What does Hackney Life mean to you?

 

 Message from Hackney Life, Mosiac Films about a project being run in partnership with Hackney Museum and Archives as part of their "Mapping The Change" Project: 

Show the world what the real Hackney is like: record your view of the area and upload it via YouTube for the chance to be part of a film that will be screened during summer 2012.

This film is all about exploring what’s unique about life in Hackney today, and the only people who can really do that is YOU, the Hackney community.

Film your contribution and submit it by midnight on 12th March

Ship Aground heritage vandalism update

It was back in June, concerns were first raised about the heritage vandalismthat had taken place on the former Ship Aground pub on Lea Bridge road. 

In October, we did a post (heritage-vandalism-update) saying that we'd been advised by Hackney enforcement officers that, following the failure of the owners of the building to meet a series of extended deadlines for submitting a new planning application, Hackney’s enforcement team opened a formal Section 215 case to pursue the essential works that are required. 

However, since then, the owners of the building were set another following a further series of deadlines they have ignored and there’s been no improvement in the state of the building. It still isn't even weather proof and no Section 215 has been issued. 

Leabridge Councillor, Linda Kelly (who has championed the saving of this heritage asset within a conservation area) has now advised us that both a full planning application and an application for Conservation Area Consent has been received by the Planning Service on 31 January. However, the application was  deemed invalid so council officers have written to the applicants requesting additional information. Effectively this buys the applicants a further month to submit the information needed to make the application valid. If they don’t meet this deadline, the Council Officers will issue a Section 215. Well, that’s what we’ve been told….

The applicants have refused to engage with local residents to discuss the details of the application, but we understand they will be applying to extend the building at the back and to put another storey on top of the building. But we guess we’ll need to wait to see.

Save Leyton Marsh meeting 27 February

the Save Leyton Marsh campaigners are meeting again tomorrow (Monday 27th Feb) 7-9pm to discuss the next steps in the campaign. Venue: Hare and Hound, 278-282 Lea Bridge Road (opp Blyth Rd) E10 7LD. 

Memoirs of an East End guttersnipe

we really enjoyed Brian Walker's Tales of the old east end  which includes his memories of life along the lea river bank, such as the Latham's timber blaze (with link to film of the fire), the communal bomb shelters on millfields, gambling along the towpath and a whole lot more. Do take a look.

latham's yard trees update

Following a complaint we started in July 2010, Taylor Wimpey have finally confirmed that from tomorrow they'll be planting the missing trees along the entrance to Harry Zeital Way. Hooray! There should be about eight new trees plus a couple of dead ones replaced.

Taylor Wimpey will also be planting some more trees at the bottom of mount pleasant hill, where, following our complaint to hackney enforcement (see: taylor-wimpey-breach, lathams-yard Sept update, lathams-yard nov update), the sales office and car park have now been removed and the landscaping is now under way.

In November, we did a post (lighting-millfields-friendship-tree) on how British Waterways and Hackney had sorted out the bat friendly lighting on the towpath under lea bridge following our request, and how we were now going to try to get the Friendship Tree sculture lighting fixed. We're please to say, Taylor Wimpey have confirmed they'll also be sorting this out as part of the current batch of work.

the fight to save leyton marsh continues

Message from the Lea Valley Federation

"At Tuesday's Waltham Forest planning committee, despite some very clear and cogent arguments against the proposal and nothing much of substance from the other side, the Chair's casting vote (a vote of 4 to 3) saw the decision to approve the ODA application for temporary basketball courts on Leyton Marsh.

A meeting has been arranged to discuss a campaign against the development:

Monday 13 February at 7pm

at the

Hare & Hounds PH, 282 Lea Bridge Road E10 7LD. MAP

The meeting is being held in what is, except for Monday evenings, the dining area. Children are welcome. But sorry no dogs.

Please contact Barry Buitekant - barry[dot]buitekant[at]hotmail[dot]com - if you need further details or want to comment. And please circulate this message to friends and email circulation lists."

Other news:

So much for the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) argument that, as it had a limited shelf life, there was no longer term risk to Leyton marsh. Boris Johnson is proposing to use powers in the Localism Act to establish a mayoral development corporation (MDC) covering the Olympic Park and surrounding area (yes that's right, using the localism act to centralise planning powers). The London Assembly recently voted unanimously to endorse the plans. The MDC would become the local planning authority for the area within its boundaries. Part of 4 London Boroughs (Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest) lie within the MDC's proposed boundaries, although planning powers in the are that it would cover are currently held by the ODA and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. If the Government gives the go ahead, the MDC will take over responsibility for determining planning applications from the ODA and the development corporation from October and will also replace the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Leyton marsh doesn't fall within the boundary for the new MDC, but as we already know there are no guarantees the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority won't be touting it for future development. More at: mayoral development corporation