Hackney Council has rubbished claims there has been a lack of transparency regarding the plans to redevelop Ridley Road Shopping Village.

The Save Ridley Road campaigners this week raised concerns about a lack of information on when the application will be heard. It came after he Gazette revealed the proposals were due to go before councillors earlier this month before the meeting was pulled due to coronavirus.

In December landlord Rainbow Properties submitted amended proposals to renovate and expand the indoor market, building five luxury flats and high-end office space, as well as 22 “retail units” for market traders on the ground floor.

Danny Hayward from Save Ridley Road said the latest plans would “still lead to mass evictions” as well as “substantial losses of space” for small firms and market storage, and the group needed to know when the meeting would take place.

He said: “If the council planning meeting takes place during the lockdown, then we need to know exactly what measures are to be taken to allow traders and studio artists to participate. We need transparency and accessibility.”

Now the council says the developer is still working on plans and they will not be decided anytime soon.

Planning chief Cllr Guy Nichoslon said: “I profoundly reject the idea there has been a lack of transparency with this development and the planning process surrounding it. This application has been subject to extensive consultation, with the most recent consultation ending in February. These consultations have been well publicised and have garnered many responses.

“The process is awaiting further information from the applicant, and is not scheduled to appear at the planning committee at this time and shows the claim that this application is to be decided online at this time to be categorically untrue. If this position should change due to an extension of the coronavirus lockdown, letters will be written to all objectors informing them of the date of the meeting so that they are able to participate.”