Press and Community Notice from Hackney Not For Sale
NELSON BAKEWELL AUCTION and HACKNEY NOT 4 SALE

Hackney NOT For Sale have decided to stay away from tomorrow’s Nelson Bakewell auction at Claridge’s and instead join a community protest against the sale of Marcon Estate Community Hall later that day, 6pm at Hackney Town Hall. The reason for this decision was that after viewing the Nelson Bakewell catalogue for the auction, there seems to be a distinct lack of ‘community buildings’ included in tomorrow’s sale!

This raises a couple of interesting questions:
· Was this a decision made by Nelson Bakewell or Hackney Council in light of previous successful protests by Hackney NOT for Sale and other Hackney residents at the last auction back in October at the Langham Hotel? That auction, and the Hotel itself, suffered severe disruption when everyone joined together to protest both inside and outside the sale. Nelson Bakewell offices had also been occupied and shut down by people from Hackney NOT for Sale just days before the sale itself. The protests also led to good media coverage of the plight of community sell offs in Hackney and that was sure to have been an embarrassment to both Hackney Council and Nelson Bakewell.

· Although the whole ‘disposals’ programme is extremely secretive, it is a fact that Hackney Council is still going ahead with plans to sell many more community properties such as playgrounds, community halls, nurseries and even a school, [contact HN4S for the full lists of potential sell offs]. So, if they are not going to sell the more controversial properties at public auctions, how exactly are they going to go about selling them? If it is indeed possible, it looks as though they will be even less accountable in future and possibly sell them through private sales?

What will ‘Hackney NOT 4 Sale’ be doing to prevent future sell offs?

· As secrecy continues to surround the sale of community property, we will be demanding from Hackney Council’s Max Caller and Guy Nichollson, a complete list of all properties already sold and all those still in danger of being sold, to be made available to everyone in Hackney.

· Using various tactics, including direct action and information dissemination, we will continue to put pressure on Hackney Council and Nelson Bakewell to pull out of sales of much needed community properties in Hackney.

· We will now begin to put pressure on Stretton’s Estate Agents NOT to take part in future community sell offs. They have been involved in the sale of many Hackney Council properties in the past.

· We will be asking people to contact us when they see any ‘For Sale’ signs on any community buildings around Hackney and publicise that information.

· We will continue to work together with community groups, residents and council workers fighting the devastating cuts and sell offs in Hackney.