Spitalfields Market Under Threat (SMUT), the coalition of East London groups objecting to the proposed office development, invites everyone who supports their campaign to a colourful demonstration outside the Town Hall, to coincide with the meeting.

The protesters fundamentally oppose office developments replacing any part of the market. They consider the market to be a vital  community asset and one of the last valuable urban spaces in the under-resourced Borough of Tower Hamlets. This argument is supported by a recent independent survey in which 90% of local residents agreed that Spitalfields is an area with almost no public space and the market should be retained for community use." (source: SERA, October 2001)
 
Since 2000, SMUT has urged Spitalfields Development Group (SDG, the developer) and the Corporation of London (the freeholder) to submit a fresh planning application, accompanied by an Environmental Statement, for the entire 1928 building. 
 
Outline planning permission for office space was granted in 1997. SDG now needs final consent in order to proceed to demolish one-third of the western end of Spitalfields Market to build part of the proposed office development known as the ‘Support Building’.
To prevent this, SMUT’s legal team are asking Tower Hamlets and the developer to act: a letter threatening legal action has been sent to Tower Hamlets Legal Department and to Norton Rose, solicitors acting on behalf of the Corporation of London.
 
The letter points out that the 1997 planning permission was granted unlawfully due to a failure to comply with
 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation. It
states: "If the Council grants approval.... then judicial review proceedings will be commenced.  Please take this letter as a pre-action letter in this regard."
 
”Notwithstanding the formality of this warning, we believe that the objectives of the Council and our client at this stage are the same. Both wish that any redevelopment proposals are advanced by a fresh planning application rather than attempts to rely
on the 1997 consents.” (29 October 2001)
 
 If permission is granted on Wednesday, SMUT will seek to block it with a court injunction and a Judicial Review.  Jil Cove, Chair of the Spitalfields Community Association and veteran in SMUT, said: “With a Judicial Review, the court would finally be able to request certain documents which we have not been granted access to previously. It would present the chance for a more honest assessment of whether outline planning permission should have been granted at all in 1997.”

Notes to Editors

Full copies of the legal challenge document can be obtained from SMUT’s archivist on: 020 7247 4283