Dalston Terrace: demolition work will not start until next month
One of the Georgian era homes expected to be demolished next month
Work to demolish an historic terrace of Georgian properties at 48 to 76 Dalston Lane will not start until the end of next month at the earliest because of Hackney Council’s fears that campaigners could launch a legal challenge.
Environmental group OPEN Dalston’s lawyers have written to Hackney Council insisting it stop all demolition work until the council’s cabinet and its planning committee review a Town Hall decision early this month to grant engineering firm Murphy – the council’s partner in the project – permission to knock down the terrace.
The council owns the terrace and has entered into a deal with Murphy to create 44 new flats – none of which is classed as ‘affordable’ – as well as retail units on the site.
Hackney Council began demolishing the terrace earlier this year but was forced to suspend this work after OPEN Dalston pointed out that it did not have legal permission.
The group has launched a fighting fund as part of its battle to preserve the terrace.
Updated at 2.32pm on 19 March 2014:
OPEN Dalston’s Bill Parry-Davies said: “Hackney has pursued a conservation-led refurbishment scheme for these Georgian houses since 2006. That policy is prescribed in the Dalston Area Action Plan, which was derived from public consultation, approved by a government inspector and adopted by Hackney’s Council. We have yet to hear any justification for now destroying Dalston’s architectural heritage and the spirit of the place.”
He added: “Waiting six weeks would not make demolition any more lawful than if it started today.”
Related:
Hackney Council approves plan to demolish Dalston’s historic Georgian terrace