Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville criticised for ‘remaining shtum’ on Vittoria Wharf demolition
Hackney’s Mayor has refused to comment on Vittoria Wharf (Photo: Save Hackney Wick)
Mayor Philip Glanville’s silence on plans to demolish Vittoria Wharf has been criticised by campaigners, who say he should use his seat on the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to influence the proposals.
Vittoria Wharf in Hackney Wick, which sits in the borough of Tower Hamlets, is being torn down and replaced with two bridges.
Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs, Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali and four London Assembly members have written to London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning (and former Hackney Mayor) Jules Pipe, calling for a review of the plans.
However, Mayor Glanville has refused to comment on the development, with a spokesperson saying the plans are an issue for the LLDC’s planning committee.
Lucy Rogers, a spokesperson for Save Hackney Wick, told the Citizen: “John Biggs has used his position on the board and made his views known. But Philip Glanville remains shtum, as they all do on this board.
Protest: Campaigners on Fish Island spell out ‘No LLDC’ (Photo: Save Hackney Wick)
“They’re like sleepwalkers. They come in, do some doodles on paper, listen to the chair and then leave.”
She added: “The Mayor of London [Sadiq Khan] and Jules Pipe say democracy is served due to the representatives from the boroughs being on the board and planning committee.
“They’re there to speak for the public interest of the boroughs, so it’s all very democratic.
“It supposedly is up to Philip Glanville to at least comment.”
When asked whether the mayor backs the plans, a spokesperson said: “We’ve got nothing to add. The site isn’t in Hackney and is an issue for the LLDC’s planning committee, which the Mayor does not sit on.”
The Mayor declined to respond to the criticism from Save Hackney Wick.
Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs, in his letter to Pipe, said: “I am fundamentally concerned at the apparent lack of consideration that the LLDC has given to genuine local representations against the wisdom of this bridge and the need for additional crossings.”
Bridge over the river quagmire.
The name Vittoria brings me to a beautiful city in Espírito Santo Brazil, known for its tropical beaches and splended nature reserves, which is a far cry from Hackney Wick, where nothing is preserved least of all, the wishes of the people.
This is not the first time we have had arguments about bridges in Hackney Wick. In 2008, there was deep and meaningful consultation, which spanned the whole community, no pun intended. This was part of “The Master Plan”, for Hackney Marshes.
It never got built, another part of the Olympic Legacy which fell off the drawing board along with other legacy promises.
Times have changed I hear you say and we are informed that we now have a newly elected left Led Labour Party in Hackney. Momentum has arisen out of the ashes of the old undemocratic centre right Labour Party in Hackney.
Surely they could solve this problem and score their first Vittoria for the people of Hackney Wick. Alas I get the feeling its more like “Old wine in New bottles”.
I am afraid they have fallen at the first hurdle and declined to allow the full and democratic proceedures in the selection of the next candidates for election of our future council.
Wait for it. This is to protect four “left Labour councllors seats”. So the left have suspended full democracy in order to protect its left councillors.
Why don’t they allow the electorate the right to decide who they want, or is that to democratic?
Building bridges can be difficult, but not as dangerous as building electoral sand castles.
Bridge over the river quagmire.
The name Vittoria brings me to a beautiful city in Espírito Santo Brazil, known for its tropical beaches and splended nature reserves, which is a far cry from Hackney Wick, where nothing is preserved least of all, the wishes of the people.
This is not the first time we have had arguments about bridges in Hackney Wick. In 2008, there was deep and meaningful consultation, which spanned the whole community, no pun intended. This was part of “The Master Plan”, for Hackney Marshes.
It never got built, another part of the Olympic Legacy which fell off the drawing board along with other legacy promises.
Times have changed I hear you say and we are informed that we now have a newly elected left Led Labour Party in Hackney. Momentum has arisen out of the ashes of the old undemocratic centre right Labour Party in Hackney.
Surely they could solve this problem and score their first Vittoria for the people of Hackney Wick. Alas I get the feeling its more like “Old wine in New bottles”.
I am afraid they have fallen at the first hurdle and declined to allow the full and democratic proceedures in the selection of the next candidates for election of our future council.
Wait for it. This is to protect four “left Labour councllors seats”. So the left have suspended full democracy in order to protect its left councillors.
Why don’t they allow the members the right to decide who they want, or is that to democratic?
My grandmother once said to me “You can have to much democracy”. She was a member of the Labour Party.
Building bridges can be difficult, but not as dangerous as building electoral sand castles.