‘Sad day for Dalston’ as diggers get green light to demolish Georgian houses
One of the Georgian era homes to be demolished under the council’s plan
A decade-long battle by campaign group OPEN Dalston to save a string of Georgian houses is over after a judge has turned down a request for one last appeal.
The Save Dalston Lane campaigners had hoped to appeal against Judge Justice Collins’ ruling that Hackney Council’s decision to demolish the houses was lawful.
But Judge Lord Justice Sullivan has refused the group permission to appeal, and given the diggers the green light to start demolition works.
Numbers 66-76 Dalston Lane will now be demolished as part of the developers first phase. The flats will be rebuilt in “heritage likeness”, with new flats for private sale.
The ongoing fight to save the houses, painstakingly documented by Bill Parry-Davies on his blog, has received support from the local community, which over the years has donated thousands of pounds to the cause.
The campaigners tweeted:
SAD DAY: court’s refusal to permit @OPENDalston‘s appeal leaves no prospect of saving 66 Dalston Lane from bulldozers pic.twitter.com/Ggw1LEIs5C
— Save Dalston Lane (@SaveDalstonLane) January 16, 2015
Responding to the judge’s decision, Mr Parry-Davies said it was a “sad day for Dalston”. He said: “OPEN felt we at least had try to save Dalston Terrace, a rare vestige of Georgian heritage, and to secure some affordable housing for local people. The community has donated thousands to the fight.”
“Hackney deliberately neglected these heritage assets to a perilous condition and then agreed that its development partner Murphy could demolish everything and build private flats.
“Hackney still calls it a ‘genuine conservation scheme’ although nothing will be preserved. It has cost millions in lost rents and now heritage assets and affordable homes will be lost to future generations.
“There remain several important houses in Phase 2 of Murphy’s demolition plan and so it’s not over yet”
A Council spokesman said previously: “This is a step forward to finally bring back into use this part of Dalston Lane, to provide space for existing and new businesses, as well as for new homes.”
Welcome to the latest piece of Mayor Pipe’s bland new vision for Hackney. :-/
If there was ever a site for residential redevelopment this is it. The site has looked like an empty bomb site for years, which is a total crime when people in London desperately need housing. I wish people who insist on saving buildings that are falling down like this would stop moaning, go to the bank and come up with a scheme they personally like. The truth is their proposals 1) will not be economically viable, and the public end up staring at an eye sore for years. 2) they will uncover that there proposals are too risky and run a mile. I imagine that they would at best come up with a row of massively expensive massive terraced Georgian houses that only a Russian oligarchs can afford and then moan that London is filling up with foreigners ( that don’t actually live here) Well done Hackney. Common sense finally has prevailed.
Sure Toby – let’s leave every old building to rot, call them an eyesore and give a developer free reign to build a shody, cramped set of flats in its place.
It’s people with that attitude that almost rid London of St Pancras International -short sighted and focused on instant money.
I have to agree with Toby. I’m delighted this is finally getting resolved. I cant believe people were donating money to keep the campaign going!…..Donate it to the poor instead of to the pointless campaign of some solicitor!
Something is happening that we don’t know about when investors like the Kwok brothers are allowed to invest money in UK. LBH&F Tory Council also left buildings in disrepair and then sold off 77 acres of land to CAPCO destroying the Iconic Art Deco Earls Crt Exhibition Centre and destroying all the businesses in the area and the Estates. It brought in billions to the UK economy and the area. They did the same for North End Road.
What’s the betting that this scheme will do little to address Hackney’s housing crisis, whilst shoring up house prices in the borough by providing yet another vehicle for overseas investors?
seems some commentators are completely unaware of the spitalfields trust offer to restore the original buildings AND provide social housing? or dont you want to know?
Now, where would be the money in that? :-/