Controversial Sainsbury’s application passed (again) by Hackney Council

Protestors united on a ‘Bug Parade’ against another Sainsbury’s store in Stoke Newington earlier this year. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

Opponents of controversial plans for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket in Stoke Newington are urging fellow campaigners to write to MP Diane Abbott to ask her to do more to try to stop the development.

In the latest episode in a saga that has now lasted years, councillors on the planning-subcommittee this evening voted four to one in favour of developer Newmark Properties’ application, which also involves the creation of new homes.

The subcommittee had already approved an earlier, identical application, which is currently the subject of a judicial review being brought by group Stokey Local.

Newmark Properties said it re-submitted the plans to give Hackney Council an opportunity to “address the concerns raised” by the campaigners.

At this evening’s meeting Nick Perry from Stokey Local called the supermarket development “the most unwanted and controversial scheme there has been in Stoke Newington for a generation”.

The meeting, attended by over one hundred campaigners – many dressed in Christmas ‘Stokey Claus’ costumes – also heard claims that there would be a net loss of affordable housing owing to the fact the development involves the removal of some residential units at the site in Wilmer Place.

Just 17 per cent of the new homes to be created have been classed as affordable – falling far short of Hackney Council’s target of 50 per cent.

Entomologist Russell Miller said the development, on the doorstep of the Abney Park nature reserve, threatened populations of several species including a “nationally scarce” bee.

But representatives for Newmark argued the new supermarket would create jobs and increase local “competitiveness and choice…reducing the need to travel”.

Stokey Local is now calling on its supporters to continue the fight by writing letters to Diane Abbott and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles, who has the power to ‘call in’ the application – which would take the decision out of the council’s hands and could stymie the contentious scheme.

The Abney Park Trust, which says Abney Park is under ‘serious threat’ because of the Wilmer Place scheme, is holding a festive event this Saturday (December 14) at which letter writers will be able to compete for prizes.

Another option on the table for the campaigners is to launch a second judicial review challenging procedural aspects of the latest decision by the sub-committee.

Update at 3.29pm on Tuesday 14 January:

In the print version of this article (Hackney Citizen, January 2014), we wrote:

“Plans for the new supermarket were first mooted in 2011, when the Hackney Citizen revealed that several Hackney councillors were employed by Four Communications, the firm hired by Newmark Properties to promote the [Sainsbury’s] scheme. Four Communications is no longer involved in lobbying for the Stoke Newington development but handles PR for some Sainsbury’s developments across London.”

Four Communications is in fact no longer involved in any Sainsbury’s projects.

Related:

Pantomimes, Canalival and eerie Christmas calm…

Town Hall’s inconsistent line on Stoke Newington Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s is wrong to use PR firm that boasts about overcoming residents’ opposition