The star of a BBC costume drama is asking Boris Johnson to put a stop to a “monstrosity” being built at the end of his road.
Scottish actor Emun Elliott plays department store pioneer John Moray in The Paradise. He and other campaigners are opposed to the site of the old Queen Elizabeth children’s hospital in Tower Hamlets being demolished to make way for housing on the corner of Goldsmith’s Row and Hackney Road.
Despite objections from the neighbouring Hackney council the nine-storey scheme — with a series of metal-covered “pods” topping off the building — was passed by Tower Hamlets council planning committee. But it can be vetoed today by the Mayor.
Elliott said: “I am asking Boris to please, please, put a stop to developments like this nine-storey monstrosity. This is an area of London that has suffered from bad design and planning in the past, let’s not build another mistake.” The actor is one of 1,000 people on a petition against the scheme at QEhospitalsite.wordpress.com.
Local resident Lucy Rogers said: “The original East End that brings in tourist and visitors is disappearing fast. We are not against new housing. We are for better buildings.”
The developer is Family Mosaic, a housing association. It insists it would be too expensive to renovate the old hospital. Mosaic says on its website that 188 new homes will be provided — 116 for private sale, 48 for affordable rent and 24 for shared ownership.
