Protesters occupy against Broadway Market gentrification

Submitted by Janine on 13 December, 2005 - 8:27

This information has been circulated by the protesters.

The organisers of the occupation say:

"We strongly urge everyone to come down to 34 Broadway Market and help support this and do need people to put their names down to keep the place occupied!"

Here are the links to 2 other informative articles:

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OCCUPATION OF 34 BROADWAY MARKET

PROTECT BROADWAY MARKET
FROM CORRUPT DEVELOPERS!

WE WANT OUR CAFE NOT YUPPIE FLATS!

WHAT HAPPENED TO 34 BROADWAY MARKET?

Everyone in the area knew Tony Platia, who had run Franscesca's Café from these premises for 30 years. Tony was evicted on 1st July 2005 and had his livelihood destroyed. Tony was part of the local community and on three previous occasions local people rallied round to help prevent his eviction by bailiffs but in July, 10 bailiffs and 50 police turned up to throw him out.

Tony was evicted by Dr Roger Wratten, a property developer who also owns nos 2, (previously the site of Little Georgia) 4, 6, 30 & 32 (the former Market House Pub) in Broadway Market and the land to the rear of numbers 26 36, along with many other local sites. These include the cleared warehouses at the junction of Queensbridge & Whiston Roads, where he has now begun work on building 132 residential units.

Dr Wratten acquired Tony's Café and other units over the past 6 years when Hackney Council sold off many of its commercial properties to try and solve its £70m debt problem. The circumstances surrounding Dr Wratten's purchase of the Café are suspicious and currently under investigation; despite the fact that Tony had first refusal on the property and repeatedly tried to buy it from Hackney Council, he was passed over in favour of a wealthy developer.

Tony is not alone - this has happened time and time again in Broadway Market - `Spirit', the proprietor of the shop at number 71 also attempted to buy his property back in 2001 but he was also ignored, his property sold for less than he was offering to pay and he is now also facing eviction by developers. Similar things are also going on in Dalston Lane.

Hackney's sell-off of commercial properties was a travesty. The Estate agents appointed by the Council sold £225 million worth of properties for just £70 million (depriving the people of Hackney of £150m) and the majority of these went to wealthy off-shore developer cartels who made an absolute killing at the expense of the people of Hackney.

WHY ARE WE OCCUPYING THE BUILDING?

Dr Wratten now wants to demolish 34 Broadway Market to make way for the development of flats. As there are serious questions about his Acquisition of the premises, and his planning permission we have decided to stop the demolition by occupying the building. We demand a full investigation into the corrupt property sales in Hackney, including those in Broadway Market. Also, we want to have Tony's Café back. While many locals are pleased to see the street become more active, they also recognise that many of the new shops and initiatives are not for them but for wealthy newcomers to an area that has suddenly become trendy and desirable. Tony's was a place frequented by a broad cross-section of the community.

What has happened in Broadway Market is part of a general attack on local people in this area. Many are sick of being treated like 2nd class citizens, having their local amenities closed (Haggerston Pool), their estates run down or privatised, their schools demolished and handed over to big business (Laburnum School), and publicly-owned property handed to developers for a pittance.

If you are also angry about the way that Hackney Council seem to be interested only in the interests of the well-off and big business please support this occupation.

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OCCUPATION OF 34 BROADWAY MARKET

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE -

THANK YOUS.

First of all thank you to all local residents who have been so supportive of this action! Special thanks to the many who have donated time food, heaters and other useful things.

SUPPORT

It seems that the majority of local people support what we¹ve done. Many have commented on how angry they are that after 30 years Tony was forced out of Broadway Market and that Tony represents part of Broadway Market that is being pushed out as the area is gentrified.

DEMOLITION STOPPED - WHAT NEXT?
Our first goal has been achieved! A group of local people have taken legal possession and secured the premises and on Monday 28th of November we prevented the scheduled demolition of Tony's Café.

We have cleaned up the mess left after Tony's eviction and made the place warm and welcoming for anyone who wants to drop in. Many people have already come for a cup of tea and to find out more about what's been going on.

Also we have heard that Hackney Council have reviewed the original planning application for the site and come to the conclusion that it should not have been issued in the manner that it was. Our legal advisors are saying that the approval of the application was not a formal decision and we are now at the stage where the planning application can go to judicial review.

SECURITY

Our occupation of the premises is entirely legal. However we have to keep it secure. Friendly locals are invited to drop in but we have to be careful not to let representatives of the developer come through the door and attempt to repossess the cafe and start demolition.

We are trying to be careful as there was a firebomb attack on these premises during the period when Tony was being evicted. The police are aware of the suspicious circumstances surrounding that incident and have actively been watching out for our safety during this action. This is why we have had to board up the front of the building. Please keep an eye out for anything suspicious! We have safety in numbers but the more sympathetic people in the building the better! Anyone who wants to is invited to watch films and keep the place busy in the evenings!

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OCCUPATION OF 34 BROADWAY MARKET

LATEST UPDATE 2nd December 2005

HACKNEY GAZETTE

You may have seen that the Hackney Gazette covered our protest on their front page. We thank them for their attention but we want to clarify some aspects of their coverage. They described the people involved in the protest as `self-styled squatters with a cause¹'. We wanted to just clarify who is participating: There are several local people with experience of squatting involved and they have been invaluable in making this action possible. But it is important to realise that many people involved here have never done anything like this before - they are local residents who felt that it was time to act to prove that it is possible to reverse the tide of gentrification. Also there are many, many local people and shopkeepers who have dropped in for a short time to show their support! You are invited to join us.

OTHER PRESS

Just to let you know that there are reporters preparing stories about this situation for the national press. Keep a look out next week!

BUSINESSES IN PREMISES OWNED BY DR WRATTEN OR HIS ASSOCIATES

We have put up a poster letting people know that we are not asking people to boycott the businesses in buildings owned by Dr Wratten or his associates who are just their landlords.

Apparently they have suffered a drop in customers since our occupation - a clear indication of how seriously people in this community are taking this issue and a sign to Dr Wratten that his future business interests in the market might not be so rosy!

The one point we do want to make is that these businesses might not know that they occupy premises with a dark history. Many of us miss Prakash the proprietor of Kenny's Newsagents, formerly at numbers 4-6 who threw in the towel after years of wrangling with Dr Wratten. Obviously people also remember Little Georgia which was priced out of Broadway Market by Dr Wratten (as covered in the Hackney Gazette). Whilst we have nothing personal against the new business owners they should recognise that they are part of the wider process of gentrifying the area (increased rents, businesses not aimed at working class locals).

OUR DAY IN COURT

Our occupation has now been served with an application for a Possession Order which is due for hearing at 10.30 on Friday 9th December. We will be vigorously opposing this application and doing everything in our power to stop Dr Wratten from recovering and destroying the building!

PLANNING PERMISSION ON THE BUILDING

Hackney Planning, Legal Services and the Chief Executive of Hackney Council are in intense discussions with the audit and anti-fraud division about the planning consent to build a new development on the site of Tony's Cafe. It remains to be seen whether the council will cancel the consent they wrongly gave or whether they will leave us to apply for judicial review. Under pressure from local councillors, Head of Planning Sue Foster has decided that the original planning application was approved contrary to council rules. Although they were aware of this at the time the planning consents were granted they seem to have decided (some twenty-one months later) that they messed up!

Hackney are aware that we face possession proceedings and that there is an urgent need to resolve this issue.

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Broadway Market Occupation

Update 10th December 2005

COURT CASE

Unfortunately we were unsuccessful in opposing Dr Wratten's possession proceedings in court on Friday. However, instead of being heard in 10-20 minutes which is usual in these matters, the case went to trial and His Honour, Judge Latham, took until 4pm to reach his decision. He also gave Dr Wratten's lawyers a very hard time. Much was made in court of the actions of Mrs Wratten, who is one of the directors of Market House Ltd, the company that wants to demolish Tony's Café. Mrs Wratten made a visit to our occupation where she accepted tea, chatted with protesters and even signed our petition and gave us a donation. Judge Latham described her actions as `foolish'.

But at the end of the day the wider issues surrounding our occupation (for example the problems with the sale and planning permission) were not seen as relevant to the case in the eyes of the law. This meant that Dr Wratten's property rights were given precedence and he can now evict the protesters.

An appeal is planned and must be lodged by 23rd December.

This decision has in no way dampened our enthusiasm to get justice for Tony and other affected traders in Broadway market and to continue challenging gentrification in the area.

PRESS

The Evening Standard has continued its coverage of the events in Broadway Market. It devoted a whole page to the matter in Friday's edition and journalists were present at the court case.

London Tonight are sending a film crew to the occupation on Sunday morning - we ask anyone who wants to show support to come along before 11am in a show of strength!

We are receiving an increasing number of calls from the press and media and many have started to become interested in the wider story of council corruption.

PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting is being called for Thursday 15th December between 7.30pm and 9.30pm at St Michaels Hall, on the corner of Lansdowne Drive and Lavender Grove, E8.

The Occupation of Tony's Café has raised many issues in the national, London and local press and we are inviting people to discuss the following issues:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW BROADWAY MARKET IS CHANGING?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEVELOPERS WHO NOW HAVE A LARGE STAKE IN THE AREA?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY HACKNEY COUNCIL IS MANAGING `REGENERATION' HERE, AND IN THE REST OF THE BOROUGH?

The event is to be chaired by Rev William Campbell-Taylor.

All relevant parties are being invited to speak including:

Chris Berry - Interim Head of Planning, Hackney Council; Jessica Crowe - Deputy Mayor of Hackney; Guy Nicholson - Regeneration Officer, Hackney Council; Andrew Boff - Conservative Councillor, Queensbridge Ward; Bill Hodgson - Labour Councillor, Queensbridge Ward (Chair of Planning); Arthur Shuter - Local Advocate and Spokesman for Protest at Tony's Café; Carl Taylor - Hackney Independent; Stephen Selby - Broadway Market Traders and Residents Association; Maria Flynn - Regents Estate TRA, Fred Filce Whiston & Goldsmiths TRA

Dr Roger Wratten

Stirling Properties

Broadway Investments Hackney Ltd.

Each party will have 2-3 minutes to speak on one or all of the
issues and questions will be taken from the audience. We expect the media to attend.

POLICE INVESTIGATIONS

We have now learnt that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has appointed a senior officer to deal with criminal investigations relating to commercial property sales in Hackney.

PLANNING ISSUES

Bill Hodgson, Chair of Planning in Hackney has told us that he is happy to refer the issues around planning consent for 34 Broadway Market to the Independent Planning Directorate a government body - for review.

Comments

Submitted by Janine on Sat, 24/12/2005 - 10:45

UPDATE – OCCUPATION OF 34 BROADWAY MARKET

IT’S NOT OVER!!!

EVICTED
Sheriffs and police broke into Tony’s Café this morning, throwing us out and allowing the developer’s men to start immediate demolition of the building. Within an hour it was smashed up and rendered unliveable.

Today, Dr Wratten and Hackney Council have given us a taste of the type of “development” that they are offering Broadway Market: a broken down, vandalised wreck where once there was a focus for community, resistance and fun.

It is disgraceful that the council let this destruction go ahead. Ignoring our pending legal appeal, Wratten's men were allowed to reduce half the café to rubble. Throughout, basic safety procedures were ignored, injuring one of the occupiers and endangering passers by. The process was halted this afternoon by Health and Safety officials, but clearly Wratten doesn't care much about his new neighbours’ welfare.

WHAT NEXT?
Despite this set back, we aren’t going to descend into defeatism. There has been overwhelming support from local people for the occupation. Thank you to everyone again for keeping this going for nearly 4 weeks! We intend to keep up our campaign.

We will carry on pressuring Hackney Council to reverse the original decision by which Dr Wratten came to be owner of 34 Broadway Market. They have him get away with demolishing the place, but if they can’t give Tony his cafe back, then we demand that they give him the land.

Other people on Broadway Market are still under attack: Spirit (of Nutritious Food Gallery) must not be put through the same brutal process that we have seen here today. We demand that his shop is returned to him and that the Council commits to a radical revision of their planning policy.

Up in Dalston the ruthless demolition of buildings to make way for more yuppie flats is going on right now. We demand that the council puts a stop to this immediately, and offer our support to everyone involved in resisting this ongoing landgrab.

ITS NOT OVER – SAVE TONY'S CAFE! DEFEND SPIRIT'S SHOP!

The destruction of Tony's cafe is just part of the story. Under the name of regeneration, we see sells off and corruption, affordable housing replaced by yuppie flats, vital services shut down or privatised. If the council doesn’t start taking the wider community's interests into account, then we will take this fight further. And we won't stop until we get some justice for the rest of Broadway Market and the working class people of this area.

From the BBC News website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4549972.stm

Protesters who locked themselves inside a cafe for four weeks to save it from demolition have been evicted.

Builders started knocking down Tony's Cafe in Broadway Market, Hackney, shortly after protesters were forced to leave just before dawn.

Residents fear that the popular cafe will be turned into luxury flats as part of the area's "gentrification".

Hackney Council told BBC London that they sold the property some years ago to help clear its debts.

Campaigners say the cafe is a institution in the community.

"People are sick of very little being done for low-income families," said campaigner David Stanton, who said other properties were under threat.

"This is something that's not going away and the council knows it."

"It's for the rich," said Betty Shanks.

"I'm ashamed that the council, who say they're for the working class, can come and along and take the cafe away."

This is from a prepared speech that wasn't read out - we didn't put any batteries in the megaphone... opps!

'I just want to say - this occupation has not come to an end because of our mistakes. We fought tooth and nail from beginning to the end. It’s a credit to all those involved, many of whom have families, jobs and other commitments, that they were able to provide so much time and energy to the occupation.

24 days ago those that took the café numbered just 8 people. By the end the active supporters numbered in their hundreds. The solidarity shown was outstanding.

For all those involved it’s really opened our eyes to what is really happening, not just on Broadway Market but also in Hackney and the rest of the country.

This isn’t a democracy, it’s a dictatorship of money, and if you don’t have money you count for nothing – you’re just a third class citizen.

But for those of us that don’t have wealth then what we have is each other.

All those involved have had a taste of unity and success. We had the forces of darkness, for a few weeks at least, on the ropes and we were hard hitters.

The organisation that has grown up around the occupation will not disappear overnight. Whether it is Roger Wratten, the council, useless local councilors or the many forces at work that have or are currently conspiring together to wreck this community, that will be a well-organised response and the campaign will continue.'

Submitted by Janine on Wed, 28/12/2005 - 11:13

In reply to by Janine

Info sent out on Monday 26th ...

"We have re-occupied Tony's cafe on Broadway Market this morning. We need help and support URGENTLY.

We'll celebrate resilience and resistance at the cafe tomorrow Tuesday 27th, 1pm with music and food. Bring anything festive.

We had vowed that the eviction of Tony's cafe on Broadway Market last Wednesday was only certainly not the end of our struggle...

From 9am this morning we have been clearing the rubble left behind by Dr Wratten's cow boys. We've taken possession of the building once more and are now busy rebuilding the roof that was destroyed following the eviction. We need urgent help with that, anyone with building skills would be so immensely welcome!

We also need support to keep the building occupied at all times, please come and take some shifts!

We shall not be moved

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