Squatters occupying 195 Mare Street face eviction this week

The squat at 195 Mare Street pictured earlier this year. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

Squatters occupying a grade-II listed mansion face being forced out this week if judges grant developers permission to evict them.

195 Mare Street – an historic Georgian-era building – has been lying empty and derelict for years and is regarded by amenity group The Hackney Society as a major heritage asset.

The building has been occupied for over three months by squatters who say they have sought to transform it into a community centre.

They will learn their fate this Friday when judges at the High Court will make a final decision on whether to grant Chris Sturdy Design and Build (CSDB) an eviction order.

Future in the balance

The so-called special hearing follows an emergency High Court hearing on 4 December.

Former film studies student Max Dillinger claims he and fellow squatters tried to contact the building’s owner on the day they moved in.

He said: “We wanted to run a social centre and offer something back to the community, and the best thing you can do is get in contact with the owner and come to some sort of agreement and see how long we could be there and if it was a viable option.”

The building’s freehold was recently sold, though the identity of the owner is unclear.

Labourers working for CSDB clashed with the squatters in October.

They had gained access to the building, disconnected the water supply and electricity, and – according to another squatter – had begun dismantling doors and breaking bathroom fixtures.

‘Illegality’ claim

Jim Casey from CSDB said the squatters had “illegally tapped the electrics”, adding that his organisation could legally have evicted them earlier.

Building conservationists have warned the mansion could be under threat if repairs are not carried out.

Mr Casey and Hackney Council conservation officer Peter Ashby visited the premises in the weeks before squatters moved in to carry out an investigation of its condition.

English Heritage and Hackney Council Planning Department carried out a further assessment of the site on 13 November.

A spokesperson from English Heritage said: “Regrettably the condition of the building merits its ‘At Risk’ status.

“English Heritage is concerned that without a full scheme of repair and restoration works the fabric of the building, which in places dates back to 1715, will deteriorate further, inevitably harming its historic significance.”

The squatters say they have carried out repairs to try and help preserve the building, which is is associated with the social reformer Elizabeth Fry, who established the Institute for the Reformation of Women Prisoners there in the 1800s. The building later became the Landsdowne Social Club, which closed in 2003.

Residential squatting became a criminal offence last year but the offence does not cover commercial buildings.

A spokesperson for Hackney Police, who were called to the property by the squatters following the dispute in October, stated: “Both parties were informed that their dispute was a civil matter and no crime was reported.”