Brick Lane Arches: Council rethinks!

RESIDENTS WELCOME WITHDRAWAL OF BRICK LANE ARCHES PLANS

Residents in the Brick Lane area welcome the news that Tower Hamlets Council has withdrawn its plans to build two stainless steel arches on Brick Lane as part of a £1.85 million 'Cultural Trail'. 

Tower Hamlets Council chief executive Kevan Collins yesterday promised that the Council was now open to new suggestions as to how to spend this portion of 'planning gain' money arising from the redevelopment of Spitalfields Market competed 2005.   

Residents' associations the Spitalfields Society and North Brick Lane Residents' Association in a joint statement said:

"We are pleased that the Council has responded to the public's concerns about this scheme. It is the duty of the Council to use this public money for social and economic benefits to the community, not to impose their own plans, which in this case have been socially divisive.

We look forward to proposing new use of the money to improve Brick Lane for its businesses, visitors and local communities, putting decision-making back into the hands of all those who live and work here." 

Notes to editors:

There were 158 individual objections and 0 supporters to the Arches scheme according to the council’s planning officer’s report.

The Cultural Trail is part of the spending of £8.5 million generated by the Spitalfields Market redevelopment ‘Bishops Square’. This major financial contribution must be spent in accordance with a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement which states that it must go towards: “the promotion of projects for the economic and social benefit of the local community. Such projects may include training and employment initiatives and community improvement schemes to ensure that the community does not suffer loss as a result of the implementation of the Bishops Square Planning Permission and environmental improvement in the immediate locality of the Site.”

•  Use these links to find out what others said about the withdrawal of the Brick Lane arches planning application:

Tower Hamlets Council statement: Thursday 4 March

Evening Standard: Friday 5 March

East London Advertiser website: Friday 5 March