique character of this area, full of fascinating history.

The Light before redevelopment

James Goff, the owner of the Light Bar at 233 Shoreditch High Street, made a heartfelt plea to help him save this historic building, which would be replaced by a 51 storey hotel.

The Light extinguished after redevelopment

Mark Willingale, the architect who has designed the Norton Cross alternative plan for the site, explained the benefits of his scheme, which retains The Light and creates better pedestrian permeability and better public open space.

Alternative treatment of The Light in Willingale's development

Leader of the campaign for a park on Bishopsgate Goodsyard, Brad Lochore, produced the 2002 Greater London Authority (GLA) document pledging to create a masterplan for the site. Not only have the local community been let down by it reneging on that promise but now Mayor Livingstone's GLA has confirmed support for Hammerson's Bishop’s Place scheme. But the scheme fails to comply with the London Plan. There is an absence of any meaningful benefits to the community. The affordable housing and provision for children (even including the planned roof top play areas) do not begin to meet the minimum required standards. The scheme fails to comply with guidelines on sustainable design and renewable energy use.
Bill Parry-Davies, from OPENdalston, warned that although the Hamerson scheme has been roundly criticised by both CABE and English Heritage, a recent Council report had described the risk of its Planning Committee refusing permission as "slim".

The desperate for cash Council own some of the development site. Hackney's Mayor Pipe has already earmarked the sale proceeds to fund plans for a grand £45 million Town Hall extension which, it is said , will engender civic pride. Hackney hopes that the people of Shoreditch will agree.

With some of the best architects in the world living in London there is no reason why this project should not exemplify best practice in town planning and sustainability. But the overwhelming feeling was that without well-organised and widespread community involvement neither the GLA nor the local authorities will adequately protect the local community from the negative impacts of this massive development and nor will they secure any significant benefits.
The meeting ended with an endorsement for OPENshoreditch as a means of bringing together local groups and individuals to press for the publication of all relevant information, the observance of due process, meaningful consultation and the securing of community benefit- as well as organising local opposition to the loss of the Light Bar.

There is no time to lose. Sign the petition to save the Light Bar by following the link above to Save the Light
Object to this development by emailing andrew.dillon@hackney.gov.uk quoting the planning application reference 2007/2227 Bishops Place - Land fronting Worship Street...EC2. Copy your email to info@openshoreditch.net Alternatively write to Andrew Dillon at London Borough of Hackney, Neighbourhood Regeneration Directorate, 263 Mare Street, London E8 3HT

Don't miss this OPENshoreditch meeting

About OPEN Shoreditch — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:18:00 -0800

Click images to enlarge. For more detail, see below.

The developers' vision casts shadows over Shoreditch

About OPEN Shoreditch — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:01:00 -0800

The image above was produced by the major City developer, Hammerson, to illustrate its vision of a "City Fringe Masterplan". Hammerson has planned massive developments in south Hackney and Bethnal Green. They plan to extend a curtain of towers from Shoreditch High Street eastwards across the Bishopsgate Goodsyard to Brick Lane with buildings up to and exceeding 50 storeys.
You can be assured that these plans have been discussed, and even agreed in principle, with the Hackney and Tower Hamlets Councils and with the Greater London Authority. Hackney's "Tall Buildings Strategy" has already identified parts of south Shoreditch as an "opportunity area for the location of tall buildings".

The first step in this encroachment of City towerblock development into Shoreditch is to be Hammerson's Bishops Place development designed by Norman Foster's architects. It will seek to redefine the City's boundaries. The planning application for this is to be considered by Hackney's Planning C ommittee on 23 January 2008.An inital report on the scheme by the Greater London Authority dated 12 December 2007 states that "the principle of the development is supported".

In 1990 English Heritage had objected to earlier proposals for developing the Bishops Place site because it made "no attempt to step down in scale from the height and mass... to the traditional and historic scale... of the buildings in Shoreditch... fails to pay any attention to the setting of the conservation area". Hammerson's scheme is twice the height and also completely fails to acknowledge its context.

The many listed and locally listed buildings of Shoreditch presently reflect its fascinating history. In 1991 the Hackney Council identified Shoreditch as a priority area and designated 2 conservaton areas "to offer protection to those publicly cherished historic areas under threat from redevelopment or unsympathetic change... [there is] a significant threat of redevelopment connected with the incursion of office functions from the City"

Hammerson's new proposals for Bishops Place have attracted extensive criticism from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. CABE identifies the scheme's canyon effect, its overdevelopment, the difficulty to navigate particularly for the visually impaired, its overbearing nature, the real risk of creating inhospitable microclimates and a "failure to relate to the inherent grain or character of South Shoreditch in terms of use and scale [which] represents a fundimental flaw in the proposals... We do not think the proposal should gain planning permission in its current form"

Developments of this scale will not only destroy the setting of Shoreditch's historic streetscape, they will also cast many commercial and residential buildings into shade. The developers will have already considered this and hired big guns to present their proposals most favourably. They will also have budgeted for compensation payments to those with rights to light and assessed the risk of Court injunctions being upheld to stop the redevelopment.
Although CABE opposes the present scheme, will this stop Hackney? Hackney Council owns land on the footprint of the proposed Bishops Place development. It has a substantial financial interest in the outcome of the application being made to its Planning Committee by Hammerson. Hackney stands to receive around £10 million in "planning gain" (Section 106) money. In addition Hackney will receive a significant capital receipt from the sale of its site to Hammerson under a long standing "option agreement". Regretable the sale proceeds won't be reinvested to benefit Shoreditch's prosperity - because they are already earmarked to pay for the Council's £45 million Town Hall extension plans. A recent report on those plans acknowledges their dependance on the Hammerson sale and describes the risk of not getting planning permission as "slim"

Also on the site stands The Light which was built in 1893. The Light played an important role in the evolution of the Great Eastern Railways when it generated the first electric light to Liverpool Street Station and the Great Eastern Hotel. It continued to provide electricity until the 1930s but the building then fell into disrepair. The current owners have transformed it into a popular bar and restaurant.

Hackney say that The Light was not included in the Shoreditch Conservation area in 1991, although some area maps show the contrary. Councillors' subsequent recommendations, and independent experts' reports, regarding a possible extension of the conservation area to include The Light have mysteriously not yet been produced or formally considered by Hackney Council. Inclusion within the Conservation Area could protect this important building. The Light, and neighbouring historic buildings, are under direct threat of demolition by the Hammerson/Hackney scheme. English Heritage have previously objected to the demolition of The Light which had been "repaired and converted... in an exemplary manner, which enhances the setting of the conservation area", but the GLA report states that "the loss of the building is regretted".

Hammerson's proposed Bishops Place development is being contrasted with an alternative scheme designed by local architects Willingale Associates which provides a similar mix of uses in a development of comparable scale but which retains the historic buildings and creates a new route through Shoreditch. Willingale’s plan accommodates large floorplate offices at high level while retaining the historic streets and passages below. It also retains The Light, while creating a new pedestrian route on the line of the former Broadgate Viaduct through to a focal point of the conservation area on Great Eastern Street. This alternative schemes shows that destruction of Shoreditch's historic environment is completely unnecessary.

Hackney and East London suffered badly in the 1960s from ill-considered residential tower blocks dominating and destroying communities. Will the same mistake happen again in the second millennium? Keeping The Light would preserve a historic industrial building that needs no ongoing funding. It supports a thriving business and employs local people. Saving buildings like The Light, and protecting the setting of local landmarks and listed buildings within the Shoreditch Conservation Area, which could sit comfortably alongside appropriate modern development, will balance out the street scene, provide historic continuity and connect us to our heritage and identity. The Hackney Society said “We hope the building, which has occupied a landmark position in the area for over a century, is preserved for future generations."Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the planning application to be turned down. In 2000 over 1500 friends and customers helped The Light successfully fight a planning application by Railtrack to demolish The Light and construct a raft over the train lines of Liverpool Street station. See Save The Light

OPEN is to hold a public meeting on 17th January to discuss these proposals.

Contact info@openshoreditch.net for further details or watch this space.