................…St Modwen and the Arcade site scheme”.
It’s not all hard slog and protesting for Fight The Height’s foot soldiers. On Sunday 13th September at The Rose and Crown in Hoe Street their hard work was handsomely recognised. In front of an enthusiastic audience, FTH received a special commendation from Capacities Ltd for its ongoing Arcade Site campaign and on hand to receive a framed certificate and a wooden spoon was the group’s secretary, Barry Coidan.
The award ceremony was part of the first Ceausescu Awards run by Capacities Ltd, an educational agency promoting better participation of citizen in the design and management of city amenities. These “bad building prizes” are named after a remark made by Boris Johnson during his 2008 Mayoral campaign in which he accused his opponent of encouraging “Ceausescu – like projects”. Steve Butters, the agency’s director, addressed the audience for a few minutes to explain the agency’s aim and why Waltham Forest Council’s Arcade site scheme would have made Nicolae and Elena proud.
Other shortlisted projects, characterised by oppressive scale, bulldozed planning and architectural hype, included the Peninsula Square in Greenwich, Dalston Square in Hackney, the Aldgate Union Tower in Tower Hamlets and Newham’s Queens Market at Upton Park. Dalston Square won the golden spoon award with Queens Market scooping the silver spoon.
And the fight goes on. Our Council is still pursuing a major development on the Arcade site which would include a substantial tower – albeit financed by the Council Tax payers rather than private speculators. The Arcade site is now paved over: the Council belatedly seeking our views on what should fill the temporary open space. Anyone at the Day of Action in support of the EMD Cinema at the Rose and Crown would have seen the huge response to Fight The Height’s postcard project offering alternative uses for the Arcade site. We’ll happily share Waltham Forest’s residents’ ideas with our Council – if they have a big enough post bag!
If you’re intrigued by the Ceausescu awards and/or Capacities Ltd you can contact them at capacities@smithfield.co.uk.
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