The Save Our Square group, which started its campaign about six years ago, held its first public meeting of 2021 in the town square today, 31st July. About 60 people attended, and in addition to all that has been said about the totally absurd and unsuitable proposals for the square, speakers talked about the devastating findings regarding the two fires in Shetland in buildings that used exactly the same prefabricated modular building system as the one proposed for the 34 storey tower block above the Mall in Walthamstow's town square.

The scheme involves the loss of one third of the public open space to private developers Capital and Regional to extend their Shopping Mall out into the square, destroying all trees that lie in its way, and constructing death-trap tower blocks of unaffordable "luxury flats" that will dwarf everyything in the borough and turn our town centre into yet another clone of an American concrete housing "project".

Speakers reminded us of the past successes of those in charge of this campaign, and the very real possibility that it can still be won. "Day X" is the name they have given to the day when the chain saws and diggers actually arrive on the square to start their plans to turn it into a building site for six-to-ten years, and with the help of other environmental campaigners and organisations plan to defend the square using every means at their disposal.

Running time: 44 minutes 29 seconds

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