Today’s East End Life has a small item on p9 headlined “Name that gate”. A fuller version is on the council’s website here:
Competition launched to name new gate in Vicky Park
Residents have the chance to leave their mark in history by naming a new feature at Victoria Park.
Victoria Park is one of London’s most important historic parks and is currently undergoing a multi-million pound makeover.
Tower Hamlets Council, Big Lottery Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund have secured £12million to carry out an extensive programme of works to improve the park for residents and future generations to enjoy.
The refurbishment includes creating a new community centre on site, building a new island to house a Chinese pagoda, construction of two attractive bridges leading to the island, improvements to the play areas and makeover of the Old English Garden.
This is the biggest investment in the open space since its creation in the 1840s.
The Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, visited the park today to unveil the newly refurbished Canal Gate and laid the final glass slab of the Jubilee Greenway Walk.
The Greenway Walk is a route that starts in Victoria Park and links the Olympic Park with London’s heritage sites and parks. It is intended to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The Mayor also launched a competition to name a new entrance which has been built in Grove Road.
The park currently has 31 gates which are named after famous people, local landmarks or have a royal connection for example Royal, Crown, Queens, Bonner, St Augustines, St Marks, St Agnes and Gunmakers.
The Mayor said: “Victoria Park has a rich history ranging from its role as the People’s Park hosting political meetings and rallies to recreation, live music and sport and will be playing a key role in the Olympics as a live site.
“The competition is a chance to find a unique name which pays homage to the popular park and its royal links. It is the borough’s royal links and distinctive history, which marks it out as a leading contender to be the UK’s next city.”
Tower Hamlets is bidding for city status as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
To enter the gate competition, you can email your suggestions to dave.hime@towerhamlets.gov.uk or by post to Victoria Park, St Marks Office, Cadogan Terrace E9 5DU by September 16.
The park’s refurbishment is due to be complete by April 2012.
It’s great to see the Mayor taking such an interest in Victoria Park, especially after the council pimped most of it out for a third of this summer by boarding it off for a month of music festivals.
I’ve no idea who will choose the winning name, but let’s hope it’s not his cabinet member for culture, Rania Khan, who at a council meeting last year dismissed residents’ concerns about the number of festivals in the park by sniffily observing that those who live nearby are middle class white people.
I’d guess that Queen Elizabeth Gate might be contender; or the Jubilee Gate.
Or maybe it will be the Shiraj Haque Gate?
What are your suggestions?
Trial by Jeory 
Litigate ? The mayor just loves doing it with our money! First the Olympics and now the Metropolitan Police Commissioner!
I’m glad we have a mayor that has the balls to take people on and stand up for what is right and do everything in his power to deal with the EDL.
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk:80/news/tower_hamlets_mayor_legal_threat_if_home_secretary_doesn_t_ban_edl_march_1_1000249
I’m not sure that name would fit over the new gate.
How about Steel ball gates then?
Our mayor has show his complete disregard for the legal process on numerous occasions before. His actions to prevent others from enjoying their legal right to march, and protest, are surely to be expected.
How about Hackgate?
How about Traitor’s Gate?
@ Adrian it’s not about doing what’s right it’s about using public finances effectively. Were we robbed of our Olympic events ? Yes. Were we ever going to get them back? No. So why waste tens of thousands of pounds of public money fighting a case that you know is just for publicity?
Nobody wants the EDL in the borough : http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/edl-promises-to-defy-ban-and-march-anyway-2336858.html They’ve already said they will come regardless of whether there is a ban or not. So why waste (I assume) tens of thousands of pounds fighting a pointless case?! It’s total vanity just to show that you’re doing something. I don’t like my politicians playing the role of the busy fool. The EDL used facebook to ‘flashmob’ Enfeild during the riots they had about 100 supporters there within an hour.
Stop Wasting our money. Why not support a youth centrer and send 100 kids from differnt backgrounds on a residential trip or something ?
It could be named after the Chartists who held a mass meeting their in 1848. It was also the site of other radical movements througout the nineteenth century.
Forgot an H there.
‘Pimped out’? Is that what effective use of resources and income genration is called nowadays? I heard universities such as Greenwich also ‘pimp out’ their facilities for film makers. Well if the enlightened institutions of universities are doing the ‘pimping’ then where do we draw the line? Maybe we should just wait around in the recession and hope that money falls from the bank in the sky.
There’s a world of difference between film making at Greenwich Uni and the large scale cordoning off of the East End’s biggest and most precious park for a whole month during the summer when families want to enjoy it most.
If you were a regular user of that park you’d understand that and not take what seems to be a peculiarly Thatcherite line on this. There are plenty of areas to save money in that council without the need to take away people’s leisure facilities, particularly in times of recession. Victoria Park is a much needed and very beautiful green space – let’s not reduce that to a mere ‘resource’, eh.
Besides I’m no fan of certain middle class elements either. Why for example does the lucrative summer office admin job at Morpeth School go to the Office Manager’s daughter or the teacher’s children when every year the school churns out 250 year 11s and many more sixth former’s?
And why did the middle class elements of LAP Group 1 vote to spend 15k GBP of our money on a SECOND feasibility study for the fate of disused (for 30 years) toilets in Museum Gardens? The outcome was predictable: same as the first feasibility study but they voted the money to be spent anyway because they didn’t want the ugly and useless building to be demolished and replaced with a much more useful Barclay’s bike stand at a major transport link like Bethnal Green. The middle class council officers and co-chairs didn’t even bother to respond to my concerns even though I was a LAP member; maybe because the LAP was dissolved by that time but there was still a duty and common courtesy to respond to issues arising from LAP decisions.
So now we end up with a useless ugly eyesore of a building and no Barclay’s bike stand at a transport link where people are known to cycle to a lot due to the hundreds of bikes locked on the railings in the area affecting the aesthetics of the area and attracting bike thieves.
I agree with you Shahanara on the scandal of Bethnal Green Gardens. Had no idea there was a 2nd feasibility study. Why another one when the planning officers didn’t listen to the first one which involved consultation with residents and resulted in a study and Masterplan which prioritised the redevelopment of the disused toilet block:
“First priority be given to the redevelopment of the former Toilet Block on Cambridge Heath Road. A number of options for the
reuse of the buildings were put forward, including different combinations of uses and building configurations, as follows:
Toilet Block
• Option A1 – redevelopment of site to provide new building for public toilets and information centre plus up to 4 commercial units (i.e. florist, shoe repair, newsagent, coffee shop);
• Option A2 – sub-option to A1 including a 2nd story that provides space for a large commercial unit (i.e. restaurant);
• Option B – refurbishment of existing building to provide public toilets and information centre plus up to 4 commercial units (i.e. florist, shoe repair, newsagent, coffee shop)”
Seems the TH planners didn’t like the above result and so ignored it. So wasting all that money. Not for the first time in TH have residents been involved in sham consultations, conducted by expensive ‘consultants’ sitting in Clerkenwell on their fat middle-class elements. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Unbelievable that a further £15,000 of our money is now being spent on another Feasibility Study for the Gardens by this group of officers and co-chairs in the defunct LAP.
Why not a Barclays bike stand? Seems reasonable and certainly, if residents wanted the toilet block demolished in 2002 when they were last asked, they still in the majority want it demolished/redeveloped now, even if this ‘group’ don’t.
What next for the Gardens? Back to the plan to close the Library…is that in this second feasibility study? Maybe that is why the officers want another one?
This was the email I sent and got no response: The meeting was held on the first day of Ramadan and less than half the members turned up. It was all very poorly managed.
”Disused toilets in Museum Gardens
Dear Colleagues,
I have had a look at the Barker Langham Presentation, I was not very impressed. The cheapest option was £150-£175k to convert it back to toilets which the report considered would be of ‘minimal benefit’, this would probably make it the most expensive toilet in the world. the rest of the ideas are so expensive, in a boom era would be considered imprudent, in a recession sheer lunacy.
I had voted against our £15k being spent on this feasibility study as I feared the report would come back with nothing reasonable like the previous expensive feasibility study. We were assured at the meeting in August that sources of funding would be identified for this project to be carried out, this was not the case. It mentions ‘Council funding, private investment and grants’ but no identified sources. It talks of the HLF’s £1.3 millions to be spent on Whitechapel which is completely unrelated and TfL ring fencing £3.4 million for Tower Hamlets; one would presume this was for transport related projects not refurbishment of old buildings.
This report has still not convinced me that keeping this building is a viable option. I would like to reiterate I have always favoured this building to be demolished, this report also finds this the cheapest option at £50k and TfL would likely be happy to invest if it meant the space was used for Boris’s bike stand. this would be useful for a big transport link like Bethnal Green.
Personally I think this exercise was an atrocious waste of money as I expected and so voted against this £15k to be spent on this feasibility study.
I look forward to hearing your comments on this report.
kind regard
sha”
This is the article I wrote after that disastrous meeting in August 2010:
”Break for Iftaar? The meeting must go on!
Local Area Partnership 1 decided to hold their meeting on the first day of Ramadan, when I queried this decision I was assured that this was the date suitable to most members. Pacified I went along and guess what? Only half the members turned up (14 out of 28), I the only Muslim member and only 4 out of the 9 Councillors! Now normally such things wouldn’t bother me so much except at that meeting we were to elect our co chairs for the next two years and decide whether or not to spend £15,000 on a feasibility study for a disused toilet (in other words whether or not to flush the money down the toilet).
The meeting was an oil well fire and demonstrated exceptionally poor management by well paid council officers. It started 40 minutes late without any consideration for people who had to leave early and had other commitments; the agenda was far too long for the time we had resulting in officers waiting the whole time to give a report unable to do so. One wonders if our taxpayers money should be spent on people to make such amateurish mistakes? To crown it all the meeting ran over as expected and I was not able to do my iftaar on time. No iftaar pack was provided of course, just dates, yucky sandwiches and water; I don’t think they had any money left over after paying good for nothing council officials. Next time they feed you that equal opportunity and engaging different sections of the community garbage, tell them where to stick it! I am a young, Bangladeshi mother and members don’t come any rarer than me so you would think they would want to appreciate my contributions and facilitate my needs such as breaking my 17 hour fast on time.
When I first joined LAP we were told if any member misses two consecutive meetings their membership would be discontinued as there were 150 applicants on the waiting list. Two years on after many members have missed many meetings no action whatsoever has been taken, basically the LAP officers can’t be bothered to do their job properly. I queried this out of frustration recently and was told the attendance had to be 70%! Funny that, as a regular and punctual attendee I don’t recall this change of rules, looks like they make them up as they go along to save their own skin. Some people think that sound doesn’t permeate the cloth of the headscarf! Oh and by the way four members had been falling behind even their 70% rule and it had to take me pointing it out for them to notice.
When asked why they regularly start the meeting late their excuse was worse than the dog ate my homework one. Apparently they do it to be ‘flexible for people with childcare and people returning from work’ (!?) I work and am probably the only member with childcare issues but I’m always there on the dot. Ah, but you’re different Shahanara they tell me as if that explains everything. Nothing at all to do with bad chairing and failing to emphasize to members the need for punctuality. No, that would constitute too much hard work! In their ultra flexible meetings did they give me the flexibility as a Muslim to break my fast on time? Did they consider how their ‘flexibility’ would mean leaving half the agenda uncovered? These incompetent council officers are paid for by yours and my money, easy job if you can get it.”
I am a regular user of the park, I cycle there quite a lot, I also take my kids to play there but the play area is now a building site so there’s not much they can do other than cycle around. But I haven’t been there in Ramadan TBH.
Then you would know exactly how people felt about their park being further limited for a month.
The park is large enough to accommodate both revellers and leisure users, I’ve seen it.it works out as well because the park is used at different times, late evenings and day times respectively.
I’m not sure we’re talking about the same Victoria Park. Did you see how it was cordoned off for the recent festivals?
And that’s one of the disgraces; that such a huge park as Vicky Park can be almost totally put out of bounds for the local residents by a large amount of building works and an even larger amount of ‘festival area’.
Can you really not see the difference between this and the legitimate hiring out of university facilities when they are not being used for their primary purpose Shahanara?
yep, every day as I cycled with my kids to school and back along it.
I guess we have different opinion of what bothers us. I just feel lucky to live so close to a beautiful park, if it’s a bit busy some of the time, I get to enjoy it most of the time, 🙂
anyway I’ve forwarded my preferred name for the new gate, I think it should be ‘Will and Kate’ gate.
It’s not just the immediate residents either. I live not far from Bow Road tube and the last gig in Victoria Park (the night of the Tottenham riots) I could hear the music. Admittedly my kitchen window was open but hey, it’s summer – what’s a person to do when it’s warm? Filmmakers in Greenwich don’t make noise enough for people 15 mins walk away, the other side of a railway line and close to a busy main road to hear.
PS I couldn’t believe it myself so I actually walked up towards Roman Road to double check that it wasn’t some local neighbourhood party.
I did the same. I thought it was a neighbour having a party. Was cheesed off I hadn’t been invited…
I find the noise pollution and crowds slightly disruptive, but hey if so many people are having fun I’m happy for them. The reveller’s also have a right to enjoy Victoria Park.
The revellers have a right to enjoy the park only in as much as they buy a ticket for the event, the booking for which has been accepted by the council.
Did you see the graffiti left on the sound barriers which stayed there for two weeks? I know you wouldn’t have wanted your kids to have done.
And I thank the revellers’ for their money which will be put towards making TH a better Borough. Graffiti is a pain but it’s not exclusive to revellers’ in the East London, sadly.
Or paying for a new mayoral office or Mercedes Benz..
… or to pay for dodgy contracts for his mates, or paying council staff to travel to Leicester to campaign for a favoured organisation, or to run a few crooked elections.
Or possibly to finance a sham (and illegal) newspaper, proclaiming how great the mayor himself is.
Such pet vanity projects take money – a lot of it. Abusing council tax payers’ money is a source that can only be tapped so far. ‘Pimping out’ tax payers’ resources helps back-fill the remainder.
Tim.
Well I’m just glad people actually want to pay to come to Tower Hamlets. Someone’s got to keep the local economy going whilst the politicians are busy fighting amongst themselves.
That’ll be someone in addition to the council-tax payers then? Oh, and in addition to the tax payers in the country as a whole – the central government subsidy of LBTH is astronomical.
Those fighting politicians are costing us all dear, love. That march of big egos is an expensive, vain, despicable exercise.
To quote a much quoted quote ‘every little helps’. But seriously people your making way big a deal out of this, at the height of the festivals with large areas cordoned off I rode my bike around for an hour and a half (then I got tired). There is enough park for all of us, both leisure users and revellers; Victoria Park is huge. It was the building works that make it more unsightly TBH. And even though I don’t get music festivals I know it’s popular with a lot of people, I’m just happy they’re happy.
Politicians are very egotistical and extremely generous with other people’s money. I’m glad the Tories are cutting back MP numbers. I wish we could do the same with our local politicians.
Anyway Thatcher didn’t like people congregating and also made it very difficult to put on festivals and large music events.
The Heritage Lottery Fund grant is now the excuse being used to exploit Victoria Park:
“..commercial events in the park are an important revenue stream for the future upkeep of the park after the Lottery-funded restoration..”
HEATHER BONFIELD, INTERIM SERVICE HEAD, CULTURAL SERVICES, TOWER HAMLETS
(In her 9.3.2011 Report, ‘Commercial Events in the Park’ )
Yes, that unnecessary replacement repro Pagoda and unnecessary repro never-built Chinese Bridge – and another bridge – will need “upkeep” (authentic Chinoise heritage colours courtesy of Farrow and Ball – and/or fireproofing as the original pagoda was burnt down in the Thirties) and that is why Heather Bonfield and her Community, Localities & Culture Directorate are justifying ignoring the 8.12.2010 Council Motion, which sought to reduce commercial events in 2011. Here she is again:
“An income target for events in the park is proposed within the 2011/12 budget setting process: in addition income from events is used to support events for the community for which there is no budget provision. A substantial income target has been set for Victoria Park within the Management Plan approved by the HLF.”
Events in Viccy Park for the community! That’s a joke as there were only two: the Firework Display, which is being reduced and dispersed and Paradise Gardens which was cancelled. On top of Commercial Events, the CLC Directorate are also looking to host/hire out/shut off to the public parts of the park for Corporate Events and Private Events. And of course, these events need developing with “appropriate professional advice.” Someone else who needs paying. £££!
Moral of the story? Never put your hand out for HLF money, because their ‘investment’ will have to be protected by a “Management Plan” and by “future upkeep” – this is this is how council officers can then justify exploiting an asset. Ruthlessly carving up the Park for events to provide that upkeep revenue was inevitable after the HLF got involved. (Wilton’s – you got a lucky break. You don’t want HLF money.)
So, perhaps the new park gate should be called Bonfield’s Folly? After the millions of “Lottery-funded restoration” requiring that future upkeep and providing another…er…gate. And perhaps reflecting how (all) our parks will now need to yield £200K in revenue from events in 2011/12 while the author of the Report could be on a staggeringly high pay scale being an Interim Head. Got the feeling from Private Eye RB entries that Interim council officers are paid more than permanent ones? In Dec 2010, Suffolk CC were paying an Interim Head of Comms £800 per day (£650 + £150 agency fee.) Anyway, you’re worth it! The ‘Commercial Activities in Parks’ Report is here (page 57 on):
Click to access $$ADocPackPublic.pdf
I’d go for Atlee Gate – I think he was involved in getting youth into sport etc. and was an all round decent chap. And arguably one of our best PMs. (PS I am not a Labour voter).
If not a name in recognition of the Chartist’s and the general radical reputation of the park and the area cleared to make way for it.
Thanks Shahanara (above) for putting up more on Bethnal Green Gardens. It is a record of what is happening and how you at least you tried to stop another £15,000 being wasted on another ‘talking shop’/sham consultation. You should send a letter to East End Advertiser – name and shame the council staff and councillors involved. How can £15,000 more of our money be justified by these public servants to TALK about a toilet block?!! These toilets have already had:
A Feasibility Study in 2002. (HOW MUCH ££??)
A council planning application in 2007 for ‘change of use to a café/restaurant with public toilets’ which “did not progress as it was not supported by the required fee and the commissioning department (Parks and Open Space) decided that funds for the project could not be identified” – What? – why put in an application then? -)
Another council planning application in 2009 to demolish the toilets for more park space, retaining the railings. (Withdrawn by council. Why??)
Now in 2011 a ‘Park Improvement Project’:
Meanwhile, the toilet block in Shadwell’s King Edward Memorial Park gets demolished without ANY consultation and their Park Rangers and Trees For Cities get taken away! In Tower Hamlets, some public assets, including public open spaces, are favoured ones, with council officers in control, advised by small cliques (those “certain middle class elements”?) while pretending to listen to the majority of local residents via pointless LAP Steering Groups, workshops, consultations etc.
As a Kemper says about KEMP versus Victoria Park:
Millions on Victoria Park, thousands on Bethnal Green Gardens, zilch on King Edward Memorial Park.
Can you define what you both mean by “middle class elements”? Is Lutfur middle class?
I’m genuinely confused by this terminology.
I didn’t want to say if the small cliques I referred to were those same “certain middle class elements”, hence the parentheses and question mark. Shahanara can answer for herself, I expect. Even though no doubt she will be patronised again..eh, love? (Tim does sound a bit middle class, doing that but perhaps that was his intention.)