UPDATE!! April 2011
Monday 4th April
Council Planning Committee decide the fate of the Depot, 6.30pm at Hackney Town Hall...Open to the Public!!!!!!
London's only fully intact Horse Drawn Tram Depot site is about to be signed away
unless people come out in numbers to support our campaign to save it and the workers jobs !!
Please Oppose ASAP - the plan is as the previous application minus the Community Hall (see below).
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO AT LEAST MARCH 2011
PLEASE KEEP SENDING OBJECTIONS
THREE WAYS TO OPPOSE THE DEVELOPER
1) MOST EFFECTIVE - MAKE YOUR OPPOSITION DIRECTLY to Hackney Council Planning Dept.
either email Adam Flynn (case officer) your comments
planningconsultation@hackney.gov.uk
2) FOLLOW THIS LINK AND MAKE YOUR OPPOSITION
![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small}
http://www.hackney.gov.uk/servapps/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/PLComments.aspx?pk=147325
3) SIGN THE PETITION HERE: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41915.html
Please feel free to use the points made here in opposing the application Opposition Letter 2010 2011
Since this last application the Depot has been made a Priority Employment Site and Locally Listed.
The granting of PEA status should protect the existing jobs on site which the application fails to do.
It is also the first building to be awarded Local Listing status by Hackney Council in 12 years!
This goes some of the way towards getting a full scale heritage asset review carried out given English Heritage's new guidelines.
Details of the application are at:
• This is the fourth application in as many years. All the previous have been withdrawn, refused or deemed "unimplementable"
having been opposed by depot residents, a very large number of local residents, local councillors and organizations like the Hackney Society.
• Please check for yourself at the above link and leave a comment for the planning dept. to consider.
first image by hackney_is, all others by Supernat13
PREVIOUS APPLICATION CAMPAIGN
= NEWS UPDATE!! AUGUST 2010=
....STOP PRESS.........STOP PRESS........REPRIEVE FOR TRAM DEPOT!...............
Planning now say application is 'unimplementable' because the proposed Community Hall' in the plan cannot be included without the agreement of the Tenants Association from Beecholme Estate.
The fight goes on as the Developer will amend or put in a fresh application soon.
http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/triumph_as_clapton_trams_sheds_get_third_reprieve_1_612595
= NEWS UPDATE!! JUNE 2010=
HACKNEY COUNCIL PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE SHAMEFULLY PASSED THE APPLICATION
MOVES TO APPEAL ARE UNDERWAY
London's only fully intact Horse Drawn Tram Depot site is about to be signed away
unless people come out in numbers to support our campaign to save it at the
Hackney Planning Sub-committee's meeting at 6.30pm Tuesday 29 June.
MEET 5.45-6pm in front of Hackney Town Hall.
= NEWS UPDATE!! APRIL 2010=
There is now a discussion about how to make the Tram Depot into an Arts Trust/Centre
see:
http://TramDepotArtsTrust.blogspot.com/
Please sign the petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/35460.html
The proposal includes the new Trust retaining those businesses that are arts allied, and that the Arts Council may look upon a guaranteed income from renting out other units to small industry (ie. to the other current residents) as a good thing.
STOP PRESS!!! CLAPTON NEEDS AN AREA ACTION PLAN
one of the most effective ways to Save the Tramdepot is for the long-promised Action Plan to be devised and implemented by the council
see Clapton Area Action Plan
sign the petition http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/area-action-plan-for-clapton.html
SAVE THE TRAM DEPOT!!!!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO OBJECT IN THE WAYS DESCRIBED BELOW
After the Public Meeting at B6 College Clapton on the 19th January, it seems likely that the Application will go to Committee, which will not meet before March 10th. Thus Objections will be officially accepted until then ( if the Application isn't referred to Committee then a decision might be made before March 10th - thus its better if OBJECTIONS ARE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Originally the Tram Depot at 38-40 Upper Clapton Road was built in 1873 (with further ranges added in 1885 and 1897) for the horse drawn trams, with the tram engineering works housed below the upper storey stabling.
This historic site, one of the last in Clapton, is now home to many thriving small businesses including furniture makers, fabric suppliers, artists, designers, various car services,
an ever expanding foam factory and Clapton's only two galleries, the Tram Depot and Vulpes Vulpes. Most businesses have been here for 10-20 years.
The application proposes the destruction of the site to be replaced by ‘same as everywhere else’ offices and flats.
This will destroy the livelihoods of over 100 people and effect the community at large.
The proposed development would provide 92 residential units in total and this would comprise 31 x 1-bed, 34 x 2-bed, 8 x 3-bed, 19 x 4-bed units. Over half of the 2-bed units would be larger 4 person units, and of the 4-bed units over a third would be larger 7 person family units. The family accommodation includes 11 houses with gardens. This equates to 334 people living on the site.
(scroll down to see one of proposed elevations)
The most effective way to object is to send a letter of objection to the proposed redevelopment of the Tram Depot site.
You can either write your own or copy and paste the one below into an email and send directly to the Planning Officer, Ian Bailey
Ian.Bailey@Hackney.gov.uk
Tel: 020 8356 8442
with the Subject Header: Objection to Planning Application 2009/2490.
Remember that you must put your name and address somewhere on your email/letter for it to count
or copy and paste as appropriate and fill in online here: [Link],
Remember to tick the box saying you OPPOSE the planning application!.
There is also an online petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-tram-depot-workshops.html
see also the Hackney Society's website: http://www.hackneysociety.org/page_id__119_path__.aspx
See also this Architects Journal [Article] UNFORTUNATELY THIS ARTICLE HAS NOW BECOME ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS TO THE JOURNAL
THE HACKNEY SOCIETY MADE A COMPREHENSIVE OBJECTION WHICH IS ATTACHED AT THE FOOT OF THIS PAGE.
Letter of Objection: (to copy and paste)
Objection to Planning Application 2009/2490.
Dear Ian Bailey
I am writing to object in the strongest possible terms to the proposed demolition of the Tram Depot site, 38-40 Upper Clapton Rd.
The demolition will lose Hackney people their jobs:
The current site is a busy and active working site, with every single space used. Most
businesses have been there between 10 – 20 years! An estimated
100+ jobs directly depend on the site. Such spaces that have all but disappeared in Hackney,
and as a result of compulsory Olympic purchases, in East London generally.
The proposal completely underestimates the number of livelihoods that depend on the site.
The kind of work they do cannot take place in the proposed mix of B1 office and light industrial
usage spaces envisaged in the application, and there are no guarantees of occupancy.
The closure of such businesses would have a
huge knock-on effect and cause substantial direct and indirect job losses. Furthermore, the plan's
inclusion of the ubiquitous 'local store' to be run by one of the big players will ruin local shopkeepers.
The proposed site significantly increases traffic congestion:
The proposed entrance to the development is on a blind spot and near a bus stop on one of
Transport For London's designated arterial routes, the A107 (Upper Clapton Rd).
The 92 proposed 1-4 bed flats will significantly increase the number of car-trips coming from
the site. The developer contends that the number of these car-trips by the new residents can
be reduced by encouraging non-car dependent transport such as buses, train, cycling and
walking, simply through the provision of information boards on the new site! His consultants
suggest that a reduction of 5-15% of trips can be made between 2 and 10 years !! Thus they
accept that the increased car-trips emanating from the site will significantly add to congestion to this
already busy arterial route.
The loss of designer & artist spaces in Hackney:
The site houses the only remaining active group of artists and designers left in North
Hackney—the rest have already been evicted from nearby sites to make way for new build
housing developments. Artists and creative industries are important to communities. There are over 30
active artists who use the units as their studios, and two gallery spaces, the Tram Depot Gallery and
Vulpes Vulpes both have successful track records of innovative exhibitions open to the
local as well as art-specialist community.
It is an inappropriate proposal:
The proposed replacement block will clearly have a negative impact on the local area. In terms of design, bulk, scale and height, it is alien and inappropriate as there are no buildings over five storeys nearby, and such a large scale building and comprehensive redevelopment is not appropriate to the tightly-knit and small scale character and appearance of the immediate area.
Such a large development fronted by six and seven storey elevations will dramatically affect the aspect and light levels for the Beaumont Court,
the Beecholme Estate, and Casimir Road residential areas. Issues of privacy are also raised as a
large part of the proposed development overlooks much of this existing housing.
In terms of design and materials, it is clear that there is further conflict with large areas of glass and timber-clad curtain walling, alien to the character of the area, being incorporated in the designs.
It does not respect the heritage of Hackney:
The Tram Depot, 38-40 Upper Clapton Rd, was built as a horse drawn tram depot and stabling with associated engineering workshops built for the North Metropolitan Tramways Company in 1873 with additional ranges added in 1885 and then extended by the new owners, London County Council, in 1897. It is unique in that its original footprint is maintained and all its ranges more than significantly intact and should be seen in the wider context of the massive metropolitan improvements to the area in the later Victorian period. There is no other similar complete industrial site in N. London, as there are only parts of the Tram buildings of Islington and Walthamstow retained (and furthermore listed by English Heritage!).
The proposal suggests that the retention of the two distinctive gabled outer walls of the Tram Depot demonstrates
sensitivity to the loss of Clapton's heritage! The retention of the walls is meaningless and another crass example of facadism!!
This part of the Tram Depot will be gutted! with a six storey building rising up through its roof! and running the whole
length of the building as seen from Prout Rd. All the rest will be demolished!
Furthermore, the need for the application is questionable in the light of it being so similar to
at least 3 other large scale new build housing developments in the close vicinity, including
the old Latham’s Timber Yard site, and other adjacent sites on the canal. Both are no more than
half a mile away and many of the commercial units provided remain empty.
To summarise, this application should be rejected. The building is in good condition and has consistently and repeatedly demonstrated its economic value to the local area through its full occupancy by a number of small businesses, many occupying the premises for between 10-20 years.
Overall, it is clear that the new building would have a detrimental impact on the local area and that the scheme does not deliver the
substantial benefits needed to help justify the demolition of the existing building. The proposal will clearly destroy established local businesses, put dangerous pressures on roads and services, and, in the final analysis, is fuelled purely by a get rich quick mentality.
Yours sincerely
Name and Address
Local resident David White has also prepared a Letter of Objection:
Dear Mr Bailey'
Re. Application no 2009/2490.
I am writing to object in the strongest possible terms to the proposed demolition of the Tram Depot site, 38-40 Upper Clapton Rd
These are the principle objections:
1. The demolition will lose Hackney people their jobs (over 100)
The current site is a busy and active working site, with every single space used. Such spaces that have all but disappeared in Hackney, and as a result of compulsory Olympic purchases, in East London generally, but are perfect for a wide range of manufacturing industries.
The proposals completely underestimate the number of people employed on the site, and the kind of work they do cannot take place in the proposed light usage spaces envisaged in the application. The closure of such business would have a knock-on effect to cause substantial direct and indirect job losses.
The proposal has failed to take into account the need for space of existing businesses (mechanics, joiners, mould makers.), and based its assumptions on space needed for office workers.
there is a danger of economically viable business units being converted to B8 usage for warehousing, office space and storage which will not generate sufficient job vacancies.
2. The loss of artists to the community
The site houses the only remaining active group of artists and designers left in North Hackney—the rest have already been evicted from nearby sites to make way for new build housing. Artists and creative industries are important to communities. There are over 20 active artists who use the units as their studios, and one space, the Tram Depot gallery has a successful track record of innovative exhibitions open to the local as well as art-specialist community. The loss of the 3 art galleries, sculptors, designers and artists as well as the craftspeople is something we don't want to see.
For example, Vulpus Vulpus art gallery and artwork space has numerous and frequent exhibits, projects and events and supports a large number of young artists - on a shoe string - and would inevitably be forced to close.
3. Light blockage and overlooking
The proposed build will set a poor precedent physically, in terms of its height.
Many homes and gardens in adjacent roads would be overlooked, depriving those residents of their privacy.
The seven & six storey blocks are especially too high, casting a huge shadow.
4. Density too high
Leabridge already has 3 new local large scale developments, increasing local population density way above the London average.
The proposal represents the highest level of mixed-use density being developed in Hackney, setting a dangerous precedent for future development in the rest of the borough.
Being the nearest estate Beecholme is likely to end up with the kids overflow and increased anti-social behaviour but the whole neighbourhood will be affected.
Hackney Strategy, Policy & Research's "Index of Multiple Deprivation" already gauges Leabridge as the 42nd most deprived ward in London and among the 20% most deprived in the country with much less green space and far more domestic buildings than Hackney and London as a whole.
5. Local amenities stretched to breaking point
Our local badly stretched amenities such as nurseries, schools and doctors surgeries in the area would be stretched even more.
How long would these 200+ new residents (92 new 1 to 4 bed flats) have to wait (or how far would they have to go) to find a GP or a school place?
6. Traffic and car parking
Such a large development with the introduction of 50 car parking sites with additional commercial vehicles using the pedestrian trip so close to the Lea Bridge Roundabout is also a recipe for even worse traffic congestion on one of the most important outward hub to the East and the M12.
Reports cited on the impact to existing traffic conditions are based on dissimilar areas and fail to take account of local conditions (commuter parking for Clapton Station, local congestion on Upper Clapton Rd.). The increase of traffic on our local narrow residential Prout, Casimir, Cleveleys and Gunton Roads. Will bring noise, danger and even more congestion to already congested roads.
7. Loss of our heritage and historic buildings
The Tram Depot is one of the few historic building left in the local area and worth saving.
The retention of barely three of the original walls is cynical at best – it pretends to retain some of the structure but in fact guts the main building, in the process completely altering the nature of the internal spaces, making them no longer fit for the purpose they now enjoy.
I want the area to have some character in 50 years.
The Tram Depot is part of Hackney’s working heritage and houses many different businesses and Crafts/Art Workshops. The Building itself is a Horse Drawn Tram Depot from 1873 and a Clapton Horse drawn Tram and its nameplate from this Tram Station features at the Transport Museum!
8. No Environmental study
No environmental study has been carried out on the possibility of ground pollution and possible decontamination on a site that has been used by various industries in the last century.
9. White Elephant
Due to present economic conditions (credit crisis and reduced availability of mortgages) the possibility of local people being able to afford the housing part of the development is unlikely.
The need in Clapton is for 3 and 4 bedroom houses with gardens, not 3 & 4 bedroom flats which inevitable forces kids onto the streets. Living on top of each other in tiny flats is a recipe for family stress and one of the reasons our society has changed for the worst as it has over the last 50 years.
To summarise, this application should be rejected.
It will add nothing to the community, cause only problems, and is fuelled purely by a get rich quick mentality rather than any sensitivity to the needs of the people that live and work in the area.
The depot should be restored or renovated with a small percentage given over to real houses with gardens, even if they are only town houses with small gardens of the type CABE (The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) recommend.
At the very least I'd like to see the development belonging to (or getting advise from) an
organization like http://www.openhouse.org.uk/
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.
The government's advisor on architecture, urban design and public space.
which should be mandatory for all planners and architects.
Regards,
your name,
your address
email
see also David White's blog
http://beecholme.blogspot.com/2009/12/claptons-old-tram-depot-under-threat.html
Click image to view full size
The Hackney Society's comprehensive Letter of Objection
14th January
Dear Ian
38-40 Upper Clapton Road, E5
Planning application reference 2009/2490
The Hackney Society would like to strongly object to the partial demolition of the former Tram Depot at 38-40 Upper Clapton Road in E5, and to the proposed new mixed-use development on the site.
Background
In the Hackney Unitary Development Plan it states: “The Council will take appropriate action to secure the retention and enhancement of buildings and structures of local significance which are not on the statutory list.” (Policy ‘EQ20: buildings of local significance’, Hackney UDP, 1995).
It also states: “There are a number of exceptional buildings in Hackney … which are not on the Statutory List …These buildings are considered to be of local significance because of their architectural/industrial, archeological merit and/or townscape importance, local historic associations, and value to the community as cherished landmarks.”
The former Lea Bridge Tramway Depot at 38-40 Upper Clapton Road is one of the few remaining examples of a Victorian horse-drawn tram depot in London. Other examples include an Edwardian tramway office and depot in Walthamstow and the former electricity transformer station and tram depot in Islington (both listed). Opened on 12 July 1873 by the North Metropolitan Tramways Company the former Lea Bridge Tramway Depot retains many original features – granite setts in the yard, tramlines running through the ground floor of the central tram shed building, cast iron colonnades, and stable flooring on the first floor where the horses were originally housed.
The building also gives clues to why Clapton evolved into a busy Victorian suburb. Following its construction, Clapton benefited from a regular and cheap tram service. From 1872 to 1907 it took commuters to and from the City and West End. One of the horse-trams, which operated from here, is currently displayed in the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden.
The site comprises of a U-shaped range of late 19th century gabled tram sheds and horse stables, and a two-storey extension of a similar period (presently used as a car showroom). The buildings are constructed of stock brick with some windows and doorways edged with blue engineering bricks.
In English Heritage’s Advice Report for Listing it states: “There is a claim to local interest at this site, as the setted yard, gabled ranges, and visible tram tracks at the entrance together reflect the history of Clapton, and the surviving components of the 1870s tramshed are notable for their earliness in London's transport history.” So, while the buildings were not deemed worthy of statutory listing by English Heritage in 2005 the buildings were said by the inspector to be of local significance. The former Tramway Depot is a well-loved local landmark that supports many light industrial businesses.
The site also lies opposite Brooke Road, which is on the border of the Northwold and Evering Conservation Area. It is clear that the development of this Victorian suburb owed much to the tram and rail links, which came to the area in the early 1870s. It would be ironic if a key catalyst for the development of this area was now to be partially demolished as well as unsympathetically developed.
If restored and ingeniously converted, the former tramway buildings could provide both historic and contemporary architectural interest in an area that has been deprived of any clear master planning or quality new development in recent years. During the last 50 years many historic buildings in this area have been demolished and replaced with insensitive development – the demolition of 19th century buildings facing what is now the Lea Bridge roundabout, the demolition of the Tudor building Brooke House, the cheap conversion of the former pub on the corner of Upper Clapton Road and Prout Road to name but a few.
The Hackney Society would like to see the retention and sympathetic refurbishment of all the ranges that form the tram depot. The Hackney Society does not support this proposed development on a number of grounds. These are detailed below:
DESIGN
The Hackney Society feels that the position, heights and massing of the various new blocks (A, B, C, D, and F) to be over-complicated and out of keeping with the surrounding domestic scale of the residential and industrial buildings in the area.
Conversion of historic tram shed building ‘Block E’
While the Hackney Society supports the retention of the central former tram shed building (‘Block E’) we feel that the design of the roof extension and the conversion of the interior space clumsy and inappropriate. The roofline, massing and materials of the extension fail to relate to the delicate gabled roofline and brickwork of the former tram shed. The grey ship-lapped fibre cement cladding jars with the colour of the original stock brick. The rhythm of the private roof terraces from the roof extension and the gabled roofline below them clash creating a dissonant visual effect. This is made worse by the ‘new openings in the brickwork wall’. They create yet more visual confusion by revealing further window openings in the new roof extension each with a different pattern or size. The impact of ‘Block E’ and ‘Block A’ when viewed from Upper Clapton Road is ugly and completely out of scale with the surrounding buildings. Also, the conversion of the existing workspaces into smaller units limits the types of business that can use the spaces. Most of the current occupiers will find these units inadequate. The demolition of part of the current Jaguar car showroom to reveal the gables of the tram shed is supported and with an architecturally suitable scheme would improve the attractiveness and visual impact of the surviving tram-shed buildings.
The skill of working with heritage buildings is to achieve a unity between old and new. This has not been achieved with this proposal. The architect has failed to create a convincing visual language that links the old and new in both functional and aesthetic ways. Instead the scale and shape of the proposed new blocks hugely reduces the presence of the historic tram sheds thus weakening their simple and aesthetic form.
‘Block A’
We oppose ‘Block A’ which faces onto Upper Clapton Road. At 7-storeys this building is out of proportion with its surroundings – it is too high and set too far forward – dominating the streetscape. Both Beaumont Court, to the north, and the Beecholme Estate to the south-east, only extend to 5-storeys. We would like to see this height matched in any new developments on the site. Also, for such a prominent position, ‘Block A’ does not deliver a high quality design. The ‘smorgasbord’ of materials (Cor-ten steel panels, grey stock brick finish, perforated zinc and Telford smooth brown brick finish) while trying to add interest, just produce an incoherent design that detracts from the historic fabric of the tram shed. ‘Block A’ is an aggressive addition creating a crowded feeling along the road.
‘Blocks B, C, D and F’
These blocks result in the demolition of the north stable/tram buildings, which we do not support. Many homes and gardens in adjacent roads will also be overlooked, depriving those residents of privacy. The six and seven storey blocks are especially too high, casting a huge shadow. In a recent poll in the Architect’s Journal entitled ‘Do you like the look of this project on Upper Clapton Road, London by Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects?’ Seventy four per cent had said ‘no’ in the poll (13.1.10).
Housing
We consider that both points 7.30 and 7.34 in ‘Design and Sustainability’ (Providing Better Homes, Draft Core Strategy, Local Development Framework, June 2009) have not been adequately met in this proposed development. We feel that the scheme is not “high-quality housing and in line with identified needs in places where people want to live.” Clapton currently has a lack of 3 to 4 bedroom houses with gardens for large families. The proposal of 3 to 4 bedroom flats is a poor solution.
Density
Leabridge Ward already has three new large-scale developments, increasing local population density way above the London average. The proposal represents the highest level of mixed-use density currently being developed in Hackney, setting a dangerous precedent for future development in the rest of the borough.
At present the Beecholme Estate and Casimir Road enjoy a quiet neighbourhood with the tram sheds shielding them from the worst of anti-social behaviour and noise from the Upper Clapton Road. By creating such a dense development and opening up the site by forming a new pedestrian route this neighbourhood will be transformed for the worse.
Loss of light industrial units and associated jobs
“Hackney’s location on the city fringe is ideal for companies who need to be close to the Central London and City market but require light industrial space.”
The Hackney Society strongly disagrees with the assessment in the Planning Statement that the “active” planning history of the site is an “indication that the current run down and low grade commercial buildings are inadequate for modern-day purposes, and are in need of investment for sustained employment use.” The existing tram shed, contrary to that opinion, is a successful example of reuse and provides Hackney with essential light industrial units for artists, craftspeople, manufacturers and mechanics. The tram sheds are run down, but with refurbishment provide ideal workshops for manufacturing. The site also houses the only remaining active group of artists and designers left in north-east Hackney. Artists and creative industries are important to the economy of the area as well as creating an interesting and diverse community.
The proposals also completely underestimate the number of people employed on the site, and the kind of work they do cannot take place in the proposed light usage spaces envisaged in the application. The closure of such business would have a knock-on effect and cause substantial direct and indirect job losses. The proposal has failed to take into account the need for space of existing businesses (mechanics, joiners, mould makers) and bases its assumptions on space needed for office workers.
The current site is a busy and active working site, with every unit rented. Such light industrial spaces have all but disappeared in Hackney, as a result of warehouses being converted into housing, and industrial units being demolished for new housing developments. This site is perfect for what Invest in Hackney says makes Hackney unique:
“Hackney has a long tradition of manufacturing, but as in other areas of the country, this has seen a decline over the years. This has, however, left Hackney with an interesting legacy of old industrial property. These empty spaces have been taken on by creative and design businesses, and from this a new High Value Manufacturing sector has developed. This sector of the manufacturing industry often sees the whole production process from design and development, through manufacture and on to the point of sale, housed under one roof. The products of this industry are often hand crafted and one-off pieces, with the value of the finished product arising as much from the design as the function. This is particularly true of sub sectors such as furniture, fashion and jewellery production, which have all developed into prominent industries in Hackney’s economy. The growth in this sector has also added to the borough’s particular retail offer, and complements the artistic and creative industries that also flourish in the borough.”
Impact on local amenities and services
Local amenities such as nurseries, schools and doctors surgeries are already overstretched with the impact of recent residential developments on the Latham’s Yard site still to be calculated. The Hackney Society thinks that this proposed development will have an adverse impact on services.
Environmental impact: traffic and car parking
Such a large development with the introduction of 50 car-parking sites will create even worse traffic congestion on one of the most important outward routes to the North and East of the City. Reports cited on the impact to existing traffic conditions are based on dissimilar areas and fail to take account of local conditions (commuter parking for Clapton Station, local congestion on Upper Clapton Road.). The increase of traffic on the narrow residential roads (Prout, Casimir, Cleveleys and Gunton Roads) will bring noise, danger and even more congestion to already congested roads. Also, no environmental study has been carried out on the possibility of ground pollution and possible decontamination on a site that has been used by various industries in the last century.
Conclusion
The Hackney Society thinks that the development is seriously flawed and does not meet high standards of design. We would like to see a smaller development that retains the U-shaped range, colonnades granite setts and some of the double-height spaces of the existing industrial buildings.
Please can you confirm receipt of this objection.
Yours sincerely
