Boris Johnson has clashed with the Crown Estates over plans to sell 1,300 London homes reserved for key workers, including teachers and nurses in Victoria Park and Lewisham.

The Mayor told the head of the £6.2 billion property portfolio — run on behalf of the Queen for the benefit of the taxpayer — of his grave concerns that a new owner could force up rents.

The row between Mr Johnson and Sir Stuart Hampson, chairman of the Crown Estate, came on the eve of a board meeting at which it is expected to choose a preferred bidder for the homes.

The planned sale, expected to raise about £250 million, is opposed by many tenants on four estates: Victoria Park in east London, Lee Green in Lewisham, Millbank in Pimlico, and Cumberland Market in Camden. The land has been in the hands of the Crown since as early as 1544.

Yesterday the residents’ associations wrote to Sir Stuart accusing the estate of putting profit before its commitment to affordable housing.

The letter says: ”Your reputation for good housing management, built up over nearly a century, is now in rapid decline … we face an uncertain future with a prospective new landlord which we have had no role in selecting and which could see irreparable damage to our communities.”

Richard Blakeway, the Mayor’s housing adviser, said Mr Johnson was concerned about the lack of protection for future tenants. For example the new owner will have the right to put rents up at nine per cent a year.

Currently, tenants of Crown Estate affordable homes only pay about half the level of rent that would be charged by commercial landlords.

Mr Blakeway said: “The Mayor believes the Crown has a duty, as manager of the estate on behalf of the Queen, to ensure homes that are meant to be affordable, remain affordable, and residents’ rights are protected.”

The Crown Estate has said the homes, which generate £3 million a year profit, are “non-core” assets.

A spokesman for the Estate said: “The board is meeting today and the proposal to sell will be considered further. Specifically, the board will be asked to consider whether it wants to select a prospective purchaser from the bids we have received.

“We will communicate the outcome within the next week. Should the board decide to select a prospective purchaser today, no final decision to sell will be taken until further consultation with residents and stakeholders.”

GCSE results slips. Photo: Amy Lacey

Schools in South and East London are celebrating a second wave of exam successes as GCSE results are published.

Following the drama of last week’s A Level grades, today younger students have learnt the results of their GCSEs – two years of work that, for many, will provide a foundation for further study.

Nationally, results have once again shown an improvement on last year, with 69.1% of papers graded C or above. 22.6% received one of the top two grades, A and A*.

Among the high achievers locally was 16-year-old Anish Jalabhay, head boy at The Oasis Academy Coulsdon, who achieved top grades in an impressive 18 subjects. The school’s principal, David Millar, described himself as ‘very proud’ of his students and their achievements.

At Croydon High School, 99.27% of papers were graded A*-C, with two top pupils, Frederiekje Fayd’Herbe De Maudave and Natalie Coulthwaite, achieving 11 A* grades each. Head of 6th Form Heidi Mester described them as ‘bright, charming, well-rounded girls’ who are ‘a joy to teach.’

Meanwhile, Harris City Academy Crystal Palace achieved its best ever GCSE results for the third year in a row, with 25 students achieving 10 or more A and A* grades.

Principal Steve Kenning described himself as ‘delighted’ with the results, adding: “These results are great news as they give all our students a real life opportunity. Their success allows them to move on to the next level confidently.”

At The Petchey Academy in Hackney, students from Year 10 were celebrating as they gained GCSEs a year early. 80% of the school’s first crop of Year 10 students achieved a GCSE grade from A* – C in at least one subject – results that will set them in good stead for their exams next year.

One high-achieving student, 15-year-old Meir Touitou, succeeded in gaining A* grades in Biology, Chemistry and Religious Studies, as well as As in Geography and History – and an A in AS Level Maths.

Boys at Bethnal Green Technology College inspect their results. Photo: Amy Lacey.

To sample the results day atmosphere, EastLondonLines went to two local schools, Bethnal Green Technology College and Mulberry School for Girls – and found a lot of ‘shocked’ students left outside.

Staff at Bethnal Green Technology College, Gosset Street, told pupils they had a ‘surprise’ for everyone – it being a good set of results when they got there.

Kudret Ismail, a 16 year old who lives on Kingsland Road, Hackney, said he ‘wasn’t expecting to do well’ because of pre-exam nerves. However he leaves the school with a mixture of Bs and Cs, with the intention of studying art and design at Southwark College.

For his post exam celebrations Kudret said he plans on fine dining with the family, after his Mum promised to take him for a meal if he got higher than a C in Turkish.

Elsewhere, at Mulberry School for Girls there were similar results with a chorus of happy students getting A*- C grades – and one girl did very well indeed, getting 9 As and A*s as her end result.

Planning on attending Mulberry Sixth Form in September, Rema Rohim said she was most surprised by her English result because she got a C but was expecting higher. Despite this she left with largely high Bs – missing out on As by only a few marks – and said overall she ‘did better than expected.’

But it wasn’t just the Year 11s getting their GCSE results at Mulberry: some bright pupils from year 10 also took exams in Citizenship and Science. Taznin Begum and Aniqa Basith both agreed: “It was a good experience doing it a year early as it prepares you for the real thing and there’s always another year to retake.”

Aniqa added: “Considering I did no revision I was quite happy with my C and D for now.”

Additional reporting by Amy Lacey.

Photo: comedy_nose @ flickr

Sixth-formers across South and East London have received their A and AS Level results – grades which will determine whether they can take up a place at their university of choice.

Competition has been particularly fierce this year, with the introduction of the new ‘A*’ grade, designed to reward candidates at the top end of the marking scale.

Nationally, pass rates have risen for the 28th successive year, and the number of students achieving As has also increased slightly. In its first year of use, 8.1% of papers overall were given the new A* grade.

At Croydon High School, candidates achieved an impressive 100% pass rate, with 84% of papers taken awarded the A*, A or B grades. Three of the school’s students, Natalie Kulenicz, Louise Bond and Priyanka Patel, achieved 3 A* grades each.

Headteacher Debbie Leonard congratulated her pupils, noting: “99% of our girls have automatically secured their places at their first choice university.”

At Riddlesdown Collegiate, also in Croydon, 6 students achieved the new top grade. Principal Gordon Smith praised the ‘excellent’ results and said staff and students had performed ‘magnificently.’

Lewisham’s Christ the King Sixth Form College reported a 98.2% pass rate for its A Level students, of which papers 35.4% received A*-B grades. The college’s BTEC National students also managed a 100% pass rate.

Principal Jane Overbury described herself as ‘very proud’ of the ‘hard work and dedication’ of her students.

Tower Hamlets College achieved a 94% pass rate, including eight students who achieved the A* grade.

In Hackney, Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form also had a 94% pass rate, while Our Lady’s Convent High School in Stamford Hill reached 99% – with 83% of papers graded C or above.

BSix Sixth Form College in Lower Clapton has also been celebrating after 19-year-old Allum Bokhari became its first student to get into Oxford University.

Meanwhile, Shoreditch-based Hackney Community College showed a distinct improvement in its A Level pass rate, achieving 97% – an eight percent increase on last year. To celebrate its students’ results, the college posted some short videos on its Youtube account.

Deputy Principal Lois Fowler said: “Our students have worked incredibly hard and have achieved impressive results. At Hackney Community College, we’re dedicated to sustaining the steady improvement that we’ve worked for in recent years.”

Photo: Lars Plougmann @ flickr

House prices have risen in East London since the Olympics were announced -  but some neighbourhoods are benefiting more than others, while many areas have failed to keep pace with the rest of the capital.

A new report, produced by Lloyds TSB, found that average property prices in East London have risen by 26% since the announcement in 2005 that the area will host the 2012 Olympics.

However, this compares relatively poorly with an average increase of 36% across Greater London.

Only four areas in East London saw property price increases above this benchmark over the five year period – all of which were in Hackney.

In Homerton, prices have increased by an impressive 69%, while fashionable Shoreditch recorded a rise of 53%.

Dalston and Clapton each saw average prices grow by 39%.

Lloyds TSB housing economist Suren Thiru attributed the increases to the effect of the Games, commenting: “Some areas close to the main Olympic site have experienced a sharp rise in property prices since London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.”

“Part of this rise is likely to have been due to an increased interest in property in these locations from both buyers and investors as a result of the associated regeneration taking place.”

However, the Hackney neighbourhoods showing greatest property price increases are not those closest to the Olympic site.

Furthermore, other factors may explain their good economic performance, including recent gentrification and improved transport links including the East London Line upgrade – the latter having reportedly already boosted house prices in areas such as Crystal Palace and Brockley.

Meanwhile, Stratford, where the main Olympic facilities are being built, has performed particularly poorly, experiencing an average house price increase of a meagre 3% – confounding predictions that the area would see above-average increases.

This news is likely to compound the complaints of critics who have argued that the Olympics have provided little of the regeneration originally promised.

But Thiru, remaining optimistic, concluded: “Looking forward, property prices across East London are likely to receive a boost from the legacy of improved infrastructure and transport links left by the London games.”

You can read our article about the impact of the Olympics on local jobs here.

Rich Mix. Photo: Anna Haswell

Hopes were raised today for the future of East London arts centre Rich Mix, which is to get a £2.5m boost from Tower Hamlets Council in an effort to solve its troubled financial situation.

Councillors at the authority’s Strategic Development Committee on Monday  approved a proposal to give the struggling centre an immediate £500,000 to help pay off its deficit.

A further pot of funding totalling more than £2 million was also pledged to the centre over the next year. The money will be paid in installments, conditional on it meeting targets set by the council.

Michael Keith, interim chair of the Rich Mix management board,  welcomed the funding pledge and defended the centre against criticism from some local councillors that it had already received enough public money. The centre operates as a venue for films, music and other arts events and provides office space for a number of related businesses and enterprises.

Mr Keith stressed the contribution the building made to the local economy: “The building now hosts between 17 and 20 businesses in the cultural industries sector. This represents between 200-300 jobs and a collective turnover of £20 million p.a.,” he said.

“All the people there do work in the borough, spend money on Brick Lane and the local area – bringing opportunities for Tower Hamlets people.”

He added: “Rich Mix is an initiative that has at its heart the sense of building bridges and links across community divisions. From slow starts big things can emerge.”

The funding was voted through despite objections from  councillors who wrote to the authority saying the centre has already received too much money.

Councillors will find the £2.5m  through ‘Section 106′ requirements on a new housing development currently being built on the opposite side of Bethnal Green Road. This  provision entitles local authorities to channel funding for social projects from planning negotiations with property developers.

The objections were based on the fact that the venue has received £3.9 million from the council since opening in 2006, including an £850,000 loan which has yet to be repaid.

Throughout its conception, development and subsequent operation it has also been met with criticism from locals and political representatives who feel it has proved wasteful and failed to provide a focal point for people in the area.

Former Liberal Democrat councillor John Griffiths condemned the centre in 2008, saying:“The only people who go there are white Shoreditch artist types. It does not appeal to other communities in any way.”

Reacting to yesterday’s decision, local blogger and journalist Ted Jeory attacked the history of Rich Mix as ‘a scandal,’ describing the centre as having ‘been run disastrously’ by a ‘less than fully competent’ team.

Rich Mix is currently providing a home and support to the EastLondonLines Summer scheme which aims to give young people an introduction to online journalism through the charity Headliners, which is basedin the building.

Angela Phillips, EastLondonLines managing editor said: “It would be sad if Rich Mix were to disappear. They do a lot of work with young people from the area. It might not be the most visible part of their activities but it is certainly valuable.”

Bicycle docking station. Pic: MrLerone

A man from Shoreditch became the first person to be arrested for abusing one of  ‘Boris’s Bikes’ as the new bicycle hire scheme was launched across the capital. (more…)

Olympics here we go, photo LOCOG

East London celebrated two years until the start of the 2012 Olympics yesterday, with a number of events which allowed the outside world the first close look at the Olympic Park.

Schoolchildren from Hackney and Tower Hamlets among others joined athletes, past and present and celebrities for a tour of the site before joining four-times Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson for a race on a temporary 60m track inside the partially completed stadium.

Hackney primaries: St John and Jerusalem, Whitmore, and Colverstone were all represented by excited pupils  as was  the London Marathon Playing for Success Centre in Bethnal Green.

“It’s so awesome how LOCOG actually cares about kids,” said Aaron Lewis, 9, from the Tower Hamlets.

Elsewhere on the 2.5km square site, cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy, tested the track in the velodrome in front of cheering construction workers. London mayor Boris Johnson followed, but his ride was a bit more wobbly, much to the amusement of spectators.

Lord Coe, chair of the 2012 organising committee, said this event was:  “The starting gun for people to start planning their games”. Yesterday also marked the launch of the committee’s volunteer recruitment drive, to encourage over 70,000 people to help make the games a success.

He said: “We want volunteers. Volunteers are the face of the games. I know the difference between a good games and a great games is the quality of the volunteers.”

With the Olympics still two years away, organisers hoped the day would heighten the capital’s excitement and a  BBC survey suggests that people are ready to join in with nearly one in three Londoners are more supportive of the games today than they were in 2005.

Across the internet people voiced their support. “I’m looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere with thousands of spectators at the spectacular Olympic park!” said mattjanes100 via Twitter, while Jon_East reinforced the positive vibe: “Looking forward to supporting TeamGBR with the spotlight on London.”

Lord Coe stressed the games would provide a legacy long after the event had ended.

“We have the opportunity to put economic benefit into a lot of communities through a lot of these projects. These are facilities local people will be able to use.

“We’ve designed this stadium to make sure that there is a lasting legacy. Five years ago we were standing in a scene of relative desolation, the Olympic Games has transformed that. Legacy is very important for us.”

The sport stars shared his enthusiasm. Sir Chris said: “I had goose bumps on my arm. To me now the Games are coming alive.”

He added: “You can’t stop thinking about the crowds cheering for Team GB in here in two years time, it’s important that you do because it gives you that little carrot to chase.”

Johnson, a US track-legend who has embraced Britain since becoming a BBC pundit summed up the day.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “There is so much history behind the Olympics and people in London will get an opportunity to go to an event and say they have taken part in it. They will have that memory for the rest of their lives.”

Shoreditch station: Gateway to the south. Pic: Diamond Geezer

Despite the north-south London divide, culture-lovers across the capital would consider using the East London Line to visit attractions in other parts of the city, a new survey has shown.

Eighty-five percent of south London residents and 78 percent of their northern counterparts said they’d consider using the ELL to visit cultural institutions on the other side of the city, according to the poll, which was conducted by CultureLine, a joint promotional venture by 10 museums and galleries along the line.

But despite the new possibilities brought by the new Overground line, just over half of north Londoners rarely venture south of the river: 54 percent of those surveyed said they didn’t regularly cross the Thames for either work or leisure.

In contrast, south Londoners are twice as likely to head to North London for cultural pursuits, with 80% regularly making the journey to the other side of the capital.

Janet Vitmayer, Chief Executive of the Horniman Museum and CultureLine spokeswoman, said: “It seems from our survey that some of the old north/south London prejudices are alive and well and that they even extend to our enjoyment of culture in the capital.”

“It is high time these perceptions are challenged and we are inviting all Londoners to try a ‘culture swap’ this summer and cross the river to visit new places and cultural attractions. With the opening of the London Overground line from Dalston to Croydon this has never been easier.”

Mayor Boris Johnson said: “North or south, I urge Londoners to cross the great divide and discover the rich cultural treasures, cuisines and dialects to be found on the other side of the river. London Overground is opening up the capital like never before, making it even easier to get to know our trans-Thames neighbours and discover the gems of the city.”

But Dean Nicholas of the Londonist website criticised the survey’s PR approach, describing it as ‘dubious’ and its conclusions ‘meaningless.’

Despite describing the promotion of local museums as ‘a laudable initiative,’ Nicholas attacked the emphasis on North-South divisions. “It’s high time Londoners began challenging dodgy surveys that use bogus statistics to pigeonhole people into geographical boxes,” he said.

Boris Johnson, Simon Hughes and Karen Buck - allies against housing benefit cuts. Photo of Hughes by Keith Edkins

More than 425,000 Londoners could lose their homes if Government plans to cap Housing Benefit are pushed through un-amended, the National Housing Federation has warned.

The Federation described the reforms as ‘catastrophic,’ calculating that some 200,000 are at risk of being made homeless – the highest level since records began in 1980. Londoners will be particularly badly affected because the price of housing is far higher here than in the rest of the country.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark and Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, have all expressed their disquiet at the new measures.

The Housing Benefit cuts were announced in the last budget by George Osborne, who said: “We will for the first time introduce maximum limits on housing benefit – from £280 a week for a one-bedroom property to £400 a week for a four-bedroom or larger.”

The ‘red book’ in which the budget is described in greater detail puts the lower figure at £250 per week which would mean that, even in the poorer parts of the East London Line boroughs, there are few self-contained flats (suitable for parents with one child) available to claimants – and the shortage of bigger properties is even greater (see our feature).

In Hackney, four bedroom houses for rent are fairly abundant at £500 a week (there are very few available at lower rents) and under the current rules, that amount can be paid by Housing Benefit if the resident is sufficiently low-paid or unemployed. Under the new rules the resident would have to find an extra £100 a week in rent or move.

In Westminster, it is calculated that more than 5,000 families will have to find extra money because their rents exceed the new maximum weekly claim of £400. For those unemployed for more than a year there will be a further cut of 10 percent irrespective of the level of rent. Some families who have lived in an area for years, and who send there children to school there, will find themselves forced out of their homes if they cannot find the extra money.

“The housing benefit caps could see poorer people effectively forced out of wealthier areas, and ghettoised into poorer neighbourhoods,” Housing Federation chief executive David Orr said today.

“Some people affected by Housing Benefit caps may successfully find a home in cheaper areas, but many will end up in expensive bed and breakfast accommodation, while thousands will simply become homeless,” he continued.

The plans will impact particularly badly on the very low-paid who may end up losing their jobs because they can neither afford to pay the extra rent, nor pay the far higher travel costs associated with living on the outskirts of London. We may very well find that the low-paid workers who we rely upon to clean our city and care for our elderly will be priced out of the capital.

If you want your voice to be heard you can sign a petition organised by the magazine Inside Housing.

Photo: Dogbomb @ flickr

Hackney Council have been slammed by the Daily Mail as ‘race spies’ over a study conducted last year to investigate the recycling habits of different social groups in the borough.

The report, called a ‘Waste Composition Analysis,’ was part of a national effort by local authorities, in which samples of domestic rubbish were analysed and correlated with various social types.

Its findings showed that some neighbourhoods in the borough were achieving very good rates of recycling, but that other areas fell short of the 60% of any given material identified as a ‘good capture rate.’

Elderly householders were found to have slightly better rates of food waste composting than their younger counterparts.

The Hackney study was part of a series of studies, described by the Daily Mail as ‘covert bin-rifling operations,’ aimed to gather information about the levels of recycling among different kinds of residents across the country.

According to the report itself, “The aim of this piece of work was to provide the Hackney Council waste and recycling team with information on the success of the recycling schemes offered to households in low level housing and flatted accommodation.”

The Hackney analyses were produced by WastesWork Ltd, an independent company that ‘specialises in waste analysis projects for local authority and private waste management clients.’

According to the Mail: “Researchers targeted homes based on their potential ethnic and social mix, collecting data separately on four different groups, including ‘multi-ethnic private flats’ and ‘prosperous young professionals’ flats.”

In response to the paper’s critical report, a Hackney Council spokesperson said: “Every local authority performs
waste composition analysis.”

“The aim of the survey conducted in 2009, in
four sample area, was to assess the impact of recent recycling service improvements, and to assess the impact of community involvement in
recycling services.”

“Currently, almost 25 per cent of household waste collected in Hackney is recycled and, through our continued efforts, we
aim to guide future service provision and improvements.”