Campaigners fighting plans for 87 homes on Stamford Hill estate criticised by Hackney mayor
Jonathan Law. The council says the garden in which he is standing is not at risk of being lost to housing. Picture: Tom Ladle - Credit: Archant
The mayor of Hackney has hit out at campaigners protesting plans to build dozens of new homes on their estate.
The area where the council wants to build. Picture: Sean Pollock/Hackney Council - Credit: Sean Pollock
The proposals for Lincoln Court in Stamford Hill would see 87 flats built on existing play areas and garages – one third of which will be social rent, with another third “affordable”.
But chair of the Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA) Jonathan Law has been organising resistance against the council’s proposal. He has lived in Lincoln Court over five years and took over as chair from the previous tenants.
“I have nothing against new housing but Lincoln Court just doesn’t seem like the right place,” he told the Gazette. “They should be doing this sort of density planning in Hoxton, not here.”
The council has sent him three feasibility reports undertaken in 2014.
The area where the council wants to build. Picture: Sean Pollock/Hackney Council - Credit: Sean Pollock
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He believes the reports completely overlooked the garages, not recognising them as play decks. These reports were not consulted on with neighbours.
“Every time we say: ‘Oh, so you’ve done a feasibility study,’ they say: ‘No, no, it’s a clean start,’” he said.
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The TRA has responded to the new proposals by producing a review that highlights a number of concerns including residential density, fire safety, play space and community open space, health and wellbeing, residential amenity and car parking.
But they have been accused of “campaigning against council housing during a housing crisis” by the mayor of Hackney.
The area where the council wants to build. Picture: Sean Pollock/Hackney Council - Credit: Sean Pollock
In a statement regarding the proposals, mayor Phil Glanville said: “With 13,000 families now waiting for a home we need to do all we can to build the genuinely affordable Council homes that Hackney desperately needs, and replacing the outdated garages and deck spaces at Lincoln Court could allow us to build new council homes and provide new and better play facilities to benefit existing residents.
“Our proposals are at a very early stage, and over the summer we’ll be working closely with local residents to ensure we take forward plans that both help local people in need of a home and bring improvements to Lincoln Court as a whole.”
Jonathan said that the residents will continue to protest the proposals and are currently planning an immediate campaign as the council have mentioned dropping consultations in June.
