Boris Johnson has announced new tax rate Photo:©Crossrail

Local traders  have expressed anger at a looming “tidal wave” of tax that is set to hit businesses in April.

Business rates are not set by local authorities. They just collect it for central government.

Business rates in Hackney, for example,  are likely to balloon by an average of 36.5 per cent this year, following the first revaluation of business premises since 2005. Tower Hamlets will also see one of the steepest increase in rates in the Greater London area.

Companies rated above £50,000 will also see a further 2 per cent increase on the official estimate of the property’s value under conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s new business rate supplement to help fund Crossrail. It is estimated this will cost the borough £150,000 annually.

Similarly, in the borough of Croydon, businesses with rateable values of more than £55,000 will also have to pay an extra 2 per cent.Rosanne Berry, chair of the Stoke Newington Business Association, said: “Businesses are struggling. We have had a quiet few months and we learnt that in April we each have around an extra £100 a month to pay, maybe more for bigger businesses.

“It’s going to have a big impact on businesses. It’s a lot of extra money to pay out every month.

“I can’t speak for everybody, but none of us around here are happy about it while the council freezes council tax.”

Matthew Coggins, leader of Hackney’s Conservative group, criticised the extra financial burden that is likely to be placed on businesses, having only just emerged from the recession.

“It’s going to have an absolutely shocking effect on businesses in Hackney,” he said. “It’s unbelievable that this is happening when we are just about managing to claw ourselves out of recession.”

Richard Abbott, chief executive of Hackney business support charity, HBV Enterprise said the hike was “pretty outrageous” for small businesses but added, “There are support mechanisms to help businesses.”

“I can understand people whinging, it’s human nature to whinge, but the smart thing to do is to say ‘This tidal wave is coming towards me, I can’t stop it. What can I do?’ It’s about planning. It’s about strategy. It’s about understanding markets.”

The council’s annual budget report said it would allow businesses to defer payments for this and the next two financial years. It will also assist some small businesses with a rate relief.  For smaller businesses based in Lewisham see Lewisham.gov.uk/businessrates for more information. Check your local authority’s website for more information.

Photos by Artemis Ignatidou

A major fire which broke out early this morning has gutted a restaurant and an office block in Shoreditch in East London.

The blaze broke out at about 4 am at the Sosho restaurant on Tabernacle Street, on the border between Shoreditch and the City of London.

The flames quickly spread up the four-storey office building, engulfing half of the roof.

London Fire Brigade said 20 fire engines, four aerial appliances and around 100 firefighters attended the scene. There have been no casualties and it is not thought anyone was trapped in the building.

Ron Dobson, London fire commissioner said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Mr Dobson added:
“This was a complicated fire spreading rapidly through different premises and onto a bitumen covered roof, creating huge plumes of smoke across the city and presenting very difficult firefighting conditions for the crews attending.”

Fire crews had the fire under control by 11.20 am but will remain at the incident for the rest of the day. There are traffic restrictions and delays in the nearby area, City Road has been closed for several hours.

Smoke from the fire filled surrounding streets and could be seen as far as Liverpool Street station and across Hackney. The strong smell of smoke still lingers around the area.

A local newsagent, whose shop is opposite where the fire started said: “We got here at around half six and there were a lot of police and fire fighters – everyone was trying to put the fire out. We didn’t see any flames. It was only thick smoke – very thick smoke.”

Tabernacle Street has a number of popular bars and restaurants. The Sosho bar and restaurant and the East Room private members’ club have been forced to close ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Speaking to BigHospitality website, Jonathan Downey owner of Sosho said he was not sure when, or even if the businesses would be re-opened following the fire.

“I’ve been down there and it’s been completely gutted,” he said. “The fire’s caused millions of pounds of damage, both to the building and to business. The bar’s just been kitted out with some great antique furniture which is all irreplaceable and about £50,000 worth of artwork has been destroyed.”

Downey said trade had been strong before the blaze. “Both places are open seven days a week and have 24 hour licences. They’ve both been really busy, even in the current economic climate, so this is going to cost us massively,” he said.

Mike Blomfield, a spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “This is one of the largest fires we have, there would be only about three of four like this a year.

“One positive is that in central London the buildings are quite well built so there is good firewall separation between them.”

A joint investigation between the fire brigade and the police is now under way.

Additional reporting by Artemis Ignatidou

A window cleaner scales a high-rise building in Canary Wharf. Photo: Ermell

Employers of the daredevil window-cleaners charged with maintaining Britain’s tallest building are backing a government campaign to emphasise safety in the workplace.

Canary Wharf Management Ltd are supporting the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘Shattered Lives’ initiative, which aims to highlight the risk of injuries at work.

Safety is a matter of particular importance to the company, who contract cleaners to wash the glass façades of the Docklands’ numerous skyscrapers.

The duties of these high-rise maintenance workers – who take cleaning to (literally) new heights – include caring for the outside of One Canada Square, the iconic 244-metre office tower which is also Britain’s tallest building.

When working at such extraordinary heights, in addition to concerns about falling, weather conditions can also prove dangerous to the tower’s window-cleaners.

In a bid to improve the safety of this unusual occupation, two automatic weather stations have  recently been installed atop the building.

This will allow workers to monitor each day’s weather more accurately in order to determine whether it is safe to work in an external ‘cradle’.

Peter Kyte, managing director of Canary Wharf Management Ltd, said: “At Canary Wharf we strive to put safety first, whether we’re constructing buildings or managing them.”

The ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign is targeting workplaces where trips, slips and falls happen most frequently, in order to provide employers with advice on how to reduce risk. According to the HSE, such incidents are the most common cause of major workplace injuries in Britain.

Richard Boland, Construction Operations Manager at the HSE, highlighted the seriousness of the issue. “These incidents might sound funny but they shatter the lives of these workers every year,” he said.

Pupils can play maths games on their Nintendo DS console. Photo: Dekuwa

Afro-Caribbean pupils in twelve Hackney schools are being given handheld games consoles to improve maths scores.

The new Learning Trust pilot scheme encourages students to play brain training games such as Sudoku on the Nintendo DS consoles.

The consoles are being lent out so that the young mathematicians can practice both in school and at home.

A number of schools are involved in the project including Daubeney Primary School, Northwold Primary School, and Tyssen Community Primary School. 

The scheme is a response to underachievement in maths by black Caribbean children across the country although some schools have decided to loan to all students.

Early results, according to the Learning Trust,  show that, on average, it raises student achievement by three national curriculum sublevels.

The brain training games are a part of a larger programme of activities within schools including a Maths club, a series of parent and pupil workshops and a set of specially created resources.

Sue Windross, the Headteacher of Tyssen Community Primary School in Oldhill Street, Stoke Newington regarded the scheme positively and pointed to improved results in maths tests generally.

She said: “It is vital children make the grade even at this early age because they are then more likely to get an A-C grade at GCSE level.”

Caribbean achievement consultant for the Learning Trust, Mike Vance, said: “This scheme is about helping black Caribbean pupils to practice their mathematical skills when they’re not in school, but it’s also about changing perceptions – we want all our pupils to say ‘I love maths – it’s a cool subject’.”

Mike Addis

Photo:Hanna Woodside

Tucked away down Deptford High Street you might be surprised to find a brightly painted train carriage, home to the Deptford Project Café.

The café is the first stage in a plan to regenerate the area and sits by the Deptford Project market, which hosts contemporary art installations, live music, and arts and crafts stalls.

Step into the converted South East Trains carriage and you find a bright and airy space with some cool design touches, like a patchwork settee. Everything from the lamps to the chairs have been made by local artists and designers. The food – bruschetta, jerked chicken, home-baked cakes  – is all made with locally sourced ingredients and served on pretty, retro crockery.

Ajay Joshi, who has been the chef for the past seven months, says it can be awkward cooking in the small kitchen but he must be getting it right as the café is listed in Time Out’s ‘Food and Drink Top 50’.

Ajay gets a lot of his fresh produce from the stalls along Deptford High Street: “The whole thing about this café is to promote Deptford. It’s basically there for the community. We really want everyone off the high street to come in.”

“We’re trying to introduce people to Deptford as a place to be at the moment. There’s a lot going on in Deptford.”

With even The New York Times travel section running a piece on Deptford as an up-and-coming, ‘hip’ part of London, it seems it’s working.

Andreia, a waitress at the café, thinks Deptford could start giving East London a run for its money: “Deptford’s cool. I reckon Deptford’s better than Shoreditch.”

Photo:Metropolitan Police

Police have released an artist’s impression in a bid to identify a man whose body was discovered in the River Lea.

A member of the public discovered the body in the river, near the Bow Bridge, last December. The man has still not been identified and police hope the artist’s impression and an image of his T-shirt will help establish who he was.

Officers have not been able to identify the man, whose death is being treated as unexplained, as he was not carrying any identification. All other missing persons enquiries have already been exhausted.

The man is described as white, aged between 40 and 50, around 5ft 9inches, with blue eyes and greying hair. He also has two piercings on his left ear.

He was dressed in a white ‘Urban Spirit’ t-shirt with the number ‘37’ on the front, a blue jumper and black jeans.

Detective Superintendent Gerard Healy of the Metropolitan Police Newham Missing Persons Unit, said: “This man’s family and friends probably do not know that he has passed away and could be wondering where he is. It is extremely important that we identify him.”

If you think you know the identity of this man you can call Newham Missing Persons Unit on 0207 275 5728.

Members of the Hackney Young Women's Group Photo:Hackney council

A day of arts activities is being held in Hackney on Thursday to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Young women  aged 13-19 are invited to take part at the  ‘We Can Do It!’ event at the Ocean Music Venue in Mare Street.

The Hackney Council organised event is an opportunity for young women to develop and discover new skills through the arts – as well as having a chance of winning £100 worth of shopping vouchers.

Highlights of the women-only event include the first annual public speaking championship for young women and an all female talent show finale where they can show off their talents without auditions.

During the day it will be possible to take part in warm-up workshops including dance, vocal training, acting, stage make-up and fashion styling, performance skills and confidence building.

Attendees will be able to speak to professionals for some last-minute tips before taking to the stage. The event will also include performances by special guests.

Councillor Rita Krishna, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We are committed to providing opportunities that  help young people in Hackney to realize their full potential and this event builds on the many activities that aim to broaden young women’s artistic aspirations.”

Hackney’s Young Women’s Group has been meeting on Wednesday evenings in central Hackney since May 2009. Additional ‘Girls-Only’ sessions are being held weekly in Frampton Park Youth Club and Fellows Court Youth Project.

For more information please contact Ciara McDonnell ciara.mcdonnell@hackney.gov.uk.

Photo:miskan

McDonald’s in Croydon seems to be taking a leaf out of Burger King’s book by flame grilling…

A fire broke out in the Collonades, Purley Way branch of McDonald’s yesterday afternoon at around 4:20pm, leaving up to 200 people out in the cold, as the fast food restaurant and surrounding buildings, including a gym, were evacuated.

Four fire engines were called from stations in Purley and Croydon to deal with the fire using extinguishers and breathing apparatus.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “It was a small fire, with minor damages, 200 people were evacuated. We were called at 4:23 pm and the fire was out by 5:01 pm. We are yet to establish a cause, but it really was minimal damage.”

The fire investigation team based at New Cross is investigating the cause of the blaze.

Photo: Proposed Bethnal Green Memorial The Stairway To Heaven Memorial Trust

The worst civilian disaster of World War Two was remembered this weekend in Bethnal Green.

The 67^th anniversary of the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster was marked in memory of the 173 that lost their lives in a panic on the stairs of Bethnal Green underground station on March 3, 1943.

The Tube station was being used as a shelter to protect civilians from German bombs but the panic that set created the accident was the result of friendly fire when the British army  tested their guns in Victoria Park.

Amongst the people attending the service were the few remaining survivors and those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.

Derek Spicer of the ‘Stairway To Heaven Memorial Trust’ said: “The service is even more important this year than ever.  Some of the local community weren’t even aware of it”.

The ‘Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust’ was set up to raise more than £600,000 to erect a statue to commemorate the lives of those who were crushed. If the Trust receives enough support, it will be placed above the underground entrance, displaying the names of those who were lost.

At the moment, all that marks the fatalities of 1943 is a plaque at the station staircase.

So far, the charity has raised £200,000 and representatives from the Trust will be collecting at Bethnal Green tube station this Friday.

Alternatively, if you would like to donate, please visit http://www.stairwaytoheavenmemorial.org/