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14
April
2016
|
11:17
Europe/London

Hackney Mayor responds to decision to delay Bishopsgate Goods Yard hearing

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said: “The developer’s proposals would have destroyed the heart of Shoreditch, cast a shadow over hundreds of nearby homes and businesses, done nothing to address London’s housing crisis, stifled the growth of Tech City and damaged forever this area’s unique character and heritage.

“It’s abundantly clear that virtually everyone is in agreement that the current application is entirely inappropriate for this area - be they the thousands of residents and businesses who wrote letters and signed petitions, the planning experts at Hackney, Tower Hamlets and the GLA, the finance experts at BNP Paribas, the light experts at Building Research Establishment, the local MPs, and myriad others.

“Let’s hope that the developers now take a creative, collaborative approach with Hackney and Tower Hamlets councils, local residents, businesses and community groups to build something which works for everyone, not just their bottom line. There is so much more potential for this site than simply the developer’s ambition to cash in on luxury flats.

“Any future application for the Goods Yard should come back to be determined by Hackney and Tower Hamlets councils in an open and constructive way, as should always have been the case. It would be completely unacceptable for the developers to return to the GLA in a few months having simply shaved off a few floors and made some other minor tweaks.

“We welcomed the GLA planners’ recommendations for refusal, which focused on concerns about shadowing and the impact on heritage sites. However, in addition to these we believe there should be much more affordable and flexible workspace, much more affordable housing provision and much better quality of design.”