J.M.H. CAMPAIGN NEWSLETTER NO. 4

PEABODY CONSULTATION EVENT ON 7th NOVEMBER 2011

mailto  “[email protected]”

25 October 2011 09:27

Dear Mr Ridge

22-28 Underwood Road, E1 – Consultation Event – Monday 7^th November 3pm-7pm

Peabody are currently finalising plans for a residential housing development at 22-28 Underwood. On 25^th July 2011 a meeting was held to discuss our initial proposals. Since that time our design has progressed. We would therefore like to invite you to a consultation event to view our latest proposals and raise any questions or concerns that you may have.

The event will be held at The Osmani Centre, Community Hall 2, 58 Underwood Road, E1 on Monday 7th of November from 3pm to 7pm.  It will be a drop-in event so please come along for as little or as long as you want.  Plans and sketches of the proposals will be available for you to view, and staff from Peabody and the project architects will be on hand to explain the proposals.

Peabody is one of London’s leading housing providers, owning and managing approximately 19,000 homes in the capital.  We manage a range of tenures including social housing, shared ownership, leasehold, and key-worker housing.  Peabody is committed to building and developing good quality, environmentally sustainable, affordable homes that foster economic and social regeneration, and engaging with our residents and the community to provide support services that reflect their needs.

If you are unable to visit the exhibition we will also be providing the development proposal documents online at www.peabody.org.uk – you can then make your comments to us by telephone, email or post.

If you have any questions regarding the exhibition or the proposed development please contact me on 020 7021 4834 or by email at  [email protected].

Yours sincerely

Zoe Moorhouse

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PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO ATTEND THIS CONSULTATION EVENT AT THE OSMANI CENTRE (new building on the corner of Vallance Road and Underwood Road – see map here).

DEMAND THE RETENTION AND CONVERSION OF THE ‘COTTAGES’ AT 22 & 24 UNDERWOOD ROAD

• as large family homes for rent, shared ownership or sale
• as built evidence of the former Jewish Maternity Hospital (the only Jewish maternity hospital in England)
• as a memorial to the pioneering achievements of Alice Model MBE
• as a memorial to all the doctors and nurses who worked there and all the people born there between 1911 and ca. 1940.

REFUTE THE ENGLISH HERITAGE STATEMENT THAT THE FORMER HOSPITAL WAS
‘(not)’ a unique instance of Jewish welfare provision in the ‘East End

•  of course, there were others, but this was the only maternity hospital and following the demolition of the London Jewish Hospital (Stepney Green) is now the only surviving former Jewish hospital in the East End

REFUTE THE ENGLISH HERITAGE STATEMENT THAT THE FORMER HOSPITAL ‘has negligible architectural interest‘

• just because they were not sufficiently grand to be listed by English Heritage does not mean that they have little or no architectural interest. The four buildings on Underwood Road constitute a unique and attractive group of buildings, especially the two ‘cottages’. (see second open letter to Owen Whalley 12 October).

AGREE TO PEABODY’S PROPOSALS TO COMMEMORATE THE SITE’S HISTORY

• but point out that this would not be a substitute for at least retaining and converting the two ‘cottages’ as part of the scarce built evidence of the Jewish East End and of the fact that the East End is renowned as a historic point of arrival for migrants from all over the world.

REFUTE ANY POSSIBLE CLAIM THAT PEABODY HAS GOT TO DEMOLISH ALL THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE THEIR APPLICATION FOR PRIOR NOTICE OF DEMOLITION HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE PLANNERS

• Peabody could still demolish the other buildings but leave the two ‘cottages’ for conversion, and alter their plans and planning application accordingly.

Between now and 7 November, please sign and encourage others to sign the online petition and write to Peabody’s Chief Executive (see Campaign Newsletter No. 3).

TOM RIDGE

25 October 2011

East End Waterway Group

Local residents, schools, community groups, amenity societies and businesses working with British Waterways, Tower Hamlets Council and others for the protection and beneficial use of the six-mile waterway ‘ring’, its historic buildings, structures and habitats.