Spitalfields site belongs to us all

I have just seen your considered article on Scabal’s school nursery and community centre in Spitalfields.

The Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields have always been in favour of the primary school. What they and many others (together Spitalfields Open Space) are worried about is the expropriation — without any consultation — of land held on trust as public open space for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public. Especially so when this particular land is a Heritage Asset, a consecrated churchyard containing 67,000 burials (Museum of London Archaeology Service November 2010) and rests within the curtilage of grade I listed Christ Church Spitalfields, a Designated Heritage Asset.

Spitalfields is very short of precious public green open space and this development removes about 60% of the public’s open space.

The new building involves breach of the Disused Burial Grounds Act (a criminal offence) and trespasses right in the middle of public open space held on trust under the Open Spaces Act, and under the 1949 trust.

Tower Hamlets, the church and the school say they have consulted, but they have insisted on addressing the wrong question. Everyone assumed the school “owned” the site, and the question they asked at planning was: is this proposed new development better for everyone/everything than the old 1970 building? What they should have asked was: given that the school doesn’t “own” the land and that the land is public open space held on trust, is this new development better than public open space?

The reason schoolchildren cannot occupy the new building is because Tower Hamlets and the school have not permitted it (presumably because they realise that to do so would be unlawful).

Please be assured that the Friends, Spitalfields Open Space etc are in discussion with Tower Hamlets and the school to help unravel this sorry mess and reach a solution for all.

Christine Whaite
Spitalfields Open Space
London E1