Abney Park Trust’s future still in doubt after ‘jargonistic’ meeting
L-R: Abney Park Trust Trustees Kirsten Foster, Justina Kochansky and Chair Bernard Bourdillon
Threatened community organisation the Abney Park Trust is no closer to learning of its fate after Hackney Council refused to renew its lease.
The lease expired earlier this year, when the council granted an extension of just one year – meaning the group could be out the door by May 2014.
Trustees met with the council on 5 December in a bid to urgently clarify what future plans the Town Hall has for Abney Park, one of the ‘magnificent seven’ Victorian cemeteries and a refuge for wildlife.
But speaking immediately after the meeting, Abney Park Trust Chair Bernard Bourdillon, 65, said it had “not been reassuring”.
Mr Bourdillon said information given to the group by the council had been “mysterious” and “wrapped up in jargonistic language”, adding: “Our fear is that we will not be able to operate effectively under the council’s proposed arrangements.”
The trust is to consider in more depth a consultant’s report on the future of Abney Park, published early this month.
The organisation, formed 21 years ago, has been unable to make applications for much-needed funds because of the uncertainty over its future.
Councillor Jonathan McShane, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Culture, has said that the council has recently responded to a need for improvements in Abney Park by paying for “a range of health and safety related works.”
He said the Town Hall would keep trustees informed about the results of a review of the park’s future.
Related:
Abney Park Trust’s warning as Hackney Council refuses to renew lease
The Trust hasn’t been given an extension. We are functioning under the terms of the current lease (it was to be renewed in May 2013, but LBH refused to do so) while the Trust and LBH negotiate a way forward. As the lease cannot in effect be terminated without agreement on both sides or a court order the current lease de facto continues until either of those things occurs.
If anyone is interested they can find the Strategic Options Review for Abney Park that was commissioned by London Borough of Hackney on their website http://www.hackney.gov.uk/abney-park.htm#.UqhuLoWnx-8
The Trust will be responding to this report soon. The Trust has undergone a lot of change over the last year or so and such rapid change has unfortunately made some of this report out of date already. We also find some comments and assumptions to be in error.
If any member of the public would like to comment on the Trust’s performance, give their view on the way forward for Abney Park or share their views on this report we would be most interested. Email info@abneypark.org