Spitalfields Community Association

Spitalfields Community Association has been fighting to keep their area residential and stop commercial development by holding community festivals on the area’s only remaining green space. This project is particularly poignant and telling as, when it was running, devolvement of decision making to street level was a current theme of the government at the time.

The project was part of a long battle over Spitalfields Market. It was born through trying to save and influence plans for the listed part of the market. The aims of the group involved keeping the community informed of all significant redevelopment proposals, involving as many people as possible in the planning process, and encouraging community led regeneration.

As part of this community mobilisation SCA (with help from the Glass-House) held the Spitalfields Community Festival and Eco Fun Fair in July 2003. This was focused on raising the profile and morale of the ongoing planning disputes, as well as attracting more people to get involved and thereby get some momentum going.

Despite having little success in influencing plans or saving the market, as the City’s developments clearly pave the way, SCA have managed to hang on to the area of green space they used for the fair. This patch of green space is called Allen Gardens. It is surrounded by social housing and was previously under-used and difficult to find, even though it is the only space of it kind in the area. It is also close to Spitalfields City Farm where nearby residents can enjoy organic farming in an urban environment. Allen Garden’s profile was dramatically raised in 2003 with the Community festival and its interest and success has continued with repeat festivals in 2004 and 2005 on the same site.

There is often major controversy about the use of highly strategic sites like Spitalfields. There are arguments on both sides – what is the best use of high value land in high demand areas? Should prime sites be used for high value activities, and therefore generate revenue for local authority activities? Or should land use policies be tailored to existing communities? Whatever transpires from these ongoing disputes, SCA will continue to exercise and celebrate their right to protect where they live, by using green space as a democratic platform.

This project celebrates two very current and thought provoking issues. Firstly an urban area must embrace diversity and environmental living amid rapid expansion, thriving off it rather than erasing it. And secondly ordinary people, ‘residents’ should be at the heart of a decision making process that will effect their lives in such a profound way.

Two group members attended a Regeneration and Community Involvement course at Trafford Hall in June 2002. The course reinforced their confidence and gave them the professional language to put their ideas across clearly to project stakeholders. After the course the group successfully applied for a grant towards the costs of the fair. They were able to apply some of the ideas they’d gathered from the Glass-House course in planning the event. They were also able to use skills from the course to set up follow-on projects.

The group felt that in addition to their ‘negative’ focus of campaigning against planning developments, they wanted to do something ‘positive’ that would reach out to more local residents, raising awareness about the area and gathering more support for their projects and newsletter. This became the main impetus behind the community festival and eco-fair. The fair brought unprecedented attention to the park where it was held. The group also included an article about the history of Allen Gardens in their newsletter (SCANdal), which really brought the significance of the green space to the community’s attention. The fair has since become an annual summer event.

As a result of their involvement in local planning issues, SCA have developed high level negotiating skills and are particularly good at securing planning gains for local residents. The group negotiated a rise from £250,000 to £750,000 for employment training; 100 – 118 extra social housing units; £60,000 – £350,000 compensation for local businesses; and a binding agreement on the future of Allen Gardens.

SCA held another successful fair in 2005 with an additional theme on healthy living for all. Each new fair is building on the success of previous ones and the group clearly show a long-term commitment to Allen Gardens as they plan to continue celebrating their diversity long into the future.

Spaces

Green space conservation
Community event in public green space
Conservation battle with developers
Raising environmental awareness
Celebrating cultural diversity

Cash grant (no longer available)

The group developed their negotiation skills, securing a rise from £250,000 to £750,000 for employment training; 100 – 118 extra social housing units; £60,000 – £350,000 compensation for local businesses; and a binding agreement on the future of Allen Gardens.