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Public Homes On Public Land

January 25, 2020
by the gentle author


Stop the Monster!

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Readers may recall that five years ago there was a plan to built a line of towers of luxury investment flats for the international market along the Bishopsgate Goodsyard which would cast the Boundary Estate into permanent shadow. In 2015, the Mayor of London called in the planning application to give it his approval personally but, fortunately, he ran out of time while he was in office and we were saved from this scheme which would have permanently blighted Spitalfields and Shoreditch.

Now that development has reared its ugly head again and, although it is not quite as bad as before, it is still a monster as you can see above.

Taking their inspiration from the Boundary Estate nearby, Weavers Community Action Group are saying that since this is public land it should instead become the location for public homes. If designed by an architect of vision this could become a flagship project, bringing hope to Londoners at the time of the capital’s worst housing crisis.

All are welcome at a public meeting to launch this campaign next Thursday 30th January at 7:30pm at St Hilda’s Community Centre, 18 Club Row, E2 7EY. Below you can read more about the monster development and how to object.

The Boundary Estate was Britain’s first Council Estate


Click on this image to enlarge

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You may like to read about the previous proposal

The Bishopsgate Goodsyard Development

Towers Over The Goodsyard

A Brief History of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard

Ancient Arches

7 Responses leave one →
  1. Jill Wilson permalink
    January 25, 2020

    I’d be very happy to do all I can to support the campaign to stop this horrendous monster…

    It would be a tragedy if the Goodsyard was turned into another soulless high rise development like Paddington Basin which is horrible!!

    There is so much scope for something really imaginative to happen which could act as an inspiration for a new way of urban development, and which could actually work for the local population rather than uncaring international capitalists.

    Good luck North Weavers!

  2. paul loften permalink
    January 25, 2020

    A very apt name “Boundary”. I wonder who thought it up? In effect its the boundary to the area in London where working people can vote and decide their future. Who works and lives in the City? Who is there who can vote for its future? More and more ghastly buildings that cant be opposed. Its the boundary of democracy. Young people can no longer live and work in London and so they are trying to stretch the boundary to build millionaire homes for international investors because they can no longer build within the boundary that they have created to exclude us.

  3. Josephine Rogers permalink
    January 25, 2020

    I wholeheartedly support this objection. Though living in the country I frequently visit Spitalfields to visit family, and the developments in the City fill me with horror. I very much hope you receive enough significant backing to resist this plan and promote your ADMIRABLE project.

  4. the gentle author permalink*
    January 25, 2020

    The Boundary Estate is named after the boundary of Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

  5. January 26, 2020

    I’ve objected as advised. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
    All the best.
    Chris.

  6. Jill Wilson permalink
    January 26, 2020

    I have just been reading an article by Secretary of State Robert Jenrick in which he says “As Housing Secretary, I want to play my part by putting local people at the forefront of decision-making and giving them a greater say in the development of their neighbourhoods. That way, buildings can reflect the identity of their communities.”

    What better place to put this into practice than in Shoreditch??

    He also has the radical idea that beauty should be a positive consideration in the planning process – wouldn’t it be fantastic if that actually happened…

  7. Julycia Epworth permalink
    January 28, 2020

    Just what is happening to London
    I am 80yrs old and cannot believe the changes planned.
    I have enjoyed visiting places I once loved going to.
    The planners and people with money do not live or work in areas about to be destroyed by these horrendous developements that I feel unable to stop.

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