The Liberty of Norton Folgate

 This is the strange story of Norton Folgate, which features a leading European real estate company, the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, a late 70's ska band from Camden and an accidental discovery of some ancient documents in the Guildhall Library which could change the political map of London forever.

It all starts in August of 2007 when property developer Hammerson submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of a site on the edge of the City of London. The £700 million Bishops Place scheme was to include 87,754 sq ft of office space together with 279 residential units and a hotel, and the plans would have probably gone through unhindered if it wasn't for The Light.

 Built in 1893 as a power station to feed the Great Eastern Railway The Light is now a popular pub just off Shoreditch High Street. The problem was that the plans to redevelop the site included the demolition of The Light, a prospect the locals found unacceptable. A campaign was started and a number of people came out in support including Tracey Emin and (despite being tea total himself) local MP George Galloway  who held a protest meeting at the bar. All good stuff for the campaign but things were about to take a turn no one could have predicted.

One of the campaigners was Robin Stummer, an architectural expert who was doing research into St Leonard's church in Shoreditch. While going through the archives at the Guildhall Library his attention was drawn, quite by chance, to a series of maps and documents relating to a small 10 acre site on the boundary of the City of London called Norton Folgate. Intrigued he started reading, what he was about to discover would not only change the very nature of the campaign but also herald the possible emergence of a new independent state and if that wasn't enough Madness were going to write a song about it and name their new album after it. What Robin Stummer had discovered was The Liberty of Norton Folgate.

In the Chapter Library of St. Paul's Cathedral, in the court rolls for the years 1439 to1519 the name Norton Folyot or Foly appears for the first time. This small site linking Bishopsgate to Shoreditch was then in the precinct of St Mary Spital and even though most of the land reverted to the Crown during Henry VIII's Reformation a small 'liberty' remained under the control of St Paul's Cathedral. Norton Folgate was amongst a number of liberties and immune places in London at the time. Not exactly outside the law but not exactly law-abiding either, these were autonomous enclaves, paving their own roads, finding their own sources of power, abiding by their own rules, doing their own thing.

 In 1900 the 28 London metropolitan boroughs, forerunners of today's modern boroughs were created and The Liberty of Norton Folgate abolished...or so everyone thought.

What Robin Stummer had discovered that day at the Guildhall Library were documents which suggested that The Liberty was never abolished, it still existed, which not only meant that it was outside the controll of the London Borough of Hackney, but it would also have its own planning powers, nothing could be built or demolished in the area withought The Liberty's consent. But most important of all, right in the very heart of The Liberty of Norton Folgate stood The Light.

So what happens now? Well the documents have been handed over to the campaign's barrister who confirmed there could well be grounds for questioning the status of Norton Folgate.

And finally what about Madness, have they really written a song about and named their album The Liberty of Norton Folgate? Get over to the Hackney Empire next Thursday and find out for yourself, or failing that just listen to this.