Boris, Starlight and the LDA
When I arrived at Bethnal Green's York Hall last night for People's Question Time, an array of demonstrations were under way. There had already been a foray from Fight the Flights over Boris's decision to allow the expansion of flight capacity at City Airport. Now there were leafleters agitating for more Council housing, a group demanding the return of the S2 bus route and, most conspicuously, a bunch of teenagers from south London with a sparkly banner chanting "save our centre!"
Who were these vivacious youngsters and what was their cause? They were from the Starlight Music Academy in Kennington, which runs courses in music, dance and drama for local kids. Shanice Duffus, the grown-up in charge of them, explained that they were on the verge of having to leave a premises called Offley Works, which is owned by the LDA.
These former print works have become home to a variety of community groups, a school and even a church. Part of Offley Works was previously run by Brixton Base, which came to a well-publicised sticky end (yes, it's a small world). Last February the LDA offered Starlight and another well-established group the new lease for the property on generous but temporary terms. That lease, Shanice explained, expires later this month. "Boris is supposed to be supporting young people," she pointed out. "Now he's leaving us with nowhere to go!"
It was around 6.45. The meeting began at 7.00. We all went inside. Mayor and massed ranks of Assembly Members gathered on the York Hall stage. The first subject was youth and crime. The Starlight contingent soon made itself known. Would Boris meet them and come to their aid? Boris, as Boris does, agreed to make a date.
This does not guarantee Starlight's long term future: the LDA stresses that it still intends to redevelop Offley Works, which all agree are in a dilapidated state. But when I spoke to Shanice Duffus this morning, she was in bouyant mood. As if the pledge of an entry in the Mayor's diary weren't enough, she had received still better news: an email from the PA of LDA chair Harvey McGrath saying that, because of the adverse economic climate, the arrival of bulldozers has been postponed and Starlight could stay at Offley Works for another year.
Shanice forwarded this email to me. It had been sent to her last night at 7.10 - almost exactly the same time as the Starlighters had made their plea to Boris from the floor. Behold, the power of the Mayor! Well, not exactly. The LDA explains that the Offley Works decision had been taken some days ago and that Starlight and their fellow tenants were due to be informed. Even so, the coincidence was compelling. Why was the email to Shanice Duffus sent out that evening of all evenings?
Maybe Valerie Shawcross has the explanation. Offley Works is in her constituency and she's a supporter of Starlight. It turns out that an email had been sent to her by someone else at Starlight at 5.04 yesterday afternoon. It had revealed the planned picket of York Hall. This email had been copied to Harvey McGrath. Who knows, maybe it helped hurry things along.
- guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
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