Save Our Square battles on

1.Save Our Square has decided to review the situation regarding the plans of Capital and Regional PLC, and WF council, to re-develop the Mall and Square, and we hope to draw up an Alternative Plan. We affirm we would like the Town Square upgraded; and we can see some potential in improving the Mall. However, we reject the current plan and want to offer a positive alternative. Please participate in our SOS survey. Pass on the survey to others. Look out for one of our local consultation meetings in the autumn. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RYKSJ82 2. It now almost 4 years since David and Jean launched a petition and, together with their cardboard model of the proposed 29-storey tower, started collecting 3000 signatures in the Square. Our campaign has gone wide. An article in the Financial Times recently recognised “community opposition to this 5-year £200 million plan”. Another journalist commented that we are one of the very few London campaigns to keep developers at bay. To date not one shovelful of earth has been dug up in the Square. Not one tree felled. 3. The campaign is still very much in existence - and growing! More people are expressing opposition. A number of local artists have hit the headlines, now with their second exhibition “Between the Limes” devoted to saving the lime trees. More recently supporters of Extinction Rebellion have expressed interest from an environmental point of view. Local architects and student architects are keen to play a role in helping design a new plan. SOS have continued with a series of activities, the highlights being the huge attendance at the Planning Committee 2017, the mass meeting in January 2018, the Square Occupation in February, several lobbies of C&R, tying ribbons around the trees, organising an exhibition of children’s pictures to Save the Square and the Trees, and much more. We have enjoyed the support of thousands of local residents, and particularly WF Trades Union Council, campaigning organisations, the Civil Society, Socialist Party activists, and several Labour Party branches. 4. From the developers’ side we are aware of several inter-related problems - The retail landscape is dismal There are questions over a plateau in house prices Political paralysis has affected many businesses The share price of Capital and Regional PLC this year has plummeted from 50p down to 17p. The tower-block building company Mount Anvil seem to have gone quiet, or even disappeared There are concerns over the thousands of flats for sale at largely unaffordable prices; in fact developers rely heavily on selling off their flats through the government’s help-to-buy scheme. There are serious questions for transport with the vast increase in demand these flats will bring 5. WF Labour council, like all others, have had their grant cut; the Tory government aims to cut off the grant altogether, forcing councils to rely on rates to raise revenue to finance all services (unless Corbyn comes to power and takes strong measures). They need income from domestic rates - the more flats the more revenue. They are also tied into the private developers to build homes; their power to build masses of council houses has been curtailed by successive governments, and most councillors, unfortunately, don’t have a fighting spirit to challenge this situation. They were hoping more big chain stores in the Mall would bring in badly-needed high business rates. 6. Campaigners want to start a new dialogue. Previous consultations were a sham; thousands of signatures and hundreds of letters of opposition were all arrogantly dismissed. We are laying out here some ideas and hope they could be the basis for a new consultation that involves local residents as widely as possible. We put these ideas forward to improve the Square and the Mall, for discussion in local organisations, local parties, trade unions, local Forums, in the local press, through social media; and aim to hold at least one consultation event in the libraries in Walthamstow, Chingford, and Leyton/Leytonstone. Lastly, if you would like to go on our Tree Defenders alert list, be an “eyes and ears volunteer” (keeping a lookout on the Square), or if you would like to help raise funds, or participate in our activities, please don’t hesitate to contact us. email: nancytaaffe185@gmail.com      ;     07786 857673 Join in we need you Get in contact and donate via details below. Contact: WF Trades Council: wftradescouncil@gmail.com or 07952283558 Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/adrian-stannard Facebook: @savewalthamstowtowncentre Twitter: @SaveSquareE17