Campaigners jubilant as Stoke Newington Sainsbury’s plan rejected
Sainsbury's: plans for a Stoke Newington store were rejected. Photograph: Graham Richardson
Controversial proposals which would have seen businesses and buildings in Stoke Newington removed to make way for new flats and a supermarket have been rejected by Hackney Council.
The decision by councillors to vote down plans for 54 flats and a large Sainsbury’s at Wilmer Place, by the corner of Church Street and Stoke Newington High Street, was greeted with jubilation by residents and activists who have been fighting the proposals over many years.
Those opposed said the development would have been ecologically detrimental to the area, which includes an adjacent nature reserve at Abney Park Cemetery, described as a “unique open space and public resource of great value”.
John Page, a Stoke Newington resident who attended the council meeting, said: “I think the council has listened to all the facts and weighed up whether or not there was a significantly adverse effect on the cemetery and whether it was a good scheme, and they’ve reached the right decision.”
“I’m really, really pleased. To see the amount of people here, it’s probably the most contentious planning application for many years and the council’s done the right thing,” added Mr Page.
Hackney Town Hall erupted with cheers and applause as the council’s planning sub-committee voted four to two against the proposals.
Central to the debate was the council’s core strategy which states: “All development should make a positive contribution to the character of Hackney’s historic and built environment.”
Another Stoke Newington resident, Dan Monck, said: “It’s a glorious decision, it’s a very, very fine decision and hopefully they’ll come back with something that offers genuine employment space rather than simply shelve-stacking space, and we’ll be very happy if they do.”
The rejection of the proposals comes after an earlier application for a larger scale development was withdrawn by the developer, Newmark Properties, in 2011.
Nick Perry, a spokesperson for the campaign group Stokey Local, said: “I think the unanimity of the community put enough doubt in [the council’s] mind that this is not something that they’re empowered or qualified to decide on.
“I’m satisfied that actually not just emotionally we won, but logically the right result came about.”
Mr Perry also submitted notes to the council’s planning sub-committee on behalf of a number of opposition groups which said: “English Heritage, Abney Park Trust and the Conservation Area Advisory Committees [CAACs] recognised the secluded nature of Abney Park and believe the development by virtue of its scale design and position, conflicts with several policies enshrined in the Stoke Newington Conservation Area Appraisal.”
The historical significance of the Abney Park site dates back to 1840 and it was designated as a local nature reserve by the council in 1993 due to its value to people and wildlife.
The Stoke Newington CAAC had said the application should be refused as it would “be seriously and substantially detrimental” to the area.
Campaigners against the proposals had highlighted other areas of concern which included noise pollution, transport issues, social housing allocation and the visual impact of the plans.
A petition set up by one such group of campaigners, Hackney Planning Watch, attracted over 3,300 online signatures by the time the council’s decision was reached. A representative for Newmark Properties confirmed that 5,039 petitioned objections had been received overall.
Prior to the meeting, a Newmark Properties spokesperson said: “Our proposals to regenerate this part of Stoke Newington High Street – which have been considerably re-shaped following intensive consultation with Stoke Newington residents and businesses – create a high quality car free and cycle friendly destination.
“They have been developed to the highest environmental standards – preserving the biodiversity of Abney Park – and will increase footfall to the area thereby aiding local businesses, providing a large number of new jobs for local people and helping to sustain the Stoke Newington economy into the future.”
Newmark Properties are free to appeal the council’s decision and said they will comment further on the matter in the near future.
A great showing of local people + brilliant speeches from Councillors Louisa Thomson and Daniel Stevens persuaded Hackney Council to throw out Sainsbury’s application for a new Wilmer Place store adjacent to our beloved Abney Park Cemetery! Many thanks also to Nick Perry and Russell Miller for their excellent contributions towards winning the ‘no’ vote!
This is likely to win appeal as Hackney’s planning officers had recommended it for approval.
“Nick Perry, a spokesperson for the campaign group Stokey Local, said: “I think the unanimity of the community put enough doubt in [the council’s] mind that this is not something that they’re empowered or qualified to decide on.”
So Nick Perry is in effect arguing that the councillors didn’t make a judgement based on evidence, but the that rejection was a sort of abstention.
Firstly, this contradicts Stokey Local’s earlier oxymoronic statement that; “We are asking [councillors] to be brave and exercise their own judgement and reject the application.”
Secondly, it would suggest that the application was rejected without good evidential reasoning – which is not acceptable – and therefore the applicant would stand a very good chance of winning an appeal.
Also, I’m not sure what Nick Perry/Stokey Local define as “the community”. Perhaps they define it as anyone who agrees with them – but the proposed site sits roughly at the meeting point of five wards with a population of over 50,000 people. How many signed their petition? 3,000? And how many of those were from outside the area? How does that make the community unanimously against the proposal?
To argue that the the community as a whole is against a supermarket is contradictory to their central argument that it will be so popular that it will put other smaller independent shops out of business. It is precisely the popularity of the supermarket that they fear. They don’t seem to want to admit that all the people who would happily shop in the new store are also part of the community.
if you had hung around you would also have seen that the next thing voted on at that meeting was to allow the building of a new block of private flats by hackney downs that include single and double residencies that are being allowed to be built below the the minimum acceptable internal sizes thus setting a nasty precedent for small flats and homes to get smaller and smaller, its great that sainsburys has been turned down for the moment but i think that the acceptance of the building of new properties below the guidelines is also something that should be reported on and looked into further!
Hopefully Sainsbury’s will appeal and win soon. I’m sick of the Stokey ‘do gooder’ brigade thinking they know best and thinking they can speak for all local people. I vocally expressed my support, many of my friends did, and – in time – it’ll happen.
Drew,It was pointed out a while back that the stokey do gooder brigade as you put it have too much sway in the borough.I wouldnt hold my breath with any appeals but best of luck.
I am absolutely sick of people petitioning against things in stoke newington. For those of you who don’t like “chains” answer this, do you shop in Whole foods? Many stuck up people round here see it as a wholesome organic store but it is actually a huge American chain, with the same shareholders as McDonald’s. Think about that next time you are shopping for £20 free range mung beans. I remember people getting upset and starting petitions before Nandos opened and has that harmed the area? No. Also this sainsburys might actually provide some decent parking in stoke newington, which is a problem that really affects local businesses.