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Video of the Save Our Square Rally, 24th October 2020


Today's event, filmed by David Gardiner for Forest Radio.

A rather smaller event than the huge 2018 rally (video below), partly no doubt because of the howling gale in which it was held this afternoon, at first glance you might think that very little has changed since then, but in fact it has. Capital and Regional using, an instrument called a "Section 73 application" which is intended for registering minor changes to an approved Planning Aplication, have obtained permission to alter radically the character of the proposed work. The project is now to include a tower block of 34 stories instead of the originally planned 27, the same number as Centre Point near Tottenham Court Road tube station in Central London, a new entrance to the Victoria line and many other major modifications, After a long period of dormancy they also seem keen to begin work on the project early in the coming year.

As one might expect Save Our Square has re-emerged more determined than ever to prevent this ruination of the town square and complete destruction of the charater of Walthamstow's town centre. This rally was intended as the first clash in a renewed battle to keep yet more of the square out of the hands of the insatiable developers.

Well done Nancy Taffee, Adrian Stannard and everyone who is working so hard for the future of all of us in Walthamstow and the rest of the borough.






Video of the Save Our Square Rally, 24th February 2018


For comparison here is a glance back to the largest rally organised by Save Our Square, in February 2018, just a few days before the notorious Planning Meeting held by Waltham Forest council in the Assembly Hall beside the Town Hall on Forest Road. At this meeting, in the presence of at least 500 local residents the plans submitted by developers Capital and Regional to acquire (not to say "grab") one third of the open public space of the town square to build more shops and four "monster blocks" of luxury flats were approved without amendment during the interval of about 20 minutes, despite the massive opposition of ten of the twelve speakers at the meeting. It was an eye-opener with regard to the council's high-handed and arrogant disregard for the views of its electorate and the processes of local democracy generally, which have since become its badge. Start here if you're not familiar with this protest against the privatisation of the square and destruction of large numbers of mature trees growing there, which is about to enter its fifth year.

Video filmed and edited by John Rogers.




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