As we gear up for the Place East London conference over in Stratford Town Hall later today, the forces of goodness and light begin to coalesce over in London E15. We will find new paradigms for East Enders, I promise, and we will forge a new path for wealth creation for all.
But I am reminded that it isn't always all a hotbed of positivity over on the east side. There is, of course, that very special vortex of madness, that place which sensible people would all do well to avoid; that borough of which only the brave dare speak the name, a little like that of Lord Voldemort. It is the rightful heir to the shenanigans at Liverpool and Lambeth of the 1980s. I speak, but of course, of... Tower Hamlets.
But I am reminded that it isn't always all a hotbed of positivity over on the east side. There is, of course, that very special vortex of madness, that place which sensible people would all do well to avoid; that borough of which only the brave dare speak the name, a little like that of Lord Voldemort. It is the rightful heir to the shenanigans at Liverpool and Lambeth of the 1980s. I speak, but of course, of... Tower Hamlets.
Not that it is not rather easy for the sane among us to avoid the issue
of the Hamlets-of-the-Tower. I don't suppose that anyone who works in
Canary Wharf (deep in the bosom of the patch) has the faintest idea of
what goes on in the host borough (that is if they even consider Canary
Wharf to be in That Borough at all).
But for those of us in regeneration, the madness will always loom large: the pockets of deprivation do not go away, while the lunatics continue to run the asylum. And woe betide the lovely Tony Pidgley and Berkeley Homes as they gear up to submit plans on the News International site at Wapping Village. Community relations in Tower Hamlets are acknowledged to be nothing short of a nightmare.
Aficionados of the Madness of Tower Hamlets know to keep a keen eye on the blog of one Ted Jeory - Trial by Jeory - which I recommend unreservedly. Mr Jeory himself is rather circumspect in his own narrative (actually, the carry-ons are so extraordinarily bonkers that he doesn't need to do anything more than report the facts in a neutral tone; witness the headline on the last posting "Tower Hamlets Council sued - by its own councillor") , but his commentators are somewhat more... er... rabid in tone.
And there is much sport to be had by just monitoring proceedings. The recent scandal over Baroness Warsi, and her cousin who works at Tower Hamlets, has caused something of a furore these last few weeks, and is rather typical.
One commentator, clearly steeped in the issues, came on to the blog to say "Ted re your article: "The Sunday Express and senior councillors have asked whether he was required by his bosses to declare his business and political interests and, if so, whether he has done so.
The council said it would not comment on any employee but added: 'We do have mechanisms to look into matters of public interest.' Isn't this baloney? Publicly paid officials surely are accountable. MPs and councillors are obliged to declare interests and this council response is not acceptable".
The commentator goes on to demand that Eric Pickles should take over "direct control" of the council as "it has become totally dysfunctional". You may have seen something of this in the Evening Standard. And sure enough (and this is potent stuff all right), as the commentary goes on to remonstrate, in the middle of a severe economic crisis, Tower Hamlets has turned down an investment offer that would provide up to 3,000 jobs (and many training opportunities for young people in Spitalfields) by refusing planning permission for the redevelopment of the Fruit and Wool Exchange.
This does seem like a somewhat bizarre decision. The development was widely supported by local residents, businesses and their own council officers. "The development committee is obliged to operate in a quasi judicial way - but instead chose to play petty politics (again)". The piece finishes by claiming that "there are rumours that Eric is about to make a move. Not a moment too soon".
Now as it happens, I am at a breakfast with Eric Pickles tomorrow morning (although I concede there will be a few others in the room). I wonder if I will get the chance to ask him. If he's sensible, he'll run a mile. Just like the rest of us.
But for those of us in regeneration, the madness will always loom large: the pockets of deprivation do not go away, while the lunatics continue to run the asylum. And woe betide the lovely Tony Pidgley and Berkeley Homes as they gear up to submit plans on the News International site at Wapping Village. Community relations in Tower Hamlets are acknowledged to be nothing short of a nightmare.
Aficionados of the Madness of Tower Hamlets know to keep a keen eye on the blog of one Ted Jeory - Trial by Jeory - which I recommend unreservedly. Mr Jeory himself is rather circumspect in his own narrative (actually, the carry-ons are so extraordinarily bonkers that he doesn't need to do anything more than report the facts in a neutral tone; witness the headline on the last posting "Tower Hamlets Council sued - by its own councillor") , but his commentators are somewhat more... er... rabid in tone.
And there is much sport to be had by just monitoring proceedings. The recent scandal over Baroness Warsi, and her cousin who works at Tower Hamlets, has caused something of a furore these last few weeks, and is rather typical.
One commentator, clearly steeped in the issues, came on to the blog to say "Ted re your article: "The Sunday Express and senior councillors have asked whether he was required by his bosses to declare his business and political interests and, if so, whether he has done so.
The council said it would not comment on any employee but added: 'We do have mechanisms to look into matters of public interest.' Isn't this baloney? Publicly paid officials surely are accountable. MPs and councillors are obliged to declare interests and this council response is not acceptable".
The commentator goes on to demand that Eric Pickles should take over "direct control" of the council as "it has become totally dysfunctional". You may have seen something of this in the Evening Standard. And sure enough (and this is potent stuff all right), as the commentary goes on to remonstrate, in the middle of a severe economic crisis, Tower Hamlets has turned down an investment offer that would provide up to 3,000 jobs (and many training opportunities for young people in Spitalfields) by refusing planning permission for the redevelopment of the Fruit and Wool Exchange.
This does seem like a somewhat bizarre decision. The development was widely supported by local residents, businesses and their own council officers. "The development committee is obliged to operate in a quasi judicial way - but instead chose to play petty politics (again)". The piece finishes by claiming that "there are rumours that Eric is about to make a move. Not a moment too soon".
Now as it happens, I am at a breakfast with Eric Pickles tomorrow morning (although I concede there will be a few others in the room). I wonder if I will get the chance to ask him. If he's sensible, he'll run a mile. Just like the rest of us.
Brlliant! Couldn't have put it better myself!
Statement from Tower Hamlets Council
Jackie Sadek’s bilious Estates Gazette blog has many sweeping and opinionated statements about the borough of Tower Hamlets, but the actual facts would give a more accurate perspective.
Ms Sadek suggests that a recent council planning decision (which is still subject to planning processes) will result in lost training opportunities for young people and jobs for borough residents. Looking at the issue from a developers' perspective she does not pause to consider the effect on employment of the eviction and closure of existing businesses in the Fruit and Wool Exchange. Unlike Ms Sadek, the borough has to consider the wellbeing of all its people, not just developers.
In fact, tackling worklessness is of one of Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s priorities. Through the Mayor's agreement with LOCOG, residents have been offered more than 1,700 Olympic jobs. Working with major businesses based in the borough, over the past three years, 1,000 young people from Tower Hamlets have started apprenticeships.
Skillsmatch, the council's award winning job brokerage programme, maintains links with a wide range of employers in the borough and runs job preparation and sector-specific courses to ensure local residents have the necessary skills to gain sustainable employment.
Historically, the borough has confronted deprivation and overcrowding, but we are working hard to tackle these issues. We are committed to creating more housing and especially affordable housing in the borough. During the 2011/12 financial year more than 2,000 new homes were built and the Mayor has set an ambitious target of building 4,000 new homes by 2014.
The council negotiates some of the largest Section 106 packages in the U.K. Our planning policy requires Affordable Housing to be provided in-kind opposed to a financial contribution. Affordable Housing is one of several benefits secured through our planning policies (detailed in the Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)). Others include Education and Health contributions, community facilities, employment and skills training and placements and contributions to transport improvements and new open spaces.
We may not currently have a Chief Executive in place, but this is not unusual (the London Borough of Haringey is to be run by its Corporate Directors as an interim measure and Chief Executives have recently left Southwark and Barking and Dagenham councils). What matters is maintaining our focus on providing excellent services to our residents.
Together, we are working to build One Tower Hamlets; a strong and cohesive borough that we can all be proud of and one in which everyone has the same access to opportunities to improve their own lives.
Kelly I think you may have not got the point. It is great that the Tower Hamlets mayor has jobs and training at the forefront of his policies. And that some successes have been achieved. The problem though is that it is little or no use when his political opponents use their positions to obstruct (in this case) the opportunity to secure 3,000 more jobs.
It may be the Mayor's policy, but it isn't being delivered through the planning regime. We are reliant on the private sector to create real jobs, particularly while the public sector is facing constant cutbacks. Having councillors who also ignore the London Plan and its own emphasis on job creation has created this dysfunction in Tower Hamlets.
Hence the call for a short sharp shock of Boris Johnson (for now) and hopefully Eric Pickles in the not-too-distant future to get things back on track.
A glance too at page 15 of the East London Advertiser this week will show you that the jobs ambitions of the TH mayor are not working out one bit.
Be bilious Jackie, on behalf of future generations of young people here who have seen their futures disappear up the swanee through petty politics.
It might only be a small and unimportant thing to you, but the thing is local residents, in general, don't want the centre of Spitalfields to be blighted by this godawful development. I've lived in and around this area for some 30 years and can promise you that support for the planned demolition of the Fruit and Wool Exchange is absolutely minimal. Locals were suprised and pleased when Tower Hamlets threw the plans out - for once TH have done us proud. There are plenty of ways the site can be redeveloped in a say to benefit the community and the area, without utterly wrecking a handsome and historic building.