An open letter to Lutfur Rahman, Mayor of Tower Hamlets

Dear Lutfur Rahman,

Under your administration, Bethnal Green residents are constantly forced to defend the venues and open spaces at the heart of our communities from the council’s cash-grab schemes and ill-conceived plans. It’s not too late for you to change course.

Despite your claims to be a ‘listening mayor’, your council has a depressing track record of undermining community spaces in Bethnal Green, against the wishes of residents:

In Ravenscroft Park right now, your council is trying to rush through a proposal to replace a popular and accessible FREE multi-sports court with a bookable venue. Outraged residents are objecting and petitioning for the council to stop this planned removal of free play. They’ve already collected hundreds of signatures in a few days. 

In Bethnal Green Gardens, a bookable padel court has been dumped on top of the most popular place for rollerskating and skateboarding in the area. The community is fighting back. 

The Canal Club Community Centre, a community-run building, play area and garden, is threatened with destruction rather than improvement, as part of the council’s housing programme. The community is resisting. 

The Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club, a 100-year-old club, is being forced to relocate, again because of a housing programme. The council hasn’t found an appropriate alternative site for the club. 

The Boundary Estate Community Launderette, an important not-for-profit community facility next to Arnold Circus, was only saved from summary eviction after another significant petition and public backlash. 

In Poyser Street, where a number of cafes are flourishing thanks to the quiet road and outside space, the council threatened to ban all outdoor seating for businesses and only changed course after a backlash and petition. 

In our low traffic neighbourhood, popular street layouts that have created safe and accessible shaded seating areas and bike lanes are threatened with destruction by a multi-year campaign that is going all the way to the Supreme Court.

You have made a lot of pledges about listening, but time and again your council avoids genuine engagement with local people. This is one of the topics that the Government envoys are focusing on, because they are concerned with how Tower Hamlets council is run. 

This list is just about Bethnal Green and it probably isn’t exhaustive. But what it suggests to me is that Aspire doesn’t really care about community. 

The council gets an idea and then crashes on with it, presumably in the hope that no-one will ask questions until it’s too late. The onus then falls on communities to figure out what’s happening and fight back, if they can.

At best, a successful resistance is a huge drain on people’s time and energy. And at worst, the community is still ignored and it leads to the removal of essential community services and spaces. 

Doing community engagement well is difficult. Under your leadership, the council doesn’t even try. This is leaving a whole series of community spaces in Bethnal Green under threat. 

We’ve just had an election. The council needs to turn over a new leaf: stop making us fight for the spaces that matter to us. Listen to residents, and support the shared spaces that bring our communities together.

I look forward to seeing a change in approach from the council. 

Regards

Ted Maxwell