Hackney Greens warn council’s Morning Lane plans risk being ‘missed opportunity’

Samir Jeraj: “Once again the council are missing a golden opportunity.”

Hackney Green Party has expressed concern over the Labour-run council’s plan to buy and redevelop Tesco’s Morning Lane site, saying the scheme looks set to end up being a “missed opportunity” to support local businesses and provide vitally needed social housing.

The Town Hall is in the final stages of purchasing the land for an undisclosed multi-million pound sum. Under the council’s plans the site will be leased to luxury fashion outlet operator Hackney Walk, which already runs designer clothes shops based in the nearby railway arches.

The land would provide around 270,000 sq ft of retail and commercial space. There will also be 245,000 sq ft of the land set aside for new homes, at least 20 per cent of which would be “affordable”.

However, the Greens say this is far too low and want the Town Hall to increase this to 50 per cent and provide more information on what kind of affordable housing the units will be.

In a statement today the party said: “We are also concerned that expanding Hackney Walk is not the best way to support local businesses. We instead call for a co-operative ownership scheme, which would mean that workplaces remain permanently affordable.

“We also hope the council looks at how to make these new buildings as environmentally friendly as possible and encourage cycling or walking to the site by making it car-free.”

Hackney Green Party co-ordinator Samir Jeraj, who was the party’s mayoral candidate at last year’s election, said: “This sounds like yet another new development in Hackney which will do little to solve the chronic housing crisis.

“Once again the council are missing a golden opportunity to create more affordable and social housing in the borough, demonstrating that they are not concerned about meeting their 50 per cent target.”