Hackney Greens pledge to review ‘Who Owns Hackney’ at manifesto launch

Zoë Garbett, Hackney Greens candidate for mayor of Hackney, has pledged a “community ownership” drive. This is part of her plans to make the borough a more affordable place to live. She said:

Too much of Hackney has been sold off to the highest bidder, not to enrich our community, but to deprive it: of its youth clubs, its cultural centres and its social life. We want to change that, because ‘Who Owns Hackney’ should be all of us, the people of Hackney.

Garbett wants to bring underused land and buildings into community use, working with charities, neighbourhood organisations and small businesses to revitalise them with and for the community:

We will use our compulsory purchase powers and support community groups to use the community right to buy to ensure there are affordable spaces for youth clubs, arts groups, parents groups and anyone else that needs a home to contribute to the life of our borough.

Garbett announced the pledge on Saturday 11 April at the Hackney Green Party’s manifesto launch in Stoke Newington. Along with Green Party leader Zack Polanski, prominent Hackney-based author Gary Younge and local community group leaders, hundreds of volunteers and residents gathered to hear Garbett launch her party’s election platform.

Announcements included:

• Pledges to fix existing council homes and buy-back past council homes to increase housing stock rapidly.
• Adding a road premium for large non-commercial vehicles.
• Commencing council divestment from companies complicit in genocide.
• Greater community ownership of Hackney spaces.

Hackney community spaces under threat

Garbett highlighted examples of community spaces that are under threat due to the combination of gentrification, predatory landlords and a Labour administration too tepid to take them on.

Building landlord Larochette Real Estate closed Ridley Road Indoor Market and evicted the market traders at the end of March. The landlord had previously attempted to redevelop the site for upmarket residential use between 2018 and 2022. The campaign to save the retail space continues.

The Moth Club, an independent live music venue in Hackney, was under threat from a mixed use development that was refused planning permission just weeks ago.

Stoke Newington Town Hall sits empty due to the building’s state of disrepair after council failed to properly care for it, meaning a large scale community space sits unused. This disrepair has meant that the hall was officially placed “at risk” by English Heritage at the end of 2024.

Garbett said Hackney deserves better:

My administration would take on these fights. We may not win them all, but we stand with communities because they deserve better. Hackney deserves better.

Featured image via Matt Payne / Hackney Greens