I've finally sent Hackney Unites a 15 page report I wrote on the planning and regeneration theme I organised for their Dalston Peoples Festival.  We'll add a link from this site once it gets posted on their website. Since the impact of the proposed redevelopment of Kingsland Shopping Centre was a big issue throughout the Festival I've sent the developers a summary of our concerns and attach it below. They did promise to submit an applciation this September but seemed to have made no effort to work with the Council to address local Planning and Regeneration priorities back in July.  Let's hope they've got better when the plans are finally submitted.  If there are other concerns I've missed please add them to this post.  This is what I said;

The Community Consultation Team                                                                         Peter Snell

Criterion Capital                                                                                                   26 Fassett Square

via email to info@KingslandConsultation.com                                                            Dalston  E8 1DQ

I have previously listed my personal concerns about the proposed development for the Kingsland Shopping Centre on the response forms distributed at the consultation events in the Kingsland Shopping Centre on Friday 19^th and Saturday 20^th July.  The attendance at the event showed the level of interest among local residents in the development.  Your representatives did not help their case by pretending Criterion Capital owned the whole length of the Eastern Curve when, in reality, the Council owns the top third of the site.  Of equal concern was the indication on the plans that public green space would only be provided on the Council owned car park at the end of Abbott Street.

The consultation event was held at the end of the week long Dalston Peoples Festival for which I organised a series of discussions and guided walks around Planning and Regeneration themes. Its conclusions are now reported on the Hackney Unites website. I write now to summarise the concerns expressed over the week which we would expect to be addressed to create an acceptable development.

Participants made the following points;

The new development must not harm Ridley Road Market

The development demonstrates no commitment to developing Dalston’s retail offer and is clearly a housing led development as residential floor space is far greater than commercial space. Ridley Road market defines Dalston and is a multicultural hub that we want to retain.  The redevelopment will undermine the future of the market if it;

• Replaces shopping parking spaces with residential parking
• Overshadows the market and makes it less attractive
•  Does not expand the current affordable grocery and clothes provision that draws in customers from around the Borough and beyond.

The Eastern Curve must be retained as enclosed community space.

Dalston’s Area Action Plan recognises concerns of residents that the area has inadequate play space or open green space.  The development appears to provide neither and in fact reduces such space by paving over the Easter Curve and turning it into a corridor.  We think the Council should refuse to hand over the land it owns to Criterion Capital and create a closed park for local residents on the Eastern Curve. It should work with adjacent developers to create alternative access points to the development through the Thames House development on Hartwell Street, through the passageway between V22 Studios and the Bootstrap Buildings off Ashwin Street and via Abbott Street.   This would support the long held Council objective of increasing pedestrian circulation routes in Dalston Town Centre to make it more attractive to shoppers.

The development should address strategic planning needs.

The current plans for the site show a series of boxes of housing with no clear sense of spatial planning or of improving the public realm.  In particular;

• The plans should include a second pedestrian bridge over the railway line to link up with St Marks Rise as this is a natural through routes
• The plans should include additional provision of sports & play space and public parks both of which the area currently lacks.
• The plans should enhance the distinctive nature of Dalston by creating a welcoming sense of place and encouraging 24hr public access throughout the new development.
• None of the blocks should be higher than set out in the Dalston Area Action Plan since the heights set out there are already higher than local residents sought in local consultation.
• In determining the height of the blocks the Council should treat the covered car parking on which the new development is being built as an additional 2 storeys to properly reflect its shading impact.
• There should be an independent assessment of the impact of the development on biodiversity.

The new development should enhance Dalston as a Town Centre

Participants at the consultation were not convinced in being told that the current shopping offer would be replaced by upmarket boutique shops.  This may assist your sales pitch to home buyers but sounded like a threat to existing residents of Dalston. The maintenance of the current mass retail offer draws in shoppers who also use Ridley Road market. It is essential that remains along with easy links from any new retail units to the market.  During the public inquiry into the Dalston Area Action Plan the Inspector noted that its forecasts of retail demand were optimistic. We would expect the developer to;

• Conduct a thorough assessment of retail demand to demonstrate all new units would be occupied and enhance the attractiveness of the Town Centre and Ridley Road Market.
• Conduct a thorough assessment of wider business needs for design and workshop space in Dalston to enhance daytime activity and employment
• Replicate the mixture of retail and workshop space that traditionally characterised Dalston and ensure that the offer included affordable retail and workspace to nurture new business
• Assess the amount of Hackney’s retail spend currently spent elsewhere to be retained in the Borough under different development options
• Include realistic proposals for maximising local apprenticeships and employment in both the construction of the development and its eventual use.
• Include effective plans to ensure commercial areas support daytime use and do not further extend the late night evening economy.

New homes for local people.

Local residents are fed up seeing local facilities like schools and health services overstretched by new homes when none are being offered at rents or prices local residents can afford.  We would call on the Council to only approve plans that;

• Include at least 50% affordable housing.
• Set rents in that housing at a maximum of 60% of market rents.
• Include effective measures to prevent flats being kept empty as investment properties.

I am copying this letter to the Mayor of Hackney and local Councillors. I am on the steering group for Sustainable Hackney, the umbrella group for green organisations in Hackney, and will post this email as a blog on their website.  I am very happy to assist in setting up a pre-application meeting with local residents so you can explain how our concerns will be addressed in your plans

Regards

Peter Snell