Beware Dalston redevelopment ‘greenwash’ warn campaigners

Map showing potential green and garden space. Image: Criterion Capital

Hackney Council-owned land identified as ‘potential’ green spaces within the Kingsland Mall redevelopment project is the subject of a meeting at the Town Hall today.

Display boards at the public exhibition this past weekend depicted areas owned by Hackney Council – and currently occupied by local businesses  – as being potential green or garden areas within the new development.

Project architect Andrew Waugh admitted that the spaces were not owned by the developer, Criterion Capital, but they are “hoping” that these spaces will be left available for green space.

Mr Waugh said: “Hackney Council doesn’t have a development plan for them.”

These Hackney Council-owned spaces include two car parks currently occupied by Bootstrap Company, and the Arcola Tent, which recently renewed it’s ‘meanwhile’ lease for another year.

Green space is one of the key issues at the heart of the Kingsland mall redevelopment.

The popular Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is under threat from the development, which hopes to make the garden into a green, open public thoroughfare.

Bill Parry-Davies from campaign group Open Dalston said: “The developers present green images but in fact the open spaces will be overshadowed and hard-surfaced. For them grey is the new green and we risk losing the only well-managed green space Dalston has.”

Mr Waugh said: “We want to work with adjacent landowners. Our ambition for the garden is that it could be bigger. It’s an ongoing process.”