229 Lower Clapton Road – Planning Application and update

In 2011, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church purchased the former cinema building at 229 Lower Clapton Road, E5. A planning application has now been submitted (Planning Application 2011/3486). The closing date for comments is shown as Feb 27, 2012, but we understand that comments are actually still being accepted. Anyone wanting to make a comment on this application can find full details of the application at the following link:  http://apps.hackney.gov.uk/servapps/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/generalsearch.aspx 

There are two points of information regarding this which we want to ensure are made clear.

Firstly, we want to make it clear that Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group welcomes the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as the owner of the building and hope that we can all work together to ensure that Clapton continues to thrive. We are fully aware that the church has already been meeting in the area and has long local associations with Clapton.

At the same time, the committee of The Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group are registering some objections to the above planning application. These are laid out in the attached document: CPNAG objections re 229 Lower Clapton Road planning application – Mar ’12. We consider that one of the valid constituents of this community continuing to thrive is that it is important that buildings in our area, which have some architectural merit and community function, are in some way preserved to the mutual satisfaction of concerned residents, owners and developers, and for the benefit of future generations. We trust that the applicant will understand our objections in that light. We are in no way objecting to either the applicant themselves or their intended function in the community.