Dave Raval

Last week saw another highly controversial planning meeting at the Town Hall, discussing Hackney Empire’s proposed redevelopment of the Bullion Theatre site on the corner of Wilton Way and Sylvester Path. This proposal is particularly difficult to take a view on as there are extremely good arguments both for and against the development.

I doubt very much that anyone is going to argue that the site of the Bullion Theatre doesn’t need sorting out and pretty urgently at that; there are currently a pile of containers on the end of the plot and it is frankly a mess. However, the proposals from the Empire are overly large, extremely ugly and will leave Sylvester Path in the dark day and night – turning a magnificent example of Hackney’s heritage into a seedy alley. Unsurprisingly, this has galvanised the inhabitants of Sylvester Path and its environs into a spirited campaign. Just to put the icing on the cake, the management of the Empire have announced that the much loved theatre will definitely close if they do not receive the go-ahead.

Looking at the plans, it seems that when the developers considered the requirement for buildings to match their surroundings, they only looked at the vile office block further up Wilton Way and not the beautiful 18^th century houses on Sylvester Path or indeed the Empire and its brilliantly conceived modern extension. It’s very clear that with a bit of vision, the architects could go away and come back with a slightly smaller building, a little further back from the path (and thus also allowing the historic wall that abuts the western side to remain in situ), built in materials that match with the area.

Ultimately, the planning committee took the right decision on the day – to postpone a decision until all the required reports have been prepared and they can make a suitably educated decision. As our own Cllr. Sharer pointed out at the meeting, English Heritage had not been consulted and there were clearly other gaps in the information provided. One can only hope that the Empire will take the opportunity afforded by this hiatus to reconsider their application and alter the scheme sufficiently that they can proceed with the support of their nearest neighbours. However, as Roland Muldoon, for many years the Empire’s Artistic Director and Chairman, pointed out this week, there are wider problems with the current management of the theatre and the direction in which it has been taken. I do have to worry that the redevelopment of this site is a sticking plaster over more deeply seated issues and is not the long-term panacea for the Empire’s financial problems that the management claim it is. Nonetheless, unless the theatre realises the cash from the Bullion Theatre site, we are unlikely to find out either way.

I look forward to seeing as many local residents as possible when a final decision is made by the planning committee on 10^th March at 6:30pm. The meeting is in the main chamber at the Town Hall and everyone may attend.