Bell Foundry Petition News
The petition of local residents to Tower Hamlets Council to make it Council policy to Save the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a working foundry has already gathered more than 1750 signatures in less than a week.
We want the Council to debate this motion at their next full meeting on 18th September, the day before the planning committee meeting to decide upon the developers’ planning application to convert the historic bell foundry into a boutique hotel.
Yesterday, Council officers suggested that such a debate held before the planning committee meeting would prejudice the decision of the planning application. We do not accept this justification for ignoring the views of residents in the borough and we intend to challenge the Council on this matter. We want the developers’ planning application to be deferred to allow due process, so the councillors can have the opportunity to debate residents’ concerns.
But first, I call upon your help to collect the final 250 from those who live, work or study in the borough to make up the required total of 2000 signatures.
If you have not yet done so, please click on the link below to sign and then circulate this to all your friends, family, workmates and neighbours in the borough.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION IF YOU LIVE, WORK OR STUDY IN THE BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS
Photographs © Shahed Saleem
You may also like to read about
Nigel Taylor, Tower Bell Manager
Four Hundred Years at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Pearl Binder at Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Dorothy Rendell at Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Hope for The Whitechapel Bell Foundry
A Petition to Save the Bell Foundry
Save the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
You’ll need 2,500-3,000 to allow for signatures that are deemed unqualified.
Just shared your link with another London visits newsletter / blog to hopefully reach more within the designated catchment.
And that those not residing/studying/working
within the catchment can sign CHANGE.ORG petition.
It sounds as though the council don’t wish to consider the objection. Perhaps they might find an way by proroguing the council.
Come on locals – do your bit to save a very valuable part of London’s heritage!
Signed and have put this on local sites, including local Facebook site. It is getting quite a response, including this ‘I was born and brought up in Tower Hamlets and I now ring hand bells made at the foundry. There are many Bell Ringers in England who have links to this very special place through the bells they ring. Is it possible to widen the petition so interested parties can also sign please?’. Is there another petition that could be taken nationwide? How about an article in The Standard?
Was born down the road at the London in 56…had many trips there from school…so fascinating..its our Heritage and East End history…sadly with this bunch of cowboys in the council…im afraid theyll look at the mighty pound an sell anyway…just like they tried to flig off Flo ….
http://chng.it/CWhdjdYZtY
Dear Catherine Morris
Here is the link for the wider national and international PETITION for CHANGE.org launched by the East End Preservation Society
20,663 signatures so far – Fri pm 30 Aug
Goal 25K.
An article in the Standard and perhaps METRO – free to city train travellers – a great idea – to include any reactions to date from the Council?