OPEN Dalston’s anger at plan to demolish historic Georgian terrace
Rare survivor: one of the Georgian era homes set to be demolished under the council’s plan. Photograph: Josh Loeb
Hackney Council’s planned demolition of a row of historic houses that are rare survivors from the Georgian era would breach planning controls, according to the founder of a heritage campaign group.
The council is poised to knock down 16 houses in Dalston Lane thought to date from 1807 to replace them with new buildings in ‘heritage likeness’ and 44 new flats with no affordable housing.
The demolition would run contrary to what councillors on the planning subcommittee voted for in August last year, according to solicitor and OPEN Dalston founder Bill Parry-Davies.
In a letter to the council this month Mr Parry-Davies said: “Members did not vote for complete demolition…but a conservation led refurbishment of the facades and shop fronts and re-development of the rear parts of
the houses.
“Their entire demolition may therefore be considered to be a breach of planning control, contrary to the planning brief for the site, contrary to the Dalston Area Action Plan proposals and contrary the council’s adopted policies for the historic environment.”
Mr Parry-Davies has documented the saga of the terrace’s deterioration over the past decade, as well as wider changes in Dalston Lane, on OPEN Dalston’s blog.
The council sold the buildings at auction to an off-shore company in 2002.
The terrace subsequently suffered severe structural damage, including fire damage, and the owner lodged an application to demolish the buildings and erect retail units and 28 flats – an application that was turned down by the council partly because it contained no affordable housing.
In 2010 the council re-purchased the terrace for £3.8million – double what it had originally sold them for. Mr Parry-Davies said 14 businesses have deserted the terrace from when the council acquired it from the Greater London Council in 1984. He said: “They have presided over the destruction of our local economy and now our heritage assets… These fragile houses are not capable of withstanding the development pressures which the council has placed on them.”
A less intensive development scheme might have saved the buildings, he added.
A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “Due to structural instability, it will not be possible to keep the entire façade, though where possible shopfronts and brickwork will be re-used.”
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