A walking tour

of gentrification

from Dalston to

London Fields

On the 28th of September 2008 there was a walking tour of Dalston and Hackney Central to examine gentrification in these areas, and this is a booklet produced to accompany it. The idea for the tour was born when Dalston resident and Poet Michael Rosen attacked the way Dalston is being “regenerated” with an article in the paper Socialist Worker on the 6th of May 2008.

Rosen said;

“But it hasn’t been “regenerated” for the people living and working there. They’ve been shoved out. The only thing that’s been regenerated are the profits of the property com- panies and it’s the Labour council tipping our money into their pockets that has enabled them to do it.

Regeneration? Degeneration, more like. ”

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney responded by accusing Burnt houses on Ashwin st, Dalston Michael Rosen of being part of a ‘far left contingent’ that wanted to “keep Hackney crap ”, to which Rosen respond- On the walking tour we will go to see and hear for ed: ourselves and ask what is happening in this area. Who is in control of the changes and who are they for? Who is being “The point is, I don’t think Hackney is crap. I’ve never hurt by them? Is this somewhere we are going to be able thought Hackney is crap. I’ve never thought that the wrong to live in a few years time, if we sit back and watch things people were living in Hackney. However, I do think the ‘develop’, or will we be ‘regenerated’ out of the area? council is crap. The accusation arcs back to Pipe himself. Perhaps he thinks Hackney and its people are crap and This booklet aims to give a space to let a few of the voices it’s his job to see it bulldozed, replanned and the people we will hear on the tour tell us what they see happening to moved on. A different matter altogether. ” their locality. Wharf. She also reassured us that the owners and the New Labour council DALSTON SQUARE: shop units around ‘Dalston Square’ that supports them. ” had been “restricted” and that there Barratt homes is working on the wouldn’t be any “smelly fast food” Dalston Square development site that outlets like in the rest of Dalston, the will be “over 550 new homes, shops, a shops would be boutiques and a small library and archive, plus a brand new Marks and Spencer “for when you run station for the East London line exten- out of milk”. Barrett Homes had “aspi- sion at Dalston Junction.” Alastair rations” for Dalston she said, pointing Baird of Barratt homes has said: “In at pictures of Shoreditch, Hoxton and my view, Dalston Square is the next Broadway Market. The new residents big piece of the London jigsaw – the of Dalston Square can purchase se- regeneration project that will finally lift cure underground parking for a mere Hackney into another league. Judging 20,000 and jump on the tube without by the amount of advance interest, the leaving the ‘Square’. It seems they will market seems to think so, too. ” be effectively insulated from interac- tion with the other residents, the ones Two of the authors of this booklet vis- for whom affordable does not begin at ited the marketing suite to check out 250,000 for a one bedroom. what was on offer and it became obvi- ous that local and low income people Now demolished and under the com- were not the ones being catered ing development is the historic Four for. The saleswoman told us 77% of Aces club which was occupied as a phase one had been sold; half to buy protest for over a year. The Four Aces to let investors and the other half to and Cubies were important socializ- first time buyers from the City; “living ing places for the black community. A in zone two, working in zone one”. letter to the Hackney Gazette on the She pointed to the tube map blown up 30th of March 2006 said “These days on the wall to show that the new line we are under attack again, not from would connect Dalston to Shadwell, racists with baseball bats, but from Dalston Square advertising just a couple of stops from Canary developers, middle class property

Juan’s story of The Sound After I sent the letter I couldn’t get leave when the owners got planning and Music Shop at 66 Dal- him on the phone again, he was permission to do work, but since either on leave or he was in a meet- then the shop has sat empty and no ston Lane. ing. I went to the auction and when work has been done. our lot came up the auctioneer said I had rented my shop for thirty years “We’ll try to sell it as one lot”. We from Hackney council when in 2002 had been told our shops would be they told us that this row of sixteen sold as individual lots. There was shops was up for sale. After the someone there talking to Dubai on a Council ran out of money to pay for mobile phone who bought all sixteen essential services the Government for £1.8 million. We were conned out told them they had to sell their com- of our shops because we didn’t have mercial properties, including these a chance to club together and buy sixteen shops. They gave us a rough them. price guide for the properties and Dalston Lane shops after the fires The whole stretch has deteriorated. they told us we had to go to auction. The buildings are listed and so the Now the council says they are ne- owners have not been able to get gotiating to buy the properties back I rang a Mr Scott, in the council to planning permission for the flats but that after that we will still have to ask why I had to go to the auction to they want to build. In the six years leave. buy my shop. He said that they had since the sale there have been four to get the best price so they could or five mysterious fires. There was If they had sold them to us individu- pay for more services. I asked if I a massive fire next door that took ally then all the shops would have paid more then the estimate could three buildings down and burnt half been open because it doesn’t pay I keep it out of the auction, and he our roof. There were 35 firemen who you, as a small business, to keep told me to add £20,000 to the ask- saved my shop and two squatters your shop empty. At the moment we ing price, and put that offer in writ- had to jump out of the window to still feel insecure because we don’t ing, which I did, believing him when escape the fire. he said he would sort it out with the know what is going to happen. It doesn’t look like we are part of the auctioneer. The bakers that were on this stretch Council’s plans for the future. It is not for over 45 years were made to good to throw out your local shops. Juan in the the Sound and Music Shop on Dalston Lane

The battle of Broadway cafe he has run for 31 years and of the cafe on Boxing Day 2005 af- Market. Lowell 'Spirit' Grant who has been ter the developer evicted protesters threatened with the same treat- and tore it apart demonstrated the Broadway Market runs pictur- ment. Tony & Spirit are popular power of collective action. This defi- esquely from London Fields down local figures who run shops used ant act strengthened the resolve to the Regent’s canal. A short stroll of those involved and made them from the trendy bars of Hoxton more confident. and Shoreditch, over the last few years it has developed its own rash "This is where I was born, I've seen of middle-class boutiques, delis the changes going around. People and gastro - pubs. While some have come in and taken over ev- celebrate the gentrification-fuelled erything and local people are mov- ‘rebirth’ of Broadway Market and ing out. My family has been pushed the consolidation of its ‘brand iden- out right and left. What those peo- tity’ with the advent of an organic ple did to Tony & Spirit is totally out farmer’s market catering to inhabit- of order. If all of us had got together ants of the area’s mushrooming in the first place this would never yuppie apartments, less affluent have happened. If you don't like residents have mainly been victims, whats happening around you have not beneficiaries, of this striking to stand up and be counted. It's transformation. been nice to see those responsible Francesca’s cafe occupied! having to look over their shoulders The locals, however, have not by local working people who can’t as everyday people take over" taken the process lying down. . afford to use the new boutiques In November 2005 members of the and up market cafes that have local community occupied Franc- sprung up in Broadway Market. Floyd, Broadway Market esca's Cafe on Broadway market and held many protests and public What has been achieved has dem- meetings. The focus was on Tony onstrated the power of independent [thanks to Mute and Hackney inde- Platia who was evicted from the action. The astonishing re-building pendant] A statement from Sprit: lived above the shop. was oered again and sold for £85,000! I was ejected from “In 1993 I realized that I But in 2001 the Council decid - the auction rooms because I could no longer operate on the ed to sell o the property. tried to raise objections to streets serving food to dances I was noti ed one month prior this. Six days later my cheque and on street corners where to the date of sale, without was returned without explana - the black community would any information about who to tion. gather. Laws were changing contact to purchase the prop - regarding street trading so I erty. I was advised by resi - I began writing numerous let - took the opportunity to nd a dents in the community how to ters to the dierent depart - base where I could operate a purchase the property and told ments of Hackney Council to business. I found 71 Broad - to contact Nelson Bakewell who try and nd out who my new way Market – although it was were the estate agents acting landlords actually were – but a totally derelict building I on behalf of Hackney Council. I couldn’t nd out. But a thought it was worth the sac - I was told that I could attend year and a half later the ri ce to put it into good use their of ces on the 13th of landlord’s agent decided and I was unable to actually December and submit my deposit to start harassing me with aord any other property. of 10% of the cost of the bailis and a large back - property- £100,000. I attended dated increase in rent – up It took me six years from 1993 their of ces, signed a docu - by 1200%. Because I wasn’t to renovate the property. ment and handed over my cheque sure who I was supposed to be Hackney council gave me a 10 of £10,000 with the belief paying the rent to and the year lease dating from 1995 that I had secured the pur - increase was so high I was to 2005. After renovating the chase of my property. I left withholding the rent – you property I began trading in the of ces and went to the can’t give money to people 2000 selling fresh vegetables auction rooms to observe the you don’t know and it was too and sh and Tropical food and auction. Surprisingly my home much money.

The case has been to court and the landlord has claimed that I owe him over £30,000 in back - dated rent. The court decided that this money has to be paid to the new landlord otherwise I would be evicted. I have now no choice but to pay back some of the arrears in rent which I’ve contested all along as unfair. In the meantime I am making the best of e orts to pay o the arrears with the help of a fundraising campaign from the local community who have been very sympathetic to my quest for Justice. I am presently trying to take Hackney Council to court for their mishandling of the sale of my home and business.

I would like to invite one and all who acknowledge my taste for good food from the late 70s un - til now to come along to my shop at: 71 Broadway Market E8, The Spirit in the Nutrtritous Food Gallery Homeless in Hackney: 32,220 to 15,240, a decline of 53 percent.

With a ordable places to rent becoming more and People dealing with homelessness and in dire more scarce and Council housing being sold o straits come to the centre every day to be turned as quickly as possible, we’re fortunate to have away and told by the council that there’s nothing Hackney’s “Housing Needs Centre” on Wilton Way they can do. Mostly people don’t know that they housing homeless and inadequately housed people. have a legal right to housing, and even if they do After queuing up for the day you might get an out and have a good solicitor behind them, the council of date list of landlords that once upon a time still does everything in its power to stop anyone took housing benet, or be o ered a council at from getting housed. For the last year the Lon - if you agree to move to the North of England. If don Coalition Against Poverty has been supporting you meet all the criteria for Hackney Council people through “direct action casework” to make to have an obligation to immediately house you, sure they don’t get turned away onto the streets. they’ll o er you help with a rent deposit on a This means demanding your rights with loads of private at, provided you can nd one yourself. people standing behind you refusing to leave, which can be much more e ective than doing it on When a homeless person with children, or a dis - your own! ability, or who is more vulnerable than average approaches the council, they have a duty to im - mediately house them. Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. In 2004, local authorities were given a government mandate to reduce homeless - ness. Instead of reducing homelessness by housing people, councils have instead been discouraging as many people as possible from making homelessness applications. If they don’t take an application, the statistics don’t get recorded, and the num - ber of homeless people is magically reduced. It’s been a very e ective strategy – between September 2004 and December 2007, the number of successful Hostel residents and London Coalition Against Poverty demon- homeless applicants in England has dropped from strate at Hackney town hall

Alexandra Court Hostel dren are scared, and their educa- modation would you pay over £300 tion is suffering .” a week to share one bathroom with When the Council does accept their several families? duty to house homeless people they For residents of temporary accom- are most likely to find themselves modation sky high rents only gets living in a council managed hostel you one bedroom, no matter how like Alexandra Court off Kingsland many people are in your family. High St while they wait for the Conditions are bad; with windows council to make a decision on their falling off in people’s rooms, pipes case. Decisions should be made in gushing water onto corridors and around six weeks, but often people broken cookers and lifts going receive no decision for a year, or unfixed for months. Alexandra Court are trapped in lengthy review and residents got some things – like appeal processes. In April 2008 res- a security door- sorted out when idents of Alexandra Court temporary they demonstrated, but the struggle accommodation and the London for better conditions continues Coalition Against Poverty demon- and some other hostels are even Pipe leaking onto corridor in Alexandra strated for improvements because: worse. Hostel residents feel that Court the level of rent is not just a way for “Residents have to pay up to £350 the Council to make money, it also per week for dirty corridors used by keeps them in poverty, making them addicts and prostitutes, and rooms reliant on benefits even if they work. infested with mice and bed bugs. Often the Council miscalculates The heating and hot water hardly residents housing benefit and then ever works, there’s no lock on the moves to evict the homeless fam- building gate, and only flimsy ones ily because they themselves have on individual rooms. The fire alarm not paid the rent. Hostel residents across the borough are paying frequently goes off in the middle of Pidgeon egg laid in fire extinguisher box luxury rent for poverty conditions – the night for hours at a time. Chil- in corridor where else but ‘temporary’ accom- Gentri cation in Hackney London's daytime working population is residents to defer to infill schemes like employed in finance, business services 'Estates Plus' in Hackney. Price es- and the creative industries with about calation and pressure for new builds Gentrification is a process in which low- 10% left working in light industries. is accelerated by urban infrastructure cost, physically deteriorated neighbor- improvements brought forward by the hoods experience physical renovation This has entailed huge changes in the Olympics project and the Stratford City and an increase in property values, residential occupancy of large swathes developments along with an influx of wealthier resi- of the Inner City. Young professionals dents who displace the neighborhood's who had access to deposits and could Unfortunately the deepening reces- original inhabitants. meet mortgage repayments have been sion, brought on by the 'credit crunch', replacing and displacing working class may eventually bring about a 25% Ruth Glass 1963 families. The supply of cheap period drop in property prices which may well houses for conversion to single family not return to former levels until 2010. In the 1960's London was a city with residences in the more attractive parts We are already seeing a number of a large manufacturing base and a of the inner city dried up rapidly, aided recent gentrifiers sliding into mortgage large working class population who by the four house price booms of the defaults. Whatever meager numbers lived in large areas of poor quality early and late 1970s, the second half of new-build 'affordable' homes were rented terraced housing in the Inner of the 1980s and the second half of the planned as part of the Olympic and City. This traditional London began to 1990s. As a consequence, potential Stratford City developments are now change dramatically in the 1960s and gentrifiers had to look further afield very unlikely to be built. early 1970s as manufacturing indus- within London and the conversion of try declined and new council estates old warehouses, factories, offices and replaced poor quality private renting. Gentrifiers now live predominantly in churches have pushed the process into Victorian terraces, often alongside rem- City fringe areas. In 1961 about a third of the population nants of the original poor still in rented worked in manufacturing and distribu- flats and middles class renters in recent The price escalation of the recent years tion. About ten per cent of the popula- 'buy-to-let' conversions. With the loss of cheap credit combined with govern- tion worked in finance and business of skilled working class residents rich ment encouragement of high density services. Today, as a result of the middle class gentrifiers are closely new builds has produced the latest growth in importance of the City of Lon- intermingled with council estates of the phase of gentrification. This is apparent don as a command and control centre underemployed poor. This intermingling in the rash of high rise blocks appear- for multinational companies operating can be seen by looking at the streets ing along Stratford High Street and in the global economy, about 40% of between Dalston and London Fields. in the pressure upon Council Estate

People, Places and Cam- nity activists and campaigners paigns: can meet each other, let each Open Dalston: other know what they are doing, a not for profit membership Please shop at and support: share skills and information and company limited by guarantee. network and get to know each OPEN's objects are to promote Juan at The Sound and Music other socially. excellence in the quality of the Shop 66 Dalston lane and other built environment, the provi- small businesses on Dalston lane www.hackneysolidarity.info sion of transportation and the provision of amenities, and to Spirit at The Nutritious Food Gal- ensure that changes to these lery, 71 Broadway Market E8 Games Monitor: have proper regard to the needs of residents and businesses and Community Organisations: Games Monitor is a network of the maintenance of a sustainable people raising awareness about residential and business commu- Hackney Independent: issues within the 2012 London nity. Olympic development processes. Working class community activ- ism in the London borough of www.gamesmonitor.org.uk www.opendalston.blogspot.com Hackney London Coalition Against Pov- www.hackneyindependent.org erty: Thanks to Spirit, Juan, Mishka, Hackney Solidarity Network: LCAP is an active, open-mem- Ben, Dave, Anja, Nic, LCAP and bership organisation for all those Martin and everyone else who The Hackney Solidarity Network who want to fight for their rights, makes Hackney a good place to (HSN) was launched in January and the rights of other working live and who fights for justice in 2008 as a space where commu- class people in London. it. www.lcap.org.uk