London Fields residents welcome decision to shelve homes plan

‘Welcome move’: Julian Blake

A developer and architecture firm have shelved plans to build flats on a patch of land near London Fields.

The land, located next to the Morland Estate, was auctioned off by Hackney Council in 2013 amid protests from residents who said they could have put it to better use as a community garden or for bike parking.

Developer London Fields West LLP last month submitted a planning application to erect a four-and-a-half storey building containing three flats on the site.

At a consultation residents also expressed concerns about height, density, impact on privacy and the scheme’s environmental impact.

They were unhappy, too, with the way developers initially appeared to “sidestep” discussions with residents.

Architectural firm Chance de Silva, which submitted a planning application to Hackney Council, today confirmed to the Hackney Citizen that this application has now been withdrawn.

Stephen Chance, a partner at the firm, said the company would now “look and see if we can address some of the residents’ concerns”.

Julian Blake, chair of Morland Blanchard Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, told the Hackney Citizen: “We welcome the fact that it’s been withdrawn. It certainly doesn’t mean it’s victory yet. We don’t want to have a triumph over a developer, we just want something that works for everyone.”