hackneytoday Circulated to 108,000 homes and businesses by Hackney Council Issue 443 28 January 2019 inside 5 Photo: Sean Pollock A new start 6 Wonder women Hats off to history 9 Tours through Hackney Town Hall, including a visit to the refurbished vaults, take place every to two weeks and are available for school groups Hackney FROM the outside, Hackney containing an abundance Art Deco chandeliers and a Clare Potter. The Speaker said: associated with Hackney Town People Town Hall looks like any of treasures. Modernist marble bar, on a tour “The tour and vaults display Hall. I would recommend other municipal building. But Residents can view these of the building organised by bring to life the great history everyone comes along to one inside the walls lie vaults and other delights, such as The Speaker of Hackney, Cllr of democracy and activism of the tours.” See page 3. 13 YOUNG FUTURES Listings pull-out HE Hackney Young Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Cllr Selman added: “We The project will be supported Futures Commission, Deputy Mayor, and Cllr know Hackney’s young people by a borough-wide youth a major project aimed at Caroline Selman, Cabinet are full of ideas, passion and engagement programme – set to 14 Tamplifying the voice of Member for Community talent. We want to make sure take place across schools, youth young people in the borough, Safety, Policy and the Voluntary that those ideas and thoughts hubs and community groups WIN has been launched at Stoke Sector, spoke to Year 11 are at the heart of how we in spring – where the views of Tickets to see Newington School. students at a school assembly design our services. hundreds of local young people Over the course of the next on 23 January to launch the “Living knowledge of those will be sought. ‘Anthropocene’ two years, the commission will project and find out about young experiences will help us work The first meeting of the hear what residents under the people’s experiences of growing together in shaping the borough Hackney Young Futures age of 25 think about living in up in Hackney. as it changes and grows.” Commission is set to take place 21 the borough. Cllr Bramble said: “It is only Hackney Young Futures next month. The commission will be with direct knowledge of young will be independent of the chaired by young people and is people’s experiences that we Council, but will be organised MORE INFO set to look into how the under- will be best placed to tackle the and accountable to it. The 25s view the borough, what inequalities that are preventing commission board will be made Follow @younghackney on challenges they face, and how them from getting the best start up of young people, community social media for updates, or they feel about local services – in life. That’s why the work of representatives, academic go online to find out more at: Hackney Archives ensuring their voices are heard by the Young Futures Commission partners, those from the www.hackney.gov.uk/young- the Council and its partners. is so important.” voluntary sector and councillors. futures www.hackney.gov.uk 2 28 January 2019 hackneynews WNERS of empty homes are Hackney Today is set to be forced produced by the to pay double Communications O their Council Tax bill No empty & Consultation team under plans approved by at London Borough councillors this month. of Hackney, Hackney The Empty Property Town Hall E8 1EA. Council Tax Premium will E-mail: htnews@ see homes that have been threat hackney.gov.uk empty for two years or more charged extra. There Council Tax bill are currently 419 properties which would qualify for for owners of the premium, which will raise an additional empty homes £200,000 a year. Editor The decision follows a to double Sappho Lauder change in Government Tel: 020 8356 3275 legislation which allows E: [email protected] councils to increase the premium from 50 per cent to 100 per cent if they wish. Hackney Today is published Cllr Rebecca Rennison, by the London Borough of Cabinet Member for Hackney. It has a print run The decision follows calls from residents to increase Council Tax for empty properties of 108,000 copies and is Finance and Housing Needs, delivered free to every home said: “It cannot be right that and business in the borough. so many homes are lying The Council uses it to empty while London is in We invite the owners of empty communicate public service the grip of a housing crisis. homes to talk to us about information to residents. “In Hackney alone we renting out their property to It is published fortnightly have over 13,000 people on a local family in need in order to carry statutory our housing waiting list, and advertising, such as planning and traffic notices, which residents have been asking is cheaper for the taxpayer us to increase Council Tax 419 The extra income will the Council meeting on than using another local for empty properties for a Number of properties help to fund vital Council 23 January. today paper. The law does not long time. which will qualify for services, helping to plug the The Council will set its allow for statutory notices to “Now we finally have the premium gap left by Government budget, including the rate of be published solely online or the power to do that, we’re funding cuts. Since 2010, Council Tax for 2019/20 in a less frequent publication. pleased to be taking tough the Government has on 27 February. The paper’s official, door- action to raise much needed £200,000 cut Hackney’s grant by to-door delivery is 91,843 income for the Council. Additional income £140million – nearly half MORE INFO copies per issue, Audit “We continue to invite per year raised by – and by 2022 it will have Bureau of Circulations (ABC) the owners of empty homes cut a further £30 million, To read a blog from the enforcing the Mayor of Hackney about Paid for advertising is carried to talk to us about renting Empty while demand for services is out their property to a increasing all the time. the upcoming budget, in the paper to keep costs to Property visit: bit.ly/2RJnxsG a minimum. We reserve the local family in need, so that Council The decision was agreed right to refuse advertising. homes can be put to use, as part of the Council Tax For more information about The products and services Tax renting your property, rather than being treated Premium Base and Local Business advertised in this paper do purely as an investment.” Rate Income report at call: 020 8356 4411. not carry the endorsement of Hackney Today or London Borough of Hackney Printed by Trinity Mirror Contactless donation sites to help homeless Distributed by London Letterbox Marketing THE first in a series of equally between the 22 an age where people don’t contactless donation charities within the London carry change, but still want If you do not receive points are being rolled out Homeless Charities Group. to help make a change, Hackney Today call: 020 across the borough this The money is spent on these donation points are 8356 3275; or e-mail: month, to help charities providing essential services crucial, so everyone can [email protected] combat homelessness. for rough sleepers across do their bit to help tackle Hackney Today is Unveiled by the Mayor of the capital. The terminals homelessness.” printed on 100 per Hackney, Philip Glanville, are run by TAP London, a To find a local TAP, visit: cent recycled paper. and Cllr Rebecca Rennison, not-for-profit organisation at Hackney Town Hall, www.taplondon.org the points take a donation founded in Hackney in Hackney Service Centre and Businesses in Hackney Please make sure you recycle it after of £3 from contactless 2017, and is supported by at Climpson & Sons Cafe that would like to host reading, so the paper cards, with 100 per cent the Mayor of London. on Broadway Market. a TAP site should email: can be used again of the donations split The first terminals are Mayor Glanville said: “In [email protected] hackney www.hackney.gov.uk 28 January 2019 3 More local news and events at: KEEP UP www.facebook.com/WeLoveHackney; TO DATE or: twitter.com/LoveHackney News in brief Do you remember Lenthall Road Workshop women’s print shop? HACKNEY Museum is looking to speak to any residents who remember, or were in involved with, the Lenthall Road Workshop women’s print shop based in Haggerston between the 1970s and 1990s. Former workers from the print shop are working with the museum to co-curate an exciting exhibition. As well Photos: Sean Pollock as stories and oral histories the museum is looking for artefacts from the print shop such as posters, postcards or t-shirts to appear in the exhibit. Contact the group directly by emailing: lrworkshop18@ btinternet.com; or get in touch with Hackney Museum by Town Hall emailing: hmuseum@ hackney.gov. uk; or calling: tours 020 8356 8676. © Lenthall Road Workshop Hackney Town Hall is once again throwing open its doors for free public tours; schoolchildren learn about local history Mosque open day on 17 Feb A MOSQUE in Stamford Hill is throwing open its doors to MODERNIST it’s really important that people of all faiths and none, in order to demystify Islam marble bar, Art citizens have ownership The tour and vaults display and welcome the wider community. Deco chandeliers over their town hall, The Masjid-e-Quba Mosque, N16 6AA, will host an open and secret vaults bring to life the great history and discover how A of democracy..