Week in Brief

TOWER HAMLETS

Online Petition Launched Against Sainsbury’s Development in Whitechapel

A petition set up by a Whitechapel community group opposing a new Sainsbury’s superstore has reached over 300 signatures.

The planning proposal submitted to Tower Hamlets Council for a redevelopment of the Sainsbury’s store includes a 28-storey tower block and space for 608 homes. The planned development is 80 yards away from the Grade I listed Trinity Green Almshouses, built in 1695. Community group ‘Friends of Trinity Green’ launched an online petition on the change.org site opposing the tower block.

Spitalfields Restaurant fined after Customer Drank Cleaning Fluid

A Japanese restaurant in Spitalfields has been fined £6,970 after a customer ingested de-scaler in a cup of jasmine tea.

The Japanese Canteen’s representatives pleaded guilty on February 11 at Thames Magistrates Court. They admitted they had not adequately trained staff in health and safety but had taken immediate steps to correct the isolated incident.

Tower Hamlets Environmental Health and Trading Standards Service led an investigation into the incident that happened in April 2015. The customer claimed to experience a burning sensation after drinking the tea, but was otherwise unharmed.

 

HACKNEY

Hackney Council Encourages Residents to Call Hate Crime Hotline

A new 24 hour helpline for reporting hate crime is available to residents of Hackney.

Stop Hate supports those who have been subjected to abuse because of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, nationality, disability, religion, beliefs or sexual orientation. This can be in the form of physical attacks, verbal abuse and damage to property.

 

Callers to the line can get support and guidance. Anyone who feels they have been victim of hate crimes can call the Stop Hate line on 0800 138 1625.

Kickstarter Campaign Launched for Hackney Cinema

A crowd-funding campaign has been launched to refurbish the Castle Electric Theatre by the company behind Hot Tub Cinema and Pillow Cinema.

Plans are to revive the former cinema on Brooksby’s Walk, Homerton, into a 60 seat, single screen cinema “to celebrate the full breadth of cinema from independents to blockbusters”.

The campaign has until March 30 to raise £45,000 if it is to open in June 2016. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pillowcinema/revive-the-castle-cinema)

 

LEWISHAM

Unexploded WWII Bomb Found in Lewisham.

An unexploded WWII bombshell discovered in Catford has been dealt with safely according to Lewisham Police.

Officers attended the scene before 10am March 1 after residents on Sandhurst Road uncovered the bomb.

It could be related to a German bombing raid that hit Catford on January 20 1943. 44 people, including 38 school children were killed and a further 60 injured when German bombs hit Sandhurst Primary School.

Sandhurst Road reopened around 12.45pm after experts safely dealt with the incident.

Justin Bieber Awards Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust Choir

Justin Bieber has presented the Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust choir with their official award for Christmas number 1 at a hotel in central London.

Bieber tweeted his support for the choir’s Christmas number 1 bid to his 76 million followers in December 2015. The choir reached the number 1 spot with their single A Bridge over You, beating Bieber’s Love Yourself track into second.

Dog dies after house fire in Catford

One dog has died and five others have been rescued from a house fire in Catford.

A team of 21 firefighters and officers attended the house on Farley Road at around 11am.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and is currently under investigation.

 

CROYDON

Croydon hit “17 times harder” by cuts than Surrey, claim Labour.

Local government cuts will hit Croydon residents 17 times harder than those in nearby Surrey according to Labour.

Cuts voted through Parliament in February 2016 saw Croydon’s annual spending per-household cut by £247.89. The same cut in Surrey is £14.24, according to research by Croydon North MP Steve Reed.

Conservative MP for Croydon South Chris Philp described Mr Reed’s figures as ‘completely misleading’. He claimed they included sources of all local government funding including grants, not just money directly from the government.

Grant funding is at £270 per head in Croydon compared to £88 in Surrey.

 

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