Historic Pavings Removed as Brick Lane Battle Continues

Fear of further development on London's Brick Lane is growing as the Old Truman Brewery continues construction despite orders to stop

In a tweet, Spitalfields Trust, a local conservation group, said concrete is replacing historic paving stones that were removed unlawfully earlier this year.

Work started in late January without formal approval by the Council, with the construction listed acceptable under repairs.

However, a week after receiving a statement from Spitalfields Trust, Tower Hamlets Council confirmed that the work had breached planning control and ordered it to stop.

The Tower Hamlets Council’s Conservation Area Appraisal recognised the pavings as holding historical value in 2009.

These historic pavings were removed in late January / Spitalfields Trust

In a statement to the council, Spitalfields Trust requested that the cobbles be reinstated.

They said: “The brewery owners have revealed themselves to be unscrupulous with no respect for history or the community.”

The developer is said to have stored the cobbles onsite however the Spitalfields Trust have reported that the space is being filled in with concrete. Their reports claim that the Council has decided the work is permitted development, requiring no planning permission.

PAPERS approached The Old Truman Brewery for a comment but they did not respond to claims.

The site after the pavings were removed / Spitalfields Trust

The Brewery has proposed plans to build a five-storey office block and retail space with no housing. Local community groups and activists are some of those opposing the application dubbing the process as ‘social cleansing’.

They have created alternative proposals.

A report from the Runnymede Trust last year highlighted the damage redevelopment has caused to independent local businesses. Last year the Trust released a statement objecting to the Truman Brewery’s application.