Is this the Future of Hackney?

For over seven years Hackney Independent has been opposing the so-called ‘regeneration‘ of our borough.

In previous articles we have shown that regeneration benefits high-income newcomers to the area whilst local working people have their services slashed and their housing run down. Time and again we have exposed the double-speak of the council’s New Labour policies on regeneration. Yet Labour always insist that they are improving the area for all the community.

Actons Lock - despite opposition from Whiston & Goldsmiths TRA
new flats will block the canal view for the residents of Debdale House.

But over the last few months the real result of all this ‘regeneration’ of the area has been clear for all to see. Everywhere you look new flats are going up. One look at the prices of these new developments (over 200K for a one bed apartment!) tells you that they are not meant for the working people of Haggerston or Hoxton.

These yuppie flats are aimed at city workers and rich middle class professionals and are the most visible sign of the rampant gentrification of the area - a process that has been going on for several years and is now really taking off. Encouraged by the council, developers have cashed in on the ‘cheap’ property prices in Hackney (and often benefited from the council’s cut price sell-offs) to build high-profit housing for the private sector.

This new development on the corner of Whiston and Queensbridge
roads offers ‘cityside’ apartments starting at only £227,500!

This would be easier to take if there was more on offer for those on lower incomes But those unable to afford a ‘luxury’ flat have had to put up with deteriorating conditions and the creeping privatisation of their housing and services. This issue of Hackney Independent takes a closer look a the consequences of these developments for local tenants and residents.

Crowding Us Out

The issue of over-crowding in social housing has recently become a bit of an issue for the authorities. A recent report for a housing charity found that the number of severely overcrowded households in London increased by 60% between 1991 and 2001. Most families surveyed also said that “the lack of larger affordable homes in their local area was the main cause of their housing problems”. A government committee has also recently warned that families are being forced out of city centres because of the number of small flats being built by developers.

Obviously none of this is news to the thousands of people in Hackney living in substandard housing! You don’t need tospend thousands of pounds on ‘research’ to see that all the luxury developments for rich young singles or childless couples offer no hope for the majority of overcrowded families in the borough.
Grown up sons and daughters are either forced to stay at home because they cannot afford to move out to somewhere close by, or are forced to leave the area altogether – breaking up families and further contributing to the breakdown of communities.

So if the powers that be have finally managed to finally recognise some of the problems faced by those in social housing, what are they actually proposing to do about it?

You would have thought that Hackney Council would be planning to build more genuinely affordable three and four bedroom flats/houses. Well let’s have a look at the latest proposals for the never-ending saga that is the redevelopment of the Haggerston West & Kingsland estates...

Currently there are 480 homes on Haggerston West & Kingsland, all local authority rented, (bar a handful of owner–occupied residences). The latest proposal is to replace these with 760 homes built by a housing association, of which only 249 will be at affordable rents. That’s a loss of roughly 200 affordable rented homes! 491 of the new homes will be for outright sale at prices ranging from £210,000 to £289,000!

Moreover, in the latest proposal there are 78 less three and four bedroom homes for affordable rent than in the previous proposal. How is this supposed to solve the problem of overcrowding in Hackney?

In the July issue of Hackney Today Deputy Mayor Jamie Carswell says that Hackney Council has been awarded £121 million by the Housing Corporation to build new homes.

We are told that over the next two years 700 new homes for rent will be built in Hackney, of which 60% (i.e. 420) will be for families needing at least three bedrooms.

This looks like good news, but like all new housing promises you have to look at the fine print – WHO will be building the new homes (presumably housing associations)? WHAT percentage of all new homes will be for families? HOW MANY private homes for sale will also be built at the same time, including luxury flats for yuppies?

It’s no use pretending that 420 three bed homes for rent will scratch the surface of the problem if over the same period thousands of expensive yuppie flats force up house prices and further undermine local communities.

If there’s so much money sloshing about for house-building all of a sudden, why can’t Hackney Council find the money to redevelop Haggerston West & Kingsland in a way that doesn’t decrease the number of cheap rented homes? Why can’t we have more council-built, truly affordable family homes for rent, and tighter controls on what and where the developers of luxury flats are allowed to build.

The latest Haggestron West & Kingsland proposals show how New Labour always put the private sector first instead of getting on with improving things for those on low incomes. Beware of what might come attached to their promises in the future!

Going Underground

If you’ve been affected by the numerous traffic diversions around Kingsland Road in recent months you’re probably well aware that the Tube is coming to Hackney.

While acknowledging that it will be handy for most residents to have a direct underground link there is widespread concern that local working class people will be those who will least benefit from the development.

One of the new Labour councillors for Haggerston recently claimed that “the opening of the East London line extension will strengthen the regeneration of the area already under way” How so, councillor?

We’ve already seen the proliferation of luxury flats along the Kingsland Road corridor and are about to see more of the same built at Acton’s Lock, Queensbridge Road and Dalston Lane.

This in turn, of course, will send local property prices further out of the reach of low-income workers and the unwaged. Teachers, nurses, bus drivers and cleaners will be lucky if they can afford to rent a shoe box off Balls Pond Road.

Hackney Independent campaigner Arthur Shuter has said that “The development above the new Dalston East London line station will not include even one council property or any ‘affordable’ housing because the concrete slab above the station is to cost £40 million.

So the residential apartments will all be for rent by or sale to those who can afford the spiralling prices, although the project will be partly funded by the general public.”

As the Olympics approach in 2012 it is clear that our ‘servants’ up at Hackney Town Hall place the interests of property developers high above the needs of ordinary working people in the area.

Concerns about ‘heritage buildings’ and ‘open space’ divert attention about what is really at stake here. Do we really want to stand to one side, as the community is further polarised into winners and losers in the lottery of New Labour’s ‘property-owning democracy.’

Hackney Independent believe that all residents have the right to decent, affordable housing.

Local Elections May 2006 - Thanks to Our Supporters

As you probably know by now, Hackney Indpendent came second to Labour in the recent local elections. We want to thank everyone who voted for us.

It was clear from the start that, after the close result of 2002, Labour were worried about a possible Hackney Independent victory. They told lies about us in their election material and put a lot of effort to get their vote out. On many evenings you could see councillors from other ‘safe’ wards out helping the canvassers in Haggerston. At the election count the Deputy Mayor was personally overseeing
the Haggerston ballot.

Hackney Independent have always said that we are about far more than elections - we won’t be going anywhere and will remain active in the area, putting constant pressure on Labour. Hackney Independent have always made an effort to continually talk to local people about what matters to them - not just pop up at election time! We have already spoken to many people in our post-election survey.

If you are angry at the election result and would like to join Hackney Independent so we can win next time then please get in touch. You can call on 020 7254 3057.

Hackney Council in Pool Fiasco (Again!)

As you melt in the heat of a recordbreaking summer you can always look forward to a break at ‘Hackney’s Urban Beach’ - London Fields Lido. That is, if you don’t mind braving the chill of autumn winds at the poolside. Yes, the pool’s opening has been postponed once again - this time to October 2006.

Hackney Council put the delay down to ‘the discovery of large quantities of asbestos’ on the site. However, builders on the site told Hackney Independent that the asbestos was found as early as last October! Rumours are also circulating that the real cause of the delay is down to the pump-house building having been built too small for its machinery.

Given Hackney’s record of managing building projects, this is a very plausible explanation, and one you would expect the council to want to hush up.

Mayor Jules Pipe partly fought his election ticket on the pool being reopened in time for summer 2006. After all his other failed promises what guarantees are there that it will re-open at all this year?

Meanwhile the £31 million Clissold Centre was closed in 2003 after being open for less than two years. Despite Mayor Pipe’s assurances at this year’s local election that the centre would open towards the end of this year, he now says the complex is going to cost another £6.5 million and not open until
summer 2007.

As Hackney New Labour continue to fail to deliver on their promises, a generation of local children miss the opportunity to swim in their own borough.

Laburnum Street Party

Protesters at the Laburnum Street Party
demanding the re-opening of Haggerston Pool.
Photo by Valerie Rowles  

On July 2, the 3rd annual Laburnum Street Party saw a huge turn-out enjoy MC’s, dancers, musicians, a parade and over seventy stalls. Once again Hackney Independent helped to steward the event.

The Party is organised by the Haggerston Pool Community Trust, and is held to highlight the campaign to re-open Haggerston Baths.

The pool was forced to shut in 2000 at the height of Hackney Council’s huge overspend on Clissold Leisure Centre. The Council hasn’t ruled out the inclusion of flats on the Haggerston Pool site – as a means of contributing to running costs should they decide to re-open the baths – despite the fact that a number of surveys, carried out by the Pool Trust, by Hackney Independent and by the Council themselves, show there is no local public support for any housing on the site. People just want what was there before: an affordable public facility.

Not surprisingly the event receives no financial support from Hackney Council, despite the valuable work done locally – particularly with children – in the months running up to the event.

Instead it is funded by donations from, among others, the Swiss bank UBS who are sponsoring the Bridge Academy that replaces Laburnum School, and also by London & Quadrant Housing Association, who are hoping to take over the Haggerston West and Kingsland estates. While the Street Party would not be as successful as it has been without these donations, we should nevertheless keep it in mind that these organisations are looking to get more out of the area than people’s goodwill...

As it stands, the Street Party reflects the commitment of dozens of local volunteers and the support of voluntary groups, who are trying to do something positive and for all the community.

It is an event that offers something for local people who can’t afford to frequent the Broadway Market food market or use many of the expensive local shops and entertainments. Of course it’s a shame it only happens once a year, but it packs a lot of fun into a small place.

Who benefits from ‘ASBOTV’?

Robert Taylor takes a sceptical look at the Digital Bridge project in Shoreditch.

At the beginning of May the Digital Bridge system was launched in Shoreditch by London and Neighbourhood Renewal Minister Jim Fitzpatrick as part of a £12 million governmentbacked pilot project to tackle “digital exclusion” amongst those on lower incomes.

Initially residents on the Haberdasher and Charles square estates have been invited to subscribe to “Shoreditch TV”. This allows them to use their TV as a computer and gives them access to digital TV and radio, broadband Internet and community programming. It also allows them to see CCTV from security cameras covering the area around where they live.

These lucky Shoreditch residents get access to the views from 12 security cameras dotted about the area, a police advice channel and the ability to alert the council or the Police of any dodgy goings on via a CCTV hotline and anonymous email tip-off service. No wonder then that some wits in the media have labelled it “ASBO TV”.

Millions of pounds of public money have and will continue to be spent on schemes like this and the long-term aim of the project is to expand the service beyond the Shoreditch pilot area to the rest of Hackney and the rest of the country. Digital Bridge is yet another project aimed at tackling ‘exclusion’ but who is benefiting most from this initiative?

Lets look at the costs. After the “3 months free trial” has elapsed the service will cost between £14.99 and £16.99 per month. Also, those who can’t afford to pay by Direct Debit will be charged £2 a month more for the same service. The scheme starts to look more and more like a business venture, another money-making opportunity for companies who make, sell and install telephone, Internet and TV services.

It’s not much of a surprise that one of the major partners in the Digital Bridge scheme is Shoreditch Trust whose motto is: “We are community led but commercially aware”. Michael Pyner, Chief Executive of Shoreditch Trust recently appeared on an ITV programme called Surveillance City, and boldly proclaimed that they were “rebuilding the community for the digital age”.

This begs the question, is monitoring each other on CCTV cameras really the way to create a community? CCTV cameras are often welcomed by local people who are told they will lower crime rates on their estates. But according to the government’s own research, cameras have been found to be more effective as a detection rather than deterrent tool and some reports have even concluded that providing better street lighting could be a cheaper and more effective way of cutting crime levels.

Do CCTV cameras help ‘build community’ or do they just encourage suspicion and fear of your neighbours while doing absolutely nothing to challenge the lack of communication and sense of social isolation felt by many local people? Not to mention that in no other country in Europe do people put up with being watched by the authorities 24 hours a day. Instead of targeting the real problems on estates like repairs, unemployment and lack of youth facilities, ASBO TV iooks like just another way for private companies to profit from public fear.

At the May Elections, Labour tried to smear Hackney Independent by claiming we were ‘soft’ on crime. Labour love to talk about crime and their high profile schemes like ASBOS and CCTV. This is because they have no solutions to the deprivation and social breakdown that often causes crime. Also, since Labour have represented Haggerston, crime hasn’t got better in the area and fear of crime has not gone down.

Hackney Independent have never had an ‘official position’ on CCTV. We would like to start a real debate on the issue that doesn’t just accept New Labour’s solutions. After speaking to local people and doing surveys on estates we know that many people in Haggerston are pro-CCTV. This article outlines quite a few arguments against it. If you have an opinion either way or have any other suggestions for tackling these issues please get in touch and we will include them in the next newsletter.

About Hackney Independent

Hackney Independent is a local community-based political organisation. Throughout the year, we deliver thousands of copies of this free newsletter to homes across the Haggerston, Hoxton and Queensbridge area; giving you the news you won't hear from Hackney Today or any other official local publication.

We have also stood candidates in the local elections, regularly take part in community campaigns, and organise practical stuff like advice sessions and support the Hackney Independent Kids' Cinema. Unlike the council we won't tell you how good things are while our homes and schools are sold off, and valuable local facilities are closed down.

We want to carry on defending homes and facilities for ordinary people in Hackney – but we can’t do it without your involvement. You can assist in a number of ways, such as by helping deliver or producing our newsletter, getting involved in our other activities or just by keeping us informed of what is happening in your part of the area or estate. Or maybe you have your own ideas or suggestions for helping out.

If you would like to know more, get in touch with Carl Taylor on 020 7254 3057, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .