Occupy London camp to be evicted from Mile End Park

Tower Hamlets Council has finally served a notice to evict the "Occupy" camp from Mile End Park.  The Council is due to go to Court today to seek a possession order to evict the campers.

A Camp representative told the Evening Standard yesterday that the group had not yet decided whether to contest the legal action.

The Occupy Mile End Park group
- in a very soggy Mile End Park
(Team USA Training HQ is just behind the trees!)

Around about 20 people set up the so-called "Occupy London" camp in Mile End Park following the eviction from the area outside St Paul's Cathedral on February 28th.  Since then the Occupy group have tried - and failed - to set up camps in iconic landmark places in other parts of London.  (Does this mean Mile End Park is now an icon?  See Campers in Mile End Park - right next to Team USA? below)

Say "No" to extended hours for another fast food shop

Another fast food shop in Mile End is asking to extend its opening hours to 5am. This time via a variation to a condition of an existing planning permission.

Extended licensing hours through the night are frequently associated with drunk and disorderly behaviour and, as we all know excessive noise in the small hours by people,  Littering also becomes a major problem.  In Mile End it also promotes people gathering in Mile End Park late at night.

MERA will be registering a formal objection.  We need to avoid this densely populated residential area being seen as a legitimate area for a night-time economy past normal public house licensing hours in order to avoid harassment to and disruption of the amenity of local residents

Application Type: Variation or Removal of Condition

Development: Variation to condition 3 (opening hours) attached to planning permission PA/09/857 dated 09/07/09 to allow premises to open from 11.00am to 05.00am the next morning on any day.

Location: 365 Mile End Road, London, E3 4QS (AKA "Munch")  This is located inbetween the Guardian Angels Church and the Canal

Full details here on the LBTH Planning website.

Unfortunately this application has slipped under the radar and the consultation period has expired. I was assured by LBTH planning yesterday (Monday) that comments would still be accepted as the decision is not due to be made until Friday 23rd September.

So if you wish to comment also you will need to email the case officer Adam Williams at adam.williams@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Please also cc to PC Mark.Perry@met.police.uk - emails to be sent by this Thursday 22nd September.

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Serious public disorder in Mile End and Stepney Green

Yesterday evening - after the demonstrations in Whitechapel and Aldgate - there was a considerable amount of public disorder between Stepney Green Station and Mile End Station. This was due to a coach of EDL members stopping on the Mile End Road at Stepney Green - very close to the Mile End Mosque.  The coach was subsequently attacked by those in the area - presumably because they felt threatened.  

Serious public disorder involving riot police continued  into Mile End Park with "hundreds" of young men being chased. Some of them were subsequently detained by Police.  Mile End Road was also closed for a period of time and all travel was seriously disrupted.

The scene at Mile End on 3rd September - the road is closed

It perhaps goes without saying that such serious disorder and the noises associated with it (lots of loud police sirens etc) so soon after the riots was extremely frightening for some local residents living in Mile End and Stepney even if others were less bothered by it.

If this public disorder was preventable then somebody needs to do a very good job of explaining to people living locally why this did not happen - and apologise.  

Both Police, community leaders and stewards did a very good job earlier in the day of containing the worst excesses of the hotheads.  So what went wrong? The whole point of swamping the borough with Police was to contain public disorder - and, at the end of the day, that now appears to have been unsuccessful.

Were Police and community leaders caught off guard by the actions of the EDL and what happened in the early evening?  Did the tensions of the day boil over - and might that have been better anticipated?  Could the chances of the EDL getting close to a mosque and offending the sensitivities of those who attend it have been better prevented?

Facts are a little garbled still.  Below is a narrative of what we think happened based on personal observations and studying different accounts.  The following narrative includes tweets and observations by

• the Metropolitan Police Public Disorder Group 
• reporters Mark Townsend, the Home Affairs Editor for the Observer ) and Paraic O'Brien (BBC) - who had been following events all day
• and local residents.
• Updates include links to BBC reports of the incident and the photoreport via Demotix - EDL coach attacked near mosque - London

You can see more more photos and videos on the post on our MERA website Mile End Park - Saturday 3rd September 

[Update - this is the BBC report on the incident English Defence League coach attacked in east London (04.09.11) which confirms a lot of what is indicated below]

What happened?

• an EDL coach (coaches?) was allowed to travel along the Mile End Road (or the Police failed to prevent it).  According to the Police a coach carrying EDL members 'broke down' outside Stepney Green Tube Station [UPDATE:  the breakdown occurred two doors from the Mile End Mosque, right opposite the Ocean Estate 

CO11MetPolice Metropolitan Police
A coach broke down outside #Stepney Green Tube Stn. Police have now moved the passengers out of Tower Hamlets #mileend #towerhamlets

• we understand a second EDL coach (or the same coach?) stopped outside or near to the Mile End Mosque a little further up the road at 241-243 Mile End Road and EDL members got out  (or the Mosque was considered to be a target and under threat from EDL members by the Bengali youth living locally - due to its proximity to the coach and EDL members?) [UPDATE - same coach - see above]
• all those present on the coach (coaches?) were subsequently arrested.  According to the BBC 44 people from the coach were held on suspicion of violent disorder.
• the presence of the EDL coach actually IN TOWER HAMLETS and very near to a mosque incensed local Bengali youths and very many assembled in the area (this is within the context of a day where "they shall not pass" had become the chant of the day to those opposed to the EDL ie the EDL had only got as far as the boundary of Tower Hamlets) 
• SEE VIDEO of the situation it created - video by BBC reporter @paraicobrien
• see Demotix - EDL coach attacked near mosque - London for pictures of what happened 
• and this video of the transfer of EDL supporters from coach to TFL red double decker]
• we understand that 
• the coach was initially protected by a line of police
• however a tense situation boiled over and became nasty.  The coach was attacked and missiles were hurled by those present in the area and three windows were broken.  It eventually left the area, escorted by Police Riot Vans
• a line of riot police formed a barricade outside the Co-Op at Stepney Green 
• more riot police lined up across the road between Queen Mary College and the Ocean Estate (a large housing estate) - SEE VIDEO of the situation it created - video by BBC reporter @paraicobrien

paraicobrien Paraic O'Brien #edl bus being attacked in Tower Hamlets. Large no.s police. Turning nasty 

paraicobrien Paraic O'Brien Getting v tense here. Asian youths in scuffles with lots of police yfrog.us/j3do6yz 

paraicobrien Paraic O'Brien #edl coach stalls on mile end rd. Some passengers get out. A fight with youth. 100s then arrive. smash windows. 100s police arrive. calmish 

paraicobrien About 25 riot vans and hundreds of police trying to get #edl bus along mile end road #edl yfrog.com/0aps6z

paraicobrien Paraic O'Brien Shafiur Rahman, Islamic Forum Europe: allowing #edl bus thru Tower Hamlets was security boo boo that could have resulted in major incident 

Police vans in Burdett Road - next to Mile End Park

• Mark Townsend, the Home Affairs Editor for the Observer reports that hundreds of Bengali youths subsequently ran along Burdett Road and through Mile End Park and were chased by Riot Police with shields and batons.  Local residents also observed this and tweeted the same message.  Youths were forcibly detained.  It's unclear whether any were arrested.  Four youths were seen on the ground and under heavy restraint by the police.  
• The following are tweets by a local resident who photographed what he could see.  Hamlets Way goes through the middle of the MERA area and is a densely populated residential area full of families - the Eric and Treby Estate.

Five vans just went down Hamlets Way off Burdett Road. 20 police still holding group in #mileend park. Tense. (photograph)c_Dangerfield 

@c_dangerfield
 Too dark to photograph but suddenly about 100 policemen in #mileend park, searching detainees with torches. Lots of standing around too.

• Travel was also severely disrupted
• Mile End Road was closed at the junction with Burdett Road
• buses were diverted.  Passengers also had to leave buses and were left to walk along the pavement without advice as to what was happening
• Mile End Tube Station was closed
• west-bound traffic came to a virtual standstill on the Mile End Road
• a very large number of police vans repeatedly screamed down Mile End Road - on the wrong side of the road - causing considerable alarm amongst both the local community and the car drivers so soon after the riots elsewhere in London.
• very many drivers turned their cars round quickly as they began to realise they were driving into an area of serious public disorder
• a helicopter maintained a presence over the area for about two hours

CO11MetPolice Metropolitan Police All passengers from the coach have been arrested. #uafeastend #uaf #towerhamlets #edl

CO11MetPolice Metropolitan Police There are no EDL members outside Mile End mosque. Those from the coach have been removed from the borough of Tower Hamlets #uafeastend #uaf

Questions which need an answer

We would like a full explanation from ALL the relevant authorities and leaders of ALL the reasons for the public disorder which occurred in our area and which upset our local community in Mile End.

Our questions all stem from:

• one basic fact:  Mile End is a residential area with a lot of families and children
• two basic questions:  
• Why did significant public disorder requiring riot police in full gear occur in this area? 
• How might it have been prevented?

Below are a number of specific questions which we would like to see answered

1. Why were coaches carrying EDL members ever allowed to move along the Whitechapel / Mile End Road - a road on which there are two mosques - and which the EDL had been prevented from entering by the Police earlier in the day?
2. Why were the police not escorting the EDL coach along a road which was NOT used as a route for today's demonstrations and which did NOT have any mosques?
3. Why was public disorder allowed to occur at all?  Especially when this was so predictable if EDL members ever came into close/provocative contact with members of the local Islamic community?  (ie the potential for public disorder was the reason why the ban on marches was granted by the Home Secretary)
4. Why were Mile End Road and Mile End Underground Station closed?
5. Why was no public safety advice offered to pedestrians, those asked to leave buses and those in cars moving towards the area of the public disorder?
6. Why were vans of riot police parked in Burdett Road immediately adjacent to the area we represent - which is an area of largely family housing?
7. Specifically in relation to Mile End Park - and within the context of how matters were handled earlier in the day
• why were hundreds of Bengali youths running in the park?
• why were police with riot shields and truncheons/batons chasing and detaining them?
8. What mistakes were made that led to this serious public disorder? Would this have happened if a police escort had escorted the EDL visitors out of the borough and ensured that the EDL coach had taken a different route?
9. Could what happened been prevented from happening?
10. What actions will now be taken to prevent it from ever happening again?

Can we also suggest that, the next time EDL or any similar group (or opposition group) wants to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets, they are required to assemble for their static demonstration and exercise of free speech outside Tower Hamlets Town Hall at Clove Crescent.  This is an appropriate location (well away from local residential communities and mosques), which is close to good transport links and has facilities for parking coaches.  Let the politicians take the strain next time!


No groups wishing to demonstrate in this type of provocative context should ever be allowed to move through residential areas in Tower Hamlets again.   


The right to free speech does not include the right to terrorise local communities.


(Note: Thanks to c_dangerfield for the use of his photographs)

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7th May - Spring Fayre in Mile End Park

The East London Tabernacle Baptist Church are organising their ANNUAL SPRING FAYRE this Saturday 7th May - between 11.00am and 3.00pm

A fun-filled time in Mile End Park - opposite the Church - will include:

• Bouncy Castle, 
• Bric-a-Brac, 
• BBQ, 
• Cakes, 
• Kids' games, 
• Plants.
• Flowers, 
• Hand-Made Crafts, 
• Books/DVDs, 
• Bible exhibition, etc.,etc.

All proceeds go to Christchurch Christian Care Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa - a residential centre which takes care of children suffering from abuse or from situations arsing from HIV/AIDS.

For more information, contact: 020 8980 6125, 078 8434 0727

Information about East London Baptist Tabernacle Church:

• ELT Baptist Church is in Burdett Road, E3 4TU London,  
• It has been meeting on is present site since 1871
• This is the ELT Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/ELT-Baptist-Church/103519583066077 
• This is the ELT website http://www.eltbaptistchurch.org/

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St. Barnabas Community Fete in Mile End Park this Saturday

The St. Barnabas Community Fete in Mile End Park is on Saturday 4 September, 12 noon to 7pm and has lots of fun for kids (and bigger kids too!)

The St Barnabas Community Fete is a non-religious, participatory, free and not-for-profit festival organised by local people to:

• Bring residents of all ages, faiths, abilities & races together for an afternoon of family fun & entertainment to celebrate the good things in the neighbourhood.
• Draw attention to local issues in areas such as education, health, crime and the environment.
• Encourage volunteering & community action, through partnership with organisations such as Age Concern, Tower Hamlets Local Area Partnership and the LBTH Youth Parliament.

The fete aims to break down barriers between diverse social groups, promoting trust between people of different faiths, ages and ethnic origins, and works for the long-term benefit of the community.

Where to find it 

• Venue:  Wennington Green, Mile End Park (at the junction of Grove Road and Roman Road, opposite St Barnabas Church).  Wennington Green is part of Mile End Park, and includes its Play Arena.
• Click here for Multimap ®.
• Click here for Google Map (see below) or right click image below to see a larger version

Wennington Gardens - opposite St Barnabas Church,
corner of Roman road and Grove Road

What's happening this year

• Music this year includes:  Maroon Town | Black Daniel| Babar Luck | Heavy Load Soundz Universal | DJ Scottie | Crystal Palace Band

• Activities:   Play Association Tower Hamlets (PATH) | Cakes | East End WI tea tent | Swordfencing | Sikh martial arts | Skipping for Schools | Urban Adventure Base climbing wall | Albion Kids Show pirate ship | ... and lots of stalls 

• Who organises it:  The St Barnabas Community Fete is organised by local volunteers working pro bono. The fete director is Father Brian Ralph, parish priest of St Barnabas.

Follow the fete on Twitter at @bowstock 

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REMINDER: SNT Public Meeting & Mile End Park consultation tonight

A quick reminder about two very important meetings this evening.  Residents are encouraged to HAVE YOUR SAY - it's your right!

Mile End Park Public Consultation Meeting
Thursday 29 July, 7pm, Guardian Angel Community Hall, 377 Mile End Road, E3 4QS

More details in  Mile End Park Public Consultation 29th July - who knew?

ERA finally got its invite at midday today - hence the new poster image up top!  How many more people might have attended if we'd had that poster last week?

Safe Neighbourhood Team Public Meeting
The Mile End East Safe Neighbourhood Team are holding a Public Meeting on Thursday 29th July, 7pm, Community Centre in Merchant Street on the British Street Estate

More details in Anti-social behaviour: Two important meetings next week

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Mile End Park Public Consultation 29th July - who knew?

"High Street 2012" is finally coming to Mile End! A public consultation meeting about changes proposed for Mile End Park is being held on Thursday 29 July, 7pm, Guardian Angel Community Hall, 377 Mile End Road, E3 4QS.  

This clashes with the Safe Neighbourhood Panel Public Meeting being held at the British Street Estate Community Centre at the same time on the same night.

Mile End Park public consultation: 29th July 210

The proposed changes are part of the High Street 2012 project 

High Street 2012 will improve and celebrate one of London’s great high streets, which links central London to the Olympic Park, to create great places for local people and visitors during the 2012 Games and beyond. The project aims to create a thriving high street where there is a sense of history, diversity, community, fun and well being. Find out more at www.highstreet2012.com.

To date the only people involved are the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the London Development Agency.

Consultation with this Residents Association has been limited to one telephone call when we said we would very much want to see some council priority being given to enhancing public safety through:

• increasing the safety of Mile End Road for all road users given the frequent number of nasty accidents on the stretch of the A11 (Mile End Road/Bow Road) between the Burdett Road traffic lights and Tescos
• increasing the safety for local residents in Mile End Park - particularly at night.  Better lighting is needed along the towpath.

The proposals are

• Improvements to the Green Bridge
• Planting new trees
• Creating a safer park
• Possible enhancements by the canal

View of Mile End Road looking north east

(north to the left, canal bottom left and green bridge top right)

Have your say!

You can find out more about the proposed improvement works and have you say about them at the public consultation meeting in the Guardian Angel Community Hall.  Access is via the Guardian Angels School playground on Lawton Road.  The meeting starts at 7pm.


What MERA Thinks

Benefits for the residents

• Every time an Olympics in a country, the local residents of the area comment on the amazing efforts which suddenly pop up to try and make an area look good.  What's happening is not at all unusual 
• MERA recommends we seek an emphasis on real and lasting benefits for local people from the money being spent, rather than attempts to simply make the place "look nice".  There's no problem about making the place look good too but the priority needs to be on making life safer and better for residents. 

Public consultation

• Yet again Tower Hamlets Planning manages to hold a consultation event without informing a local Residents Association!!!  This is despite the criticism levelled at the Council by the Planning Inspector in her report on the examination of the Council's Core Strategy  
• Local residents gave not received any letters nor are there any notices in the street about the consultation.  We can't quite work out who Planning think they are consulting with.
• At least this consultation meeting is in the evening when people who work can attend - so long as they know the meeting is happening!
  
• Next time public consultation meetings are planned:
• there should always be a check to see whether there are any other meetings held by statutory bodies in the area on the same date.  This meeting clashes with the Public Meeting of the Mile End East Safe Neigbourhood Team - who will also be very interested in public safety issues to do with Mile End Park.  These meetings are schedule on the website with plenty of notice
• Planning should ensure that ALL local Residents Associations in the vicinity are formally notified.  We all have mailing lists which can alert people to consultation exercises if given adequate notice.

[Update:  The Chair did a patrol round the area at lunchtime today.  We wouldn't be surprised in the least if there is a poor turn-out for this meeting given that there are no public notices anywhere on the street, only one notice in Budgens Supermarket and abolutely no consultation notices have been delivered to residential accommodation nearest to the Park on the other side of Burdett Road.  Does anybody in Planning understand the catchment area for a Park?] 

Mile End Waste public consultation

There is also a consultation meeting next week on proposals for Mile End Waste.  The meeting is the day before on Wednesday 28 July, 6.30pm, Genesis Cinema, 93 - 95 Mile End Road E1 4UJ

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TODAY! Come for a community walk in Mile End Park

Mile End Park

(as featured in the Community Newspaper 18 June -4 July)

This morning, a community walk in Mile End Park is being held.  A two hour walk is planned up and down the park taking in the historical buildings, the wildlife, canals, markets and more. Click this link to see where to meet, outside the Tabernacle Church in Burdett Road at 11am

Drinks will be provided at the end of the walk - but bring your own sandwiches for a community picnic in the park at 1pm.

EastendHomes is sponsoring a prize so bring your camera and search for photo opportunities along the way.

See if you can spot Herbert the Heron who regularly hangs out at the Ecology Park Ponds!

Next week we'll be featuring photos from the park on this blog.

If you can't come today - here are some other things you can do!

You may have seen a double page spread feature about the park in the Community Newspaper 18 June-4 July

Did you also know you can become a Facebook friend of Mile End Park at www.facebook.com/mileendpark ?

Events:  The Facebook page also has a list of events. Plus you can also find a list of events on the Tower Hamlets website

Audit Tour:  If you can't get to the walk today you can Download an audio tour of Mile End Park which has been recorded by Mile End Park patron Joanna Lumley.  You can download this from www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/mileendpark.

Volunteer: You can also become become a park volunteer

Disabled Access: This is from the Tower Hamlets Council website

Mile End Park enabled maps

Mile End Park has produced a unique set of maps to provide a step-free journey  to assist our visitors with disabilities. The enabled maps offer a step-free route from Mile End Underground Station to the Children's Park and Art Pavilion.

• Directions to the Children's Play Park from Mile End Underground (pdf 425K)
• Directions to the Mile End Park Art Pavilion from Mile End Underground (pdf 358K)
• Directions to the Mile End Ecology Park from Mile End underground