Spitalfields has variously been home to predominantly Huguenot French, Ashkenazim Jews and now Bangtladeshi communities. Naturally, buildings that can adapt to change do, the Jamme Masjid was formerly a Synagogue and before that a Huguenot chapel. Slowly now the remnants of the Jewish East End of London are fading. When I started living nearby, Bloom's was a kosher restaurant, now it is a chain burger joint.
The local planning authority, Tower Hamlets, planning brief specifies
"1.3 In summary, the statement seeks to guide the redevelopment of the site for residential uses. Any redevelopment at this site must consider:
• The amenity of surrounding residential development;
• The relationship of any development on the site with Osmani School; and
• The potential to convert the existing building to residential uses"
http://moderngov.towerhamlets.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=7804
Peabody are ‘proposing to begin demolition prior to the submission of the planning application‘ for their five- or six-storey replacement building (13 October letter from Peabody to Dr. Kadish), Peabody can do this by applying for ‘prior notice of demolition’. The proposed demolition would be what is called ‘permitted development’ and officers would simply have to give ‘prior approval of the method of demolition’. ‘The Council acknowledges that the buildings do represent a non-designated heritage asset in accordance with PPS5‘ http://residents-first.co.uk/ This would normally entail a detailed survey of the historic building as apart of the decision-making process. Residents efforts to save a couple of cottages in Underwood Road -- as a memorial to the pioneering work of the Maternity Hospital (before state provision) have so far been rebuffed
see also http://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/10/17/tom-ridge-the-jewish-maternity-hospital/
If you - like Arnold Wesker - are concerned about these proposals - or about the way the process is being pursued, you can write to Stephen.Howlett@peabody.org.uk and owen.whalley@towerhamlets.gov.uk
I suspect no-one is against affordable housing or mixed schemes, but the compromise of keeping the cottages as a memorial is helpful in retaining a local landmark which contributes to the character of the area - as one where waves of refugees have settled and built better lives.
Thank you so much for your support and your detailed post on the former Jewish Maternity Home. The history of the Home has been overlooked by both the local council and by English Heritage and hence this sad state of affairs. We are therefore so grateful to blogs like yours which have given the campaign publicity. We have now put up some history and some background - and your post - on a Save Mother Levy's Facebook page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Mother-Levys/142259705878324?sk=wall
We are taking the petition to full council on Tuesday evening (29 November) so would like to get as many signatures as possible. There are already at least 600 people who have signed from all over the world - and Whitechapel! The online petition is easy to sign:
http://residents-first.co.uk/
Thanks again to the London Landscape Observer.
Very sadly we have to update the London Landscape Observer with the news that the Jewish Maternity Home demolition went ahead on Friday, 13 January 2012. The original 1911 building by architect John Myers (1888-1915) was the first building to be demolished. There are photos, comments and further background on the Save Mother Levy's Facebook page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Mother-Levys/142259705878324
As you point out, the local planning authority, Tower Hamlets, have played a significant part in the demise of this unique Home. They owned the building until March 2011; their Planning Statement did indeed direct any purchasers to consider "the potential to convert the existing building to residential uses" and as the Council acknowledged recently the building represented a non-designated heritage asset in accordance with PPS5, so there should - as you say - have been a "detailed survey of the historic building as apart of the decision-making process." However, Tower Hamlets Council did NONE of these things and further, they allowed no-one but themselves and Peabody to be part of a private "decision making process" and yet they were also disposing of a public building.
Latterly, it has been revealed that there was a 'survey' conducted by paid consultants of Peabody's for their demolition application to the LBTH Council - but that doesn't even know the architect of the 1911 building, which Peabody demolished first:
http://194.201.98.213/WAM/doc/Other-667482.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=667482&appid&location=VOLUME5&contentType=application%2Fpdf&pageCount=1
The Save Mother Levy's Facebook page will continue to add more as it is revealed about the Jewish Maternity Home, past and present - in memory of those who created 'Mother Levy's'. Thank you David, for your support and for trying to help save Mother Levy's.