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p6
AMBRIDGE
MEETS STOKEY
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Now listen carefully, and I'll begin. You will already know that sparks flew when
dastardly barley baron Brian Aldridge lured sultry temptress (or goer, as we say) Siobhan
into bed. And you'll remember the bitter tears and recriminations when Siobhan's husband
Tim learnt of their affair. Grief soon turned to rage, however, when Tim discovered that
Brian was also the father of Siobhan's unborn child ... In despair, Tim naturally turned
to the local vicar, Janet, in search of solace. Desperate to start a new life elsewhere,
Tim had only one solution: to move to Stoke Newington. That's right, chaps: we're
official. Stoke Newington's been mentioned on the nation's favourite radio soap, The
Archers. What will Radio 4 listeners make of it all? Will Eddie Grundy take on the
crack-heads? And how will the village hall committee fare in their dealings with Hackney
Council? How about the Village Fete organisers taking over the Festival? Will the Liberty
and Livelihood campaigners smoke the pipe of peace, or whatever, with the Radical Dairy?
Tune in next week ...
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In May of this year 2002 local residents near to
Slindon Court, 149 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16, received notification of a
proposed residential development which will have a serious effect on their properties. If
it is allowed to happen it will open the floodgates to huge redevelopment of ground right
along the High Street.
On paper it seems so simple the object of the planning application is to turn a failed
snooker hall into residential dwellings. However, the effect will be to blight many of the
dwellings in Dynevor Road, if the developers gain permission for this development. Then a
huge precedent will have been achieved to cover over all the rear areas of Stoke Newington
with new housing, totally changing the character of the Stoke Newington Conservation area.
The initial letter stated:
Dear Sir/Madam,
TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990
Change of use from snooker hall at lst floor level to residential use and conversion to 3
no. 1 bedroom flats and 1 no. studio flat, conversion of 2nd floor to provide 2 no. 1
bedroom flats. Demolition of ground floor rear building and erection of a 2 storey
building at the rear to provide 3 no. 2 bed maisonettes (including side and rear elevation
alterations).
Martyn Stevens offers a personal view of the application
The sunrise over Stoke Newington High Street is not something I though
about until recently. It reminds me of bleary-eyed, early morning feeds with babies. Our
garden reminds me of toddlers splashing around in paddling pools. It's not overlooked.
There are lots of big trees and the birds flit to and from Abney Cemetery.
The trouble started with a letter from Hackney Planning Department. It
said that there was a planning application. We could see the plans at their offices. Along
I went. After a little while (it took time to sink in) I realised that the property
company which owns the shops in the High Street wanted to build new houses right up your
our garden wall. Well, our gardens are the size of a postage stamp. The new houses will
look down into our gardens. We will have no more sunrises, just the side of a house right
in our face. About twenty five residents objected. As if by clockwork, back came a letter
from the planning department. They acknowledged our objection, but recommended approval
anyway.
They didn't recognise any of our concerns. We had told the Council that parking was
impossible. People park on the corners so delivery vehicles and fire engines cannot get
round. The refuse carts have to back up Dynevor and Dumont Roads every Monday morning. It
just makes matters worse to build new houses, without parking on the High Street Red
Route. We had told them about our loss of light and privacy. We wrote another letter
stressing that these houses are so near that they would be in the middle of the road if
they were in front.
The developer's plans show small flat roofed houses with hardly any light. They are not in
keeping with the area. The developer just wants to squeeze in as many dwellings as
possible as cheaply as possible. These new houses are down a narrow alleyway off the
High Street, called Slindon Court. No fire engine can get down there and the last time
there was a fire it took over an hour to get to it and put it out.
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N16 contributor and political cartoonist of the year Martin Rowson
receives his annual salary for his role as 'official cartoonist' to Ken Livingstone - a
pint of London Pride. |
There are another three sites down Slindon Court where
property companies could build new houses. Houses here are worth a third of a million
pounds now. There could be a dozen new houses built over the next few years just in the
Slindon Court area not taking into account similar plots down the High Street.
Oddly, this will be history repeating itself. On the 1886 map of Stoke Newington, Slindon
Court was known as 'Chapel Court'. Before Dynevor Road was built, it led through to Abney
Chapel. David Mander describes it in his history of Stoke Newington as 'one of the small
courts and alleys housing the poor', with a dozen tiny dwellings. Just as the poorer
labourers and brickmakers crowded into these courts and alleys in the mid-Victorian era,
perhaps this is how Hackney Council will meet its quota of new housing in the 21st
century.
As N16 went to press, we discovered that the Council will now oppose the
planning application. Determined local campaigns can be effective.
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