Help save this London lab from the bulldozer

AgX

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If I would be a council member I would not be influenced by petitions from all over the world by people not related to that business.
 

MartinP

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I fear that sufficient members of the council planning authority will be getting 'holidays' and 'drinks' from the developers to make the petition unsuccessful in overturning the plan. There could be some improved help in finding alternative premises though, so I signed.

There are more than a few Apug members in and around London, so it is not such a bad idea to post here.
 

film_man

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I'm sorry but that's a load of rubbish. The council wants to demolish some old tatty building to regenerate (whether you like that term or not that's what they call it nowadays) the area and they just happen to be in it. What is wrong with that? Given the severe housing shortage in this city I'll take any new housing vs some old complex housing a handful of businesses and a corner shop.

I never used them but if they really are such a successful and world renown lab they should have no problem finding alternative locations to move into. Plenty of warehouses and studios available a short hop over towards Hackney and Hackney wick. If Bayeux can afford some posh building just off Oxford street they should be able to do just fine.
 
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Bruce Robbins

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OK Mr Compassion-Bypass, why don't you drop in on the lab and tell the owner and his staff to their faces that you're happy to see their business/jobs going to make way for houses instead of doing so from the shelter of a forum? And what we need when it comes to the housing shortage is affordable housing, not the luxury flats that are earmarked for this site.
 

film_man

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Ok Mr Compassion-abound, here it is: I do NOT like it when companies close and people lose their jobs. But redevelopment is part of a city's lifecycle. BDI is there for 25 years as they say. Where were they before that? What was there before that? Wasteland? Some other shop that had to shut down? What happened to them? In any case, what would YOU propose happen? Keep every building in the city as is because some small business is in there? Should it be businesses the style of BDI just because YOU like them or should we count every corner and fish and chip shop? I mean, some chippies have been around for more than 25 years, are they "historic" enough?

Besides, they are not getting shut down. They are given a year to find some place else. If they cannot afford something around (most likely) there are plenty of other places in Hackney Wick that would give an arm and leg to have them.

However, my main concern and most important point of this debate is this: If these are the redevelopments plans

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then why do they try to present a case as if the evil council is bowing to the greedy developers disregarding small businesses and local people? According to the planning papers they are building 55 new flats of which at least 34 are for council renting....

I may be in the comfort of an online forum but at least I live in London (right now as I am typing this I am a 15 minute walk from BDI and knowing the area around there I say good riddance to all those crumbling eyesores). You, on the other hand, are in the comfort of an online forum and 500 miles away passing judgement based on possibly incorrect information...
 
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pdeeh

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And Robbins throws a high lob but will film_man be able to get across court to batter it back?
 

film_man

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Bruce Robbins said:
OK, we'll agree to differ. I'll do what I can to help save a small film lab and you can bat for the developers. Fair enough?
Click to expand...

If that's the way you want to see it fine. Just ask them where the luxury flats are before you go down the picket line.
 

Slixtiesix

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Okay I signed it but I fear it is to no avail. "This petition will be sent to the people of Islington Council along with actual signatures collected from the people who live in this area as support and in protest of the council's planned developments."
 

Xmas

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Bungs are us... sponsors redevelopment

co2 neutral ha ha ha
 

benjiboy

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Xmas said:
Bungs are us... sponsors redevelopment

co2 neutral ha ha ha
Click to expand...
I read recently that there are more building contractors in Britain who are councillors on local councils than any other profession, you figure it out.
 

Colonel Blimp

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AgX said:
If I would be a council member I would not be influenced by petitions from all over the world by people not related to that business.
Click to expand...

I agree. People forget who they are and think they can do as the IMF, the CIA, the Vatican, the Kremlin... It's outrageous!
 
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