Who really owns Hackney? The borough’s new mayor is finding out

A borough-wide investigation into land ownership and use of public assets in Hackney has launched as part of the new mayor's commitment to reclaiming spaces for community benefit.

The “Who Owns Hackney?” investigation, led by newly-elected Mayor Zoë Garbett, will explore a series of steps to improve transparency around property ownership and increase community access to buildings.

As part of the investigation, Mayor Garbett has asked Council teams to undertake:

• a comprehensive audit of land usage in Hackney to inform options to give the community a greater say in how spaces are used
• a full assessment of options for bringing empty spaces back into use, including opportunities to use compulsory purchase orders and community right to buy powers
• a review of how the Council’s own buildings are used, with a view to increasing access for voluntary organisations and community groups to community halls and other council-owned spaces.

Launching the investigation, Mayor Garbett said:

"People in Hackney have seen their neighbourhoods change around them dramatically over the last two decades, and they are right to ask who controls this and in whose interests.

“Who Owns Hackney is the first step in giving Hackney back to its communities. It will reveal who owns  land and how it is used, increase understanding around the Council’s own assets and how they are used, and set out the options we have to repurpose spaces for public good.

“I know that we can’t control how every property in our borough is used. But this investigation will help us use every power we have to reclaim spaces for community benefit, so that they meet the needs of Hackney’s residents first.”

Zoë Garbett, Mayor of Hackney

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