Imagine a Golden Lane Estate that was going to achieve Carbon Net Zero. Imagine a place that was green, resilient to climate change and committed to recycling, waste reduction and conservation of energy. Imagine a place with lots of trees, new planting, and a real commitment to encouraging biodiversity.

The City of London launched its Climate Action Plan last year. Over the past six months a number of open-air events have taken place bringing residents together to look at ideas for improving Golden Lane Estate. Discussions have looked at:

• Energy and waste

• Working together

• Communications

• Working with the City

• Ideas for greening the Estate

An interactive map has been created which lists all of the ideas discussed to date.

On Saturday 16th October a planning workshop took place to look at how to take the work of the past year forwards. The following ideas were developed and divided between Do it yourself [DIY] and Do it with others [DIWO]:

Biodiversity and Greening

CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION FAILS ITS RESIDENTS

I've called on the City of London Corporation to use some of its £2.6 billion quasi-public “City's Cash" to fund an acceleration of the renovation of its social housing estates, which - due to decades of neglect - are in poor condition.

My call has been rejected by the leadership. The Corporation is happy to spend what is needed to put up new non-residential buildings within a short time frame, but refuses to spend what is needed to complete the renovation of its social housing estates within a similar time frame, or indeed any time frame: the works proceed at a glacial pace, often delayed and uncoordinated, and with no end date in sight.

I reproduce below the text of my email to the Corporation’s Chair of Policy explaining the situation, comment on her reply, and ask questions about a photograph taken last month.

EMAIL SENT BY ME TO THE CITY OF LONDON COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL ON 6 JULY 2021 (addressed to the Chair of Policy and copied to all members)

Dear Policy Chair,

During the last month, I have called on the Policy and Resources Committee to take urgent action on a matter that blights the Corporation’s reputation and many of its residents’ lives.

For decades, the Corporation has neglected the maintenance of its own social housing estates. When I gave the Chair of Policy a tour of Golden Lane Estate four years ago, I believe you were shocked to see its poor condition. When I gave Keith Bottomley, Vice Chair of Policy, a tour of the estate last month, he had a similar reaction. Any member can go to the estate to see for themselves peeling paint on the buildings and railings, patched and leaking roofs and rotten window frames. The buildings bear the insignia of the “Corporation of London”, a name which the City of London Corporation hasn’t used for the last 15 years. The shame of the neglect is compounded by…

The Golden Lane Estate Residents' Association is one of the sponsors of a major petition that has just been launched to seek reform of the planning process in the City.

All Golden Lane residents know the harm that is being done to our Estate by the Denizen and COLPAI developments, which are the products of the City’s undemocratic planning process.

This petition is a chance for you - together with other City residents and workers, and anyone interested in our heritage - to speak with one voice against that process, particularly as a proposal was recently made by the City Corporation's leadership to reduce democratic accountability in planning even further.

The text of the petition is set out below.

Please use this link to sign it a soon as you can: http://chng.it/Y8H6M7DsHf.

(If you haven’t previously signed a Change.org petition, you may not initially be offered a Comments box in which you can insert your status as a resident, etc. You may be able to add that comment afterwards. But while giving your status is useful, it isn’t essential: the important thing is to sign.)

The petition will be formally presented to the Court of Common Council at its meeting in April (but needs to be lodged before the end of this month). A high number of signatures may turn the dial - even a little - on this matter, which potentially affects us all.

Petition to the Court of Common Council, City of London…

Here is an update from Sustrans on a proposal for a parklet on Golden Lane.



City of London and Sustrans are planning to co-design a temporary parklet in Golden Lane. Sustrans want to work with the community, businesses and schools to co-design and install the parklet, which will provide a pleasant space for people from all walks of life to visit, rest and meet-up in once it is allowed.

What is a parklet?

A parklet is a mini-park that repurposes road space to turn it into a space for recreation, play, socialising or resting. They can be made by extending the pavement and providing things like benches, planting, artwork, cycle stands, giant chess games...the limit is your imagination!

Why?

The project will help deliver healthier streets and facilitate a space for the community to enjoy, rest and meet while socially distancing outdoors, in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When?

Between now and March 2021 we will be holding online activities to listen to residents, local groups, businesses and people working in the area about their views and suggestions for the space. We are hoping the parklet will be installed in Spring 2021.

Get involved!

Complete our initial short survey and join our mailing list here.…