Development of John Jones Site / Sketch House

Ali

Agreed, the tree thing has also been known about for quite a while so it is bit late to complain.  Still think the Spiritbond sole involvment could have bene made clearer and transparent much earlier and not because of  pressure applied through here

Arkady

The absence of an online presence for Spiritbond is utterly baffling to me.  Does anyone know what else they have worked on? 

Idoru

<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">http://companycheck.co.uk/company/07060871</font>;

yagamuffin

Not wanting to sound like a conspiracy theorist but according to that link two of the directors surnames are Jones!<div><br></div>

NorthNineteen

Or more likely it is a subsidary of Watkin Jones who are the building contractors!<br><br>http://www.watkinjones.com/<br>;

Kate Jones

Spiritbond is a small development company (they did a large student accommodation project with Kingston University) and Watkin Jones are a construction company (despite the name there is no relation or connection to John Jones). They formed Spiritbond Finsbury Park to jointly develop the site. Someone emailed me yesterday - I am presuming it was Ali (hard to keep track with all the forum/ twitter/ actual names) and I informed them that we exchanged half our land in return for our new building. Spiritbond Finsbury Park are now the owner developer of the student accommodation along Lennox Rd and Clifton Terrace. They have made a statement to the article in the Islington Tribune, which I think is being published today. Unfortunately Spiritbond themselves don't have a website or social media, not that many developers seem to. Has anyone seen the article yet?

Ali

<P>Wasn't me  but thanks for the  clarity.</P> <P>I guess what you lost on the ground you gain in the air</P>

Arkady

Maybe the story has been replaced by this, ostensibly much more serious one: http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2014/mar/tree-‘massacre’-makes-way-finsbury-tower-block-yet-receive-planning-permission

Mirandola

Arkady, I love you and know you mean well, but pretty please quit talking about Labour like it's the Borgias. We're hugely lucky in this country that all the main political parties are staffed by people doing their best (usually smart, hard-working people) and I'm sick to death of the pantomime hatred stuff. Italy had 20 years of Berlusconi - now THAT deserved invective.

Arkady

Ouch Mirandola. That stings. In my defence, I’m a pluralist who doesn’t believe that any one party has all the wisdom, and I firmly believe that coalition is the best form of government. Those are two of quite a few reasons that I’m not in the Labour party (I was in my teens, and remain on the left of the Lib Dems). I hope that when I criticise the opposition I do it for specific mistakes and incompetancies, not in a tribalistic way?<br><br>Also, I’m a Lib Dem candidate trying to get elected against a Labour opposition – it’s kind of my job to point out that Haringey Labour are useless wherever they give me the opportunity. I’m sorry if you’re bored by how many opportunities they give me. Believe me, so am I.

Mirandola

Thanks for the civil response. I suppose for me it's a bit like the well-meaning tree defenders on this thread comparing tree felling to murder. Whatever the rights of the case I kind of switch off when the language gets that excitable. 'Islington Labour/Tories /Lib Dems are shortsighted and misguided because... ' would be more likely to persuade me.

Arkady

Noted.<div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Incidentally, I was moved by your latest blog entry.</span></div>

Mirandola

Thank you!

andy

Where is the community engagement? Are the sustainability plans enough? Who are Spiritbond? Why have John Jones not consulted with the community? Is there enough green space? Have we had enough notice?<div><br></div><div>Apart from the discussion of sustainability plans and Spiritbond on page 1 and page 2 of this thread, started in 2009 by Kate Jones, nowhere at all. </div><div><br></div><div>The removal of the trees is first mentioned by Kate Jones, on page 4. In September 2010.</div><div><br></div><div>On page 7 of this thread, in April 2011 @actionverb is the first to express disappointment at the loss of trees. Everyone else talks about washing machines. Kate shares that the objection from Islington is really about housing, not trees.</div><div><br></div><div>In September 2013, @misscara (who gets points for consistency) says "What about the trees"? Kate responds.</div><div><br></div><div>Spiritbond never did get a website though.</div>

Kate Jones

Talking of community engagement, don't forget to put your comments forward to All Change re the lighting installations that are going under the Stroud Green Rd and Seven Sisters bridges - they are in the project space at John Jones tomorrow 11am-6pm and Saturday 11am-3pm and they want to hear what local people think.

Kate Jones

@crankyITguy - your comment got me thinking. When we did the original open event to introduce the scheme etc prior to our planning application, invites were sent out to all local residents to come along. We didn't get that many people show up. We set up a Twitter feed to keep people informed and an email address for people to ask questions. We hardly had any response. The only questions and engagement we have had back from the local community is on this blog - I'm not sure exactly how many people feature on this particular thread in total but its not that many really. <div><br></div><div>On a separate note, can anyone give an example of a development that has demonstrated really positive community engagement? Not that we're planning on doing any more development ourselves, but it would be useful to see a successful story that perhaps other developments could follow.</div>

ChangN4N6

the article in tribune said it all - some developers and councils just do what they want - no recompense, no concern. the fact that those lovely birch trees werent 'listed' (who would have the time to bother?) or 'of note ' (says who?) means a little park has been ruined for one of lord fosters nasty phallic towers. disgraceful<div><br></div><div>chang </div>

MykaBaum

<div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Whilst I have been campaigning to save the trees and am opposed to the lack of transparency as well as the fact that the council's decision can be over-ruled, I am, as an artist, excited about the opportunities that the new Arts Building will bring to the area.</span></div><div><div><br></div><div>I see that this debate has been going on since 2009, since the time of the consultation. </div><div><br></div><div><div>I've been in this area for 8 years (and 6 years previously in Tufnell Park). The first I've heard about the trees was when the notices went up last week. The same applies for a lot of my neighbours, who have been in this area for many years.</div><div><br></div><div>I interpret that printed information went out to the very immediate neighbours only, who confirmed that they've known about it for a long time and that they have attended a consultation (during which, I am told, all points raised were dismissed). </div><div><br></div><div>This week I learnt that the large majority of neighbours don't use social media or the internet and many barely use emails.</div><div>To me, this 'situation' has brought to light, what the media and politicians so often talk about - the lack of a hub for the community. I (an atheist) suddenly started to value the role of the church and remembered the value of the local market (perhaps this could be part of the re-development plans and I think we should re-introduce good old-fashioned notice boards!).</div><div><br></div><div>Whilst I have missed the boat with regards to this consolation I have been to the JJ Project Space and given my feedback and thoughts on the proposals for the lighting for the bridges.</div><div><br></div><div>(n.b. I am not a writer, thus please excuse if I have worded my thoughts a bit clumsily)</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div>

ADGS

I wish Labour were the Borgias. The Borgias, for all their faults, were both competent and interesting. None of our political parties seem to be either. 

ChangN4N6

Ukip are interesting but not competent. Chang

TheMimsy

@ Mirandola<div><br></div><div>Don't even get me started on Silvio...</div>

Mirandola

@The Mimsy meno male che qui non c'e'

checkski

Stiamo parlando di Berlusconi? Sono d'accordo con voi.

krappyrubsnif

Beh, secondo me, tutti I politici sono uguale.

miss annie

Buongiorno, parla Inglese? Written Italian always looks like Polari.

Mirandola

Grazie a Dio, pochi sono come il Berlusca.

checkski

@krappyrubsnif. A parte Tony Benn. Ammetiamolo, via..

TheMimsy

@ Mirandola NESSUNO mai e' stato e sara' mai come Berluska...

marko

@Arkady:  I well remember the debacle following the last set of council elections.   Do we know who the Labour councillors in question were, and whether they are standing again for election this time?  <div><br></div><div>I think it's also worth pointing out for the sake of balance that previous LibDem administrations have not crowned themselves in glory when it comes to planning, and arguably, planning issues around the Emirates stadium were one of the reasons they lost control of the council to Labour in the first place.</div>

Arkady

Hi Marko - I've lost the thread of this a bit - which debacle are you specifically referring to?<br><br>I don't know very much about the Emirates situation, other that a) the developer contributions towards for transport infrastructure were woefully inadequate and b) it required a local campaign to buy Arsenal into fulfilling to some of its promises, like a local sports facility. Am I right in thinking that planning permission was granted before the GLA was established?<br>