Promoting the highest standards in design and protecting Hackney’s unique heritage 2018 THE HACKNEY SOCIETY SPACENews and views about Hackney’s builtS environment Issue 60 spring 2018 // ISSN 2047-7465

Woodberry Wetlands

Woodberry Wetlands is a nature ecology but especially as a crucial habitat hedgerows, grassland, a wildflower meadow reserve on the site of the East for overwintering rare birds. and an orchard. Reservoir in . It was opened to the public on 1 May 2016 The Grade II listed former kitchen and coal The redevelopment of the site was one of for the first time since the reservoir’s store has been converted to a café and the winners of the Hackney Design Awards construction in 1833. training/education space. As a result of the 2016. The judges commented: ‘This public works, the building has been removed from realm project is successful on many levels. It The reserve was developed by the Heritage at Risk Register. The Grade II provides new public space, makes sense of Wildlife Trust in collaboration with Thames Ivy House Sluice has been made visually its location, creates a sense of community Water, Berkeley Homes and the London accessible. ownership and provides an opportunity to Borough of Hackney. Work was carried out appreciate nature’. They considered it ‘an Woodberry Wetlands supports many by Kaner Olette Architects and Allen Scott amazing exemplar of its kind: the scheme species throughout the year, from wintering Landscape Architecture. The main aims of is redefining how this part of London populations of pochard, shoveler, tufted the redevelopment project were to: create is imagined’. a publicly accessible wetland habitat with and gadwall ducks, to reed warbler and visitor and educational facilities; save and bunting which have migrated from Africa for contents spring and summer. Some 17 hectares of restore the significant listed buildings; and 01 Woodberry Wetlands enhanced habitats include reed beds, enhance and develop the site for all 02 Artists in the City: Celebrating 50 Years of SPACE Help support our work by joining the Hackney Society. Call on 02 ‘Small Sites’ – New Policies 020 7175 1967 or email [email protected] 03 Picture from a Portrait: Stoke or visit www.hackneysociety.org Newington West Reservoir 04 Events, Noticeboard and Publications Artists in the City: Celebrating 50 Years of SPACE By Wendy Forrest

SPACE was set up by Bridget Riley and threatened by large-scale redevelopment like Peter Sedgley to seek out affordable the White Building. This last is also a very workspace for artists in London. clear demonstration of the wider community Although their first sites straddled benefits: harder to pin down but critical in the river – St Katherine’s Dock and shaping neighbourhoods. the Marshalsea prison – SPACE soon came to see Hackney as home. Their Hackney sees itself as a creative hub within 50-year anniversary was recently a global capital of culture. But rent hikes are celebrated at the HQ at the Triangle, putting the squeeze on those who do the Mare Street with the launch of a book, work. Anne Redmond, a Hackney artist and Artists in the City: SPACE in ’68 and resident who has worked locally for over 20 Beyond, that tells their story and years talked about the impact on her own reminds us that SPACE has always practice. Moving out of SPACE’s Sara Lane supported innovation, experimentation studios in after her rent increased by Bridget Riley + Peter Sedgley and emerging practice. almost a third within a year, Anne is going a library and is now in a repurposed shoe to their new premises in Redbridge costing Set up in1968, SPACE has since enabled factory. Funded by Heritage Lottery and almost half as much. A cash-strapped council more than 3500 artists to reclaim unused commissioned by London councils, her work can’t offset those market pressures but it buildings as flexible studios. While tackling considers how the history of place resonates can help. The mayor’s recent commitment a very practical problem, SPACE created into the present. Lucy uses oral history and to protect at least some affordable studios in new ways for artists to engage with each a public engagement to document and is welcome. other, with local and city authorities and with represent community experience. She has audiences and communities. Bridget Riley Reflecting on the history of SPACE, Andrew recently won Heritage Lottery Funding to told the launch crowd how proud she was Wilson from the Tate talked about the 1960s support a new project exploring printing of their work and how it met more than a as a special moment when art, culture and industry heritage in East London. material need. A studio space, she said, politics were more closely meshed, He cited Artists in the City: SPACE in ’68 and Beyond ‘exerts a pull’ and fosters discipline and the Antiuniversity – launched in explores the early history of an artist-led focus. and recently revived in Hackney – as another organisation and the impact of artists in key example of self-organisation. Breaking Peter Sedgley talked about the ability of their city. It looks at the challenges of self- down the boundaries between artist and artists to fit in anywhere and use spaces for organisation and of gentrification. Bridget audience, he said, was critical to the way which the community had no current need. Riley, Peter Sedgley and many others reflect these ground-breaking organisations worked. He didn’t need to tell a Hackney audience on the artist-run initiative that has been about the way that artists then enhance and That continues through the work of copied in New York, Berlin and around the enliven those forgotten places. Sympathetic practitioners like Lucy Harrison. An artist world. SPACE has proved a radical and use by SPACE has helped preserve listed and social historian, Lucy is occupying her sustainable way to support creativity: an buildings like Stoke Newington Library, those third SPACE studio in Hackney. She spent organisation Hackney can be proud to host locally listed like Eastway Baths, and those seven years in a former bathhouse, four in into the future.

‘Small Sites’ – New Policies By Laurie Elks

The Mayor of London’s revised have to get serious about using available and community housing’. We are not sure London Plan was published in spaces to meet the housing needs of how well this will work in practice, but the December. Our own erstwhile mayor, London’s growing population. aspiration is surely sound. Jules Pipe, has led on this plan as London’s Deputy Mayor for ‘Planning Put in stark terms this policy means that Third, a small site policy will probably Regeneration and Skills’. small parcels of land in our borough, bring greater equity in the spread of gardens, backlands, unbuilt land within development within Hackney. A Hackney Particular attention will focus, in Hackney housing estates, are all up for grabs for ‘infill cabinet member, on being asked by one and elsewhere, on policy H2 concerning development on vacant or underused sites’. of our committee members how sites development of small sites. The Plan Before expressing our (considerable) would be found for 16,000 new homes says that ‘small sites should play a much reservations, there are some positives that over 10 years, replied: ‘We’ll build them greater role in housing delivery’ and London should be said about this policy. all down on East Road’. The remark was boroughs are required to ‘proactively semi-flippant but it reflected a prevailing support well-designed new homes on small First, the GLA hopes through this policy attitude that we can pile up the new sites’. Individual boroughs are set 10-year to support small and medium-sized houses on Shoreditch’s City Fringe. One targets for net housing completions on housebuilders. In an age dominated by a of the objectors to the redevelopment small sites, below 0.25 hectares. Hackney’s small clique of major housebuilders, we of the Britannia Leisure centre in target is 6600 over 10 years. should surely say ‘amen’ to that. Hoxton said in effect ‘Why always pick GLA spokespeople have emphasised that, Second, the policy is said to ‘support those on us’ for the densest and grossest if we are to protect London’s Green Belt, we wishing to bring forward custom, self-build development schemes. It will not come

02 Picture from a Portrait: Stoke Newington West Reservoir By Laurie Elks

Our 50th anniversary publication, Hackney: Portrait of a Community 1967-2017, was published in October 2017. This is one of the photos from the book. This photo by Monica Blake shows the Stoke Newington West Reservoir seen in all its glory from one of the adjacent tower blocks built by Berkeley Homes as part of the emerging ‘Woodberry Park’. The reservoirs were originally proposed to be redeveloped as housing by the owners, Thames Water. In the end, Thames Water managed to develop the Filter Bed site (to the west of Green Lanes) as housing but the reservoirs escaped development as a result of tenacious resistance, lasting almost 20 years, by the Save the Reservoirs Campaign. The West Reservoir is now a sailing centre and the East Reservoir has become the marvellous Woodberry Wetlands nature reserve. It is richly ironic that Berkeley Homes now boast of the ‘unique waterside setting’ of their development. © Monica Blake

‘Small Sites’ – New Policies By Laurie Elks

as any secret or surprise that Hackney be protected from an ‘unacceptable level provide the first modern contemporary Society members are more to be found of harm’ but not conservation areas. building within a Victorian street and in leafier Conservation Areas but we Indeed, the policy requires boroughs to thereby enhancing the conservation area’ have never been a Nimby society and we ‘recognise...that local character evolves (emphasis added). We can hope for a have to recognise that the pressures of over time and will need to change in more balanced and nuanced approach to population must inevitably affect all parts appropriate locations to accommodate... future small site applications but may be of the borough. increases in residential density through left disappointed! small housing developments’. No doubt What of the negatives? First, those targets conservation-minded boroughs will Third, there is a larger question whether bear down hardest on boroughs like balance the legitimate requirements of the protection of the Green Belt has got Hackney which were built by the Victorians policy H2 against the requirement that (a little bit) out of kilter in the modern era on tight street patterns. Compare for developments in conservation areas of population pressure. If it is deemed instance Kingston, built out mostly in should ‘preserve or enhance’ their necessary to change the character of the 20th century to far more generous character. In Hackney, it sometimes our streets to protect the Green Belt it street patterns, with a target of 6250 net seems, any development that does not is well to remember that the Green Belt completions. These proportions do not feel ‘preserve’ a conservation area is deemed was designed to protect the interests of quite right. to ‘enhance’ it. To such a point that in Londoners, not just the inhabitants of the Second, and this is the flip side of the one ‘garden grab’ application seen by the Green Belt. However, that raises larger and last of our positives, the policy provides Society the planning officer’s report went wider issues than policy H2, and they are that ‘designated heritage assets’ should so far as to say that ‘the proposal ... would unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.

03 Hackney Society Events Pages of Hackney Artists in the City: SPACE in ’68 The bookshop Pages of Hackney in Lower and Beyond explores the Hackney Wick Clapton Road is the winner of London early history of an artist-led organisation which broke new Thursday 24 May 2018, 7.00pm Independent Bookshop of the Year 2018. It will now be in line for the Independent ground by taking on large Walk with Ralph Ward Bookshop of the Year at the British Book properties for artist studios in London (see p02). It includes Hackney Wick is Hackney’s most febrile Awards in May. essays by artists Bridget hotbed of change. After becoming Riley and Peter Sedgley Hackney’s last artistic frontier a few years Talks at the Tower 2018 with an introduction by Anna Harding, ago, the Wick now faces an influx of This year’s Talks at the Tower will be held plus contributions from Mel Dodd, William housing developments. on 18-22 June. The speakers are all contributors to the Hackney Society’s recent Fowler, Larne Abse Gogarty, Rebecca Meanwhile, artists and hipsters, cafes and book: Hackney Portrait of a Community Gordon-Nesbitt, J&K – Janne Schäfer brewers co-exist in a colourful graffiti-laden 1967-2017. They are: Laurie Elks (18 June), and Kristine Agergaard – Robert Kudielka, milieu. Ralph Ward’s tour will finish at the Ken Worpole and Anna Harding (19 June), Courtney J. Martin, Alicia Miller, David Howling Hops Brewery where we will have a Duncan Campbell and David Hoffman Morris, Neil Mulholland, Naomi Pearce, short introductory talk from the head brewer, (20 June), Carolyn Clark (21 June) and Shirley Read, Ana Torok and Andrew Tim O’Rourke. Stuart Weir (22 June). All talks will be at St Wilson. SPACE/Cornerhouse, £19.95. Meet at the foot of the entrance ramps to Augustine’s Tower Mare Street E8 1HR. Rings Around London: Orbital Hackney Wick station at 7.00pm. About Talks are free but donations are welcome. Motorways and the Battle 1½ hours + 15 minutes brewery visit Doors open at 7.00 and talks will be at for Homes Before Roads by followed by a beer. 7.30. For more information, see http://www. hackneysociety.org/page.aspx?idtxt=talks_ Wayne Asher provides a history Booking essential. FREE for Hackney at_the_tower_2018 To book, go to https:// of the London Ringways, a set Society members, £5 for non-members. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talks-at-the-tower- of urban motorways planned Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ tickets-44913194574 for London in the 1960s and walk-hackney-wick-tickets-45121433422 1970s. They would have or via Hackney Society home page. The Chesham Arms been the largest civil engineering project since the war – and cost between 60,000 The Chesham Arms has become the first and 100,000 people their homes. The book community asset in Hackney to retain its Noticeboard describes what they were, where they protected status. The pub on Mehetabel would have gone – and how Londoners Daubeney Fields Road was first awarded ‘Asset of fought them off. Capital Transport, £25. Campaigners in Lower Clapton have Community Value’ (ACV) status by Hackney objected to Hackney Council’s plans to Council in 2013 (see Spaces 41). demolish garages in Mandeville Street and Summer Swifts Walk Thanks to Kopykat for sponsoring this issue build new houses. The groups Daubeney Kopykat Printing Limited Fields Forever and the Clapton Improvement The guided walk by award-winning local 76 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY Society have presented alternative plans architect Lisa Shell has been confirmed for the site. They want to see fewer homes, as a ‘Summer Swifts Walk – Architecture Tel: 020 7739 2451 Fax: 020 7729 5925 more workspace and the expansion of a & Biodiversity in De Beauvoir’, 7.30- www.kopykat.co.uk community garden. 9pm Wednesday 20 June, De Beauvoir Kopykat based in Shoreditch specialises in com- Square to The Scolt Head. The event pany stationery and high quality marketing mate- will be free but there will be a suggested rial, we cover onsite litho printing, digital printing, Stik Statue copying and direct mail, environmentally we have The artist Stik has received planning donation for a local charity. Please email recently been awarded Green Mark accreditation permission to create a statue in Hoxton [email protected] if you are and we print using vegetable based inks, Square. The statue, called ‘Holding Hands’, interested in attending. without the use of alcohol is based on a banner commissioned by and deliver in an LPG vehicle. to represent Hackney Publications at the Pride in London parade in 2016. It kopykat is being made in collaboration with The Sculpture Factory in Kingsland Road. Design and Print

An Viet House Spaces is published by the Hackney Society. Views expressed in the articles are not The An Viet Foundation is collaborating necessarily those of the Society. with the Kanlungan Filipino Consortium Edited by: Monica Blake and Hackney Chinese Community Services Layout by: [email protected] to turn An Viet House in Englefield Road Contributors: Monica Blake, Laurie Elks and into a community centre. The building, The East End in Colour 1960-1980 Wendy Forrest a former public bathhouse, has served by David Granick contains photographs Photos: Monica Blake and SPACE Studios the Vietnamese community for some 35 that capture the streets and waterways of The Hackney Society, The Round Chapel, years. For more information on the An Viet London’s East End in the warm hues of 1d Glenarm Road, London E5 0LY Foundation, see the chapter on1983 in Kodachrome film. Journey back in time to T: 020 7175 1967 E: [email protected] Hackney: Portrait of a Community a place now long vanished. Hoxton Mini W: www.hackneysociety.org 1967-2017. Press, £16.95. The Hackney Society is a registered Charity (No 107459) and Company limited by guarantee (No 04574188)