Tony's Cafe, 34 Broadway Market occupation leaflet

2006·0.18 MB·English

by  34 Broadway Market occupiers

OCCUPATION OF 34 BROADWAY MARKET
PROTECT BROADWAY MARKET
FROM CORRUPT DEVELOPERS!
WE WANT OUR CAFE NOT YUPPIE FLATS!
What Happened to 34 Broadway Market?
Everyone in the area knew Tony These include the cleared Tony is not alone - this has happened
Platia, who had run Franscesca’s warehouses at the junction of time and time again in Broadway
Café from these premises for 30 Queensbridge & Whiston Roads, Market - ‘Spirit’, the proprietor of the
years. Tony was evicted on 1st July where he has now begun work on shop at number 71 also attempted to
2005 and had his livelihood building 132 residential units. buy his property back in 2001 but he
destroyed. Tony was part of the local was also ignored, his property sold for
community and on three previous Dr Wratten acquired Tony’s Café and less than he was offering to pay and
occasions local people rallied round to other units over the past 6 years when he is now also facing eviction by
help prevent his eviction by bailiffs but Hackney Council sold off many of its developers. Similar things are
in July, 10 bailiffs and 50 police turned commercial properties to try and solve also going on in Dalston Lane.
up to throw him out. its £70m debt problem. The Hackney’s sell-off of commercial
circumstances surrounding Dr properties was a travesty. The Estate
Tony was evicted by Dr Roger Wratten’s purchase of the Café are agents appointed by the Council sold
Wratten, a property developer who suspicious and currently under £225 million worth of properties for
also owns nos 2, (previously the site investigation; despite the fact that just £70 million (depriving the people
of Little Georgia) 4, 6, 30 & 32 (the Tony had first refusal on the property of Hackney of £150m) and the
former Market House Pub) in and repeatedly tried to buy it from majority of these went to wealthy
Broadway Market and the land to the Hackney Council, he was passed over off-shore developer cartels who made
rear of numbers 26 – 36, along with in favour of a wealthy developer. an absolute killing at the expense of
many other local sites.
the people of Hackney.
Bitter Irony: ‘Invest in Hackney’
had the cheek to use Tony’s face
on their website as an example of
‘thriving’Broadway Market!
So we now know what they really
mean by ‘investing in Hackney’!
Why are we Occupying the Building?
Dr Wratten now wants to demolish 34 Also, we want to have Tony’s Café What has happened in Broadway
Broadway Market to make way for the back. While many locals are pleased Market is part of a general attack on
development of flats. As there are to see the street become more active, local people in this area. Many are
serious questions about his they also recognise that many of the sick of being treated like 2nd class
Acquisition of the premises, and his new shops and initiatives are not for citizens, having their local amenities
planning permission we have decided them but for wealthy newcomers to an closed (Haggerston Pool), their
to stop the demolition by occupying area that has suddenly become trendy estates run down or privatised, their
the building. We demand a full and desirable. Tony’s was a place fre- schools demolished and handed over
investigation into the corrupt property quented by a broad cross-section of to big business (Laburnum School),
sales in Hackney, including those in the community. and publicly-owned property handed
Broadway Market. to developers for a pittance.
If you are also angry about the way that Hackney Council seem to be interested only in the
interests of the well-off and big business please support this occupation.