Promoting the highest standards in design and protecting Hackney’s unique heritage 2021 THE HACKNEY SOCIETY SPACESNews and views about Hackney’s built environment Issue 71 winter 2021 // ISSN 2047-7465 6 Broadway Market Mews Broadway Market Mews is largely immediate vicinity, whilst staying true to the Architects are currently working on in the occupied by local businesses, shops industrial quality of the mews. area and expands upon ideas explored in the and a strong artists’ community that practice’s earlier extension to the adjacent The retained brick structure acts as a plinth has been in the area for a couple ‘Fabrications’ design studio and shop. of decades. to a new lightweight timber-frame extension, with exposed glulam spruce beams to the The project at Number 6 comprises the interior; it is clad in light grey standing seam contents refurbishment of the existing workshop on metal to reflect the changing light. The the ground floor and a first-floor extension to approach was to generate a shape which 01 6 Broadway Market Mews create a new studio flat. would maximise daylight penetration 02 Buildings at Risk: 98 Clapton Common The client, who has worked as an artist in and minimise the sense of enclosure to the 03 Phase 3 Woodberry Down Broadway Market since the early 1990s, surrounding properties. wanted to enhance the mixed character 04 Central and South Hackney CAAC The roof line of the new building alludes to of the surrounding area. Designed by the working history of the Mews. 04 Noticeboard Delvendahl Martin Architects, the scheme aims to create a contextual response, moving The project forms part of a ‘family’ of 04 Publications away from the brick boxes emerging in the interventions that Delvendahl Martin 04 Events Help support our work by joining the Hackney Society. Call on 020 7175 1967 or email [email protected] or visit www.hackneysociety.org BUILDINGS AT RISK #6 98 Clapton Common By Julia Lafferty 1976 2021 © London Metropolitan Archives (City of London). London Picture Archive, 64879 Number 98 Clapton Common is a Grade II-listed detached villa dating from the use as a school, undergoing a number of early 19th century which overlooks the remaining portion of medieval Broad unauthorised alterations in the process. Common located at the northern end of Upper Clapton Road. Hackney Council failed to act on Dr Robey’s Built of stock brick with a stuccoed ground- notable for their association with prominent recommendation to include numbers 96 floor façade and long casement windows in figures in the Anglican Church. From 1879 and 98 Clapton Common in the Clapton moulded architraves with detached cornices, to 1923 Stainforth House had the distinction Common Conservation Area until 2013 – a the two-storey building has a slated of being the residence of three Anglican delay of five years. In the interim the Belz mansard roof with three dormer windows Bishops – Bishop William Walsham How, Foundation submitted a planning application and a main entrance featuring a central Bishop Robert Billing and Bishop Charles in 2009 for the demolition of locally listed Doric porch. Until 2011 it stood in close Turner. Richard Foster, who had acquired 96 Clapton Common and its replacement proximity to 96 Clapton Common, a locally- Stainforth House in the 1850s and whose with a five-storey modern building which listed detached building of the same age, philanthropy had financed a number of it was proposed to conjoin with Grade both buildings standing in their own grounds Anglican churches including St Matthias II-listed 98 Clapton Common by a two- and surrounded by a low boundary wall. in Stoke Newington, gifted the property to storey extension. provide a residence for Bishop Walsham The Clapton Common Conservation The Clapton Conservation Areas Advisory How on his appointment in 1879 as Area had been designated in 1969, but it Committee objected to the application and suffragen bishop for London’s East End. was not until 2007 that Hackney Council the Chair Malcolm Smith requested that commissioned a detailed Conservation Area Bishop Walsham How played a leading consideration of the planning application Appraisal from architectural historian Dr Ann role in the establishment of the Church be deferred on the basis that the officer’s Robey. Dr Robey’s report recommended of England Waifs and Strays Society report to the Planning Sub-Committee that the boundary of the Conservation which evolved to become The Children’s had failed to reference the Council’s own Area be extended to include a number of Society, Britain’s foremost children’s charity. planning policies relating to the protection of historically significant buildings surrounding Appointed the Society’s first chairman in listed buildings and their setting or relevant the Common, among which were the 1882, he was instrumental in acquiring London Plan policies. The report had also two Georgian houses, the last surviving 98 Clapton Common for the purposes of omitted heritage information provided by Dr examples of the detached villas developed establishing the Society’s first boys’ home, Robey, and most importantly had wrongly under building leases from the Lord of the providing free residential care for destitute asserted that the 1920s extension to 98 Manor Samuel Tyssen in the late 1820s. children. Subsequently the house was Clapton Common was not included in the the home of Bishop Turner’s son Arthur Grade II listing protection and ignored the Dr Robey’s report noted that: ‘Today both Charlewood Turner, founder of the Anglican fact that 96 Clapton Common formed part villas are part of an Orthodox school. Fellowship, who tragically died on active of the setting of the listed building and Despite some insensitive alterations, service in France during the First World lay within its curtilage. However, despite especially to number 96 and some neglect War. In the absence of Arthur Charlewood these objections, planning permission was to the historic fabric of both villas, they Turner during this war, his brother Rev granted by the Planning Sub-Committee of contribute significantly to the historic and Ralph Charlewood Turner lived in number 2 December 2009 who were assured that heritage interest of the Clapton Common 98, appearing as resident in the 1914 Post the listed building consent accompanying Conservation Area. The interest is enhanced Office London Surburban Street Directory. the planning permission meant that ‘no by their historical association’. He was curate at St Peter’s Tottenham at structural alterations are proposed to the Numbers 96 and 98 Clapton Common the time. After a period in residential use, listed building’ and the original fabric of the were originally known as Stainforth House both number 98 and number 96 were building which had undergone alteration and The Woodlands, respectively, and were acquired by the Belz Foundation in 1973 for would be reinstated. 02 While the Belz Foundation completed widespread generalised smoke damage) intrusion and possible damage to surviving demolition and redevelopment of the was less than I had feared’. historic elements of the building are a real adjacent site, they did nothing to carry danger. Meanwhile since 2017 there has Given Timothy Walder’s observations, out the approved reinstatement works to been no effort by the owners to prevent LBH Planning Committee’s approval for a 98 Clapton Common. Instead the Grade flocks of pigeons gaining entry to the upper subsequent planning application in 2018 to II-listed building was subject to long-term floor of 98 Clapton Common through neglect over a period of eight years. In 2017 demolish the listed extension on the northern windows left open to the elements. Belz Foundation submitted a new planning side of no 98 and replace it with a three- Reports in the press in November 2020 application, the result of which would have storey windowless monolith was greeted about the collapse of a Georgian building been to alter the character and proportions with incomprehension by local residents as in Chelsea during building works on its of the building and its visual relationship with this was in direct contradiction to the 2017 basement has heightened fears about the the Clapton Common Conservation Area. decision by LBH Planning. threat to 98 Clapton Common which is of a This was refused by Hackney Planning in The applicant has followed this up in 2020 similar age and which has been described June 2017. In July 2017 a fire started in the with two further applications seeking to as ‘a fragile listed building’ by Hackney basement of the building. make further excavations to the basement. Planning. The public perception that for over Following an inspection of 98 Clapton The threat of destabilisation of the 200-year- a decade the Council’s failure to take the Common, Senior Conservation Officer old listed building and weakening of the necessary action to protect this rare example Timothy Walder reported that: ‘The extent structure by the proposed extended of Hackney’s Georgian heritage is adding to of damage to historic fabric (other than excavation is causing great concern. In the alarm felt in the community that a much- localised damage to floors and ceilings and addition, the risks posed by structural valued heritage asset is in danger. Phase 3 Woodberry Down By Barbara McFarlane The redevelopment of the Woodberry The 2008 masterplan, which was revised in Walking around the estate you can see how Down Estate, is a paradigm for one 2013, established new principles of building previous phases, took care with the design: of the creative ways Local Authorities heights and locations of courtyard spaces. building façades are staggered, heights are sought to renew their housing stock In 2015 Phase 3 obtained planning consent, cascaded and flank walls splayed to open and tackle the widely acknowledged but subsequently, the developer sought up views.