Comments on: The Fate Of The Whitechapel Bell Foundry

By: Cecil

Cecil — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 11:57:20 +0000

This matter should be raised initially with the Monitoring Officer, as a complaint regarding the Chair’s failure to allow discussion and a proper vote as per Local Government Act 1972. The failure of the Chair to allow listed building consent to be properly gives the developers freehand. It also, no doubt, contravenes the Localism Act 2011 and the council’s own Code of Conduct.

The meeting should be reconvened and a proper, legal vote taken.

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Planning and Compensation Act 2004 are clear that requisite decisions are to be taken properly.

Also worth referring to the Local Government Association guide “Probity in Planning” which identifies procedure as it should be followed in law.

The complaint should be made to Tower Hamlets on the basis that the Councillors appear to be operating without reference to the law and governing principles.
There is no reason not to do this.

By: Colin Brooking

Colin Brooking — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 10:47:31 +0000

Hello, an initial holding order has been placed on that Planning Permission. So it bears saying more on why a Foundry team is important for this location, rather than a Cafe Bell Museum –

There are grounds for the conservation and renewal of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a
Foundry team with an expanded remit purposed for casting tower bells, clock bells, carillon
and diverse public and exhibition sculptural pieces. A team of skilled people in this location also suits metropolitan-wide new pieces for the expanding creative studios, in addition to the repair and maintenance of numerous tower and clock bells in City churches, and parishes beyond across Surrey, Middlesex and the South-east; for not only the bells but also numerous tower structures which carry them.

Moreover, an important part of such a Foundry team are the makers of tower frames to carry
a set of bells. Structurally complex in their design, in relationship to church towers and steeples for example; traditionally of timber and latterly of mild steel universal beams. Such
a number of these extant structures are best served by Foundry specialists who are familiar with bells and their installation, during inspection, repair and maintenance as well as new frame constructions.

Facilities provided by such a diverse Foundry team and familiarity with tower frames, their
repair and construction goes well beyond any Cafe Bell Museum provision, that such a Planning Application ought to be refused for loss of service to such a number of metropolitan bell
towers and the alternative conservation and renewal of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry enabled to proceed. A conservation and renewal scheme is offered by the Factum Foundation and can
represent an important return of diverse service to metropolitan bell towers (and beyond)
with a foundry team purposed for a larger remit to creative studios and galleries across the GLA.

By: Linda McArdle

Linda McArdle — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 21:22:08 +0000

I agree with mlaiuppa, Mr Billy Siegel, and the councillors will ride roughshod over protesters. It’s lawyers that is needed to look into the legality of the voting system. Prince Charles made his famous comment on ‘Carbuncles’ being built in the City of London. It was Prince Charles’ great grandfather king George V who commissioned the Peace Bell to be made at the foundry at the end of WW1. It was a great privilege for my grandfather John Ethelbert Oliver to played his handbells to King George and Queen Mary when they went to see the Peace Bell before it was taken to be hung. It was also a great honour for my great, great grandfather George a Oliver to make the mould for the magnificent Big Ben Bell and to accompany it when it was taken be hung at Westminster sitting on the plinth that carried the bell drawn by a procession of horses. It was also Charles Oliver, George’s father who was the chief bell hanger for the foundry and worked closely with Thomas Mears. All this history to be demolished by the decision of Mr Abdul Mukit. Does he know anything at all about the foundry And does Mr Siegel, an American, know that the foundry made America’s famous Liberty Bell. Maybe someone should twitter President Trump to make him aware of this travesty. Linda McArdle

By: Eric Miller

Eric Miller — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 15:10:17 +0000

It seems like Joseph Merceron is alive and well in Tower Hamlets

By: Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 00:20:54 +0000

History takes second place to money. ££££££££££££££

By: Khalil Goddard

Khalil Goddard — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 18:05:51 +0000

Brown envelopes stuffed with cash all round then

By: Stephen Swift

Stephen Swift — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 14:26:10 +0000

This makes me feel angry; all the way up in Dundee, Scotland!
It’s as if people can smell the money and are ignoring the history. Short term gain over long term cultural significance.

By: Bailey Jones

Bailey Jones — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 11:17:05 +0000

A sad day indeed when a hearing fails to look at alternative plans and ends the meeting so badly. History means little to these people. Even the great bells of the city don’t chime inside these folk. All they want is the business rate.
Historic England appear to subscribe to a theme park view of what made London.

By: Ron Bunting

Ron Bunting — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 09:54:35 +0000

Sydney,Australia,1970. Green bans and the part played in saving historic Sydney from what is now known as brutalist development.
I feel that the campaign to save the bell foundry has been too nice. Bippy Seigal doesn’t give a tinkers damn about the history,he only sees a cash flow opportunity in a city already full of such places. So he will do as he has done already ,to throw bulk money at the blockage until the way is clear.
Here’s an article on how Sydney unionists got together to fight off several large ,well moneyed building firms to prevent the historic buildings in Sydney from being demolished and replaced with brutalist scabs of concrete.
The Save campaign has to get ugly if they are to save thuis building and do not trust the courts et al to fight with you,money in their pocket is already speaking louder than you are.
Where is your gofundme account? your twitter and FB campaign?
If you do not consider them to be a viable way to fight this,look at president Trump and see how effective it is .
and

Add to this , the actual wiping of political pages by twitter and FB to prevent those with a conservative political view to alter voting patterns in various countries should also indicate just how powerful the effect of social media is.
What I see in the pictures is a step so worn over time that it has a dish worn into it, and just like the old scottish joke about the doctors door step,it has already been turned over to use the unworn side . Bippy Seigal cares not a jot about this,only the dreams of euros coming into his disneyland idea of a hotel.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 09:48:53 +0000

Can’t help but think that councils up and down the country are filled with this level of incompetence. As if there aren’t enough exclusive hotels in London.