Environment group calls for Dalston skyscraper plans to be blocked
Open Dalston adds voice to opposition
An environmental campaign group has added its voice to calls for plans to be dropped for an 18-storey skyscraper in the heart of Dalston.
Open Dalston is objecting to proposals from Rothas Ltd to build flats next to Dalston Kingsland Station in Kingsland High Street.
The project involves bulldozing the Peacocks store and building two blocks, one rising more than 50 metres.
Neighbours fear the scheme, opposite Ridley Road Market, would plunge their homes into darkness.
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Campaigners have sent their objection to Hackney Council and to the Greater London Authority calling for the plans to be rejected.
The development has 130 flats with two separate entrances for “private” and “affordable” homes.
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One seven-storey block facing High Street has 17 lower cost affordable flats, and the 18-storey block behind would have 113 luxury apartments.
In a letter to the GLA, Open Dalston said: “The proposal amounts to overdevelopment which, whilst it extracts huge development value from the site, it does so to the detriment of the surrounding area.”
A spokesman for Rothas Ltd said: “We are committed to bringing forward a scheme which celebrates the unique character of Dalston, drawing particular inspiration from local initiatives such as the Eastern Curve Garden and local charity Bootstraps.
“Sustainability is central to our design. The proposals will include extensive green terraces, inspired by the work being undertaken locally and also the rooftop farms started by local communities in Brooklyn, New York.”
The council is accepting comments on the plans until February 24.
