If you are interested in making sure there are new social centres to fill the void, please come along to the meeting on the 6th. (more details closer to the time).

In the meantime, in their last newsletter, the rampART collective made a call out for help sorting out RAMpart2 (toward bottom below)...

The whole out of the blue eviction threat smacks of a vindictive punitive reaction to the campaign of objection against the proposed demolition of the houses next to the social center. It turns out that the so-called new owners of the houses are in fact a wholly owned subsidiary of the 'previous owner', the Rampart Trust Co Ltd that still owns the warehouse which the social center occupies. Even though there is no planning permission in place or applied for in relation to the social centre, they claim that they intend to start demolition in Jan/Feb 2008. Obviously this is impossible and they know it, so their attempt to have us evicted is not really because of any impending work in the new year.

Speaking of planning, it is still possible to lodge objections against the proposed new houses on the site of the existing houses. The officer dealing with the case is currently on leave and so the consultation period has apparently not been closed. If you've not yet written and especially if your address is one in Towerhamlets, then please write a letter perhaps objecting to the proposal on the grounds that it involved a demolition inside the conservation zone and the new construction will totally change the character of this piece of east end heritage. You might also mention that the owner is on record as planning to make an application relating to the building next door and therefore the development should be considered as a whole to really understand the visual impact that the changes currently proposed might have.

As well as providing your name and address, you need to clearly specify in the subject the application number PA/07/02707 and the fact that the letter is for OBJECTION (eg. subject : Objection to Application PA/07/02707 - 7-11a Rampart Street)

All the objection letter can be sent to Benson Olaseni, who will circulate the letter to Simon Ryan the case officer.

Here is the email :  benson.olaseni@towerhamlets.gov.uk

You might be interested to know that the solicitors working for the owner in their claim to have us evicted are Brecher Solicitors who are at Heron Place, 3 George Street, London ( admin@brecher.co.uk, 02075631000) and give that address as the care of address for the co-claimants, the Rampart Trust Company Ltd (owned by Mr Wolfe) and RMO Developments Ltd (owned by Rampart Trust Co. Ltd)

While they keep their addresses off the claim, an internet search provides the following info.

RAMPART TRUST CO LIMITED (Registered No. 00394626)
27 NORRICE LEA, LONDON, N2 0RD

Rmo Developments Ltd. (Registration Number: 6183351)
Mowbray House, 58/70 Edgware Way
Edgware Middlesex HA8 8DJ

A little over a year ago, a property company sent somebody called Richard Selby to visit the buildings with Mr Wolfe, the beneficiary of the Rampart Trust - apparently to show a financier around for the purposes of a valuation. Coincidentally this Heritage Group (020 8958 0000  info@heritagegroup.co.uk) actually shares the same address as RMO Developments Ltd.

The agent acting for the owner in all dealings relating to the proposed developments is Alan Camp Architects ( +44 (0)20 7593 1000  mail@alancamp.com 88 Union Street London SE1 0NW). They've also had the involvement of Miller Property Consultants (17 Hogarth Avenue, Brentwood, Essex CM15 8BE 01277 233 100 / 07957 544 007  advice@millerproperty.co.uk).

I'm sure that in some countries there would be hordes of angry direct action anarchist types and cyber hackers causing obstruction and disruption to the evil ones but here things are usually done differently. We are making a call out for the following...

Offers of vans and drivers for transport when we have to move out.

Ideas and offers of storage space for the resources in the rampART

Notification of empties for future new social centres

Mobile phone numbers of those willing to drop everything to come defend the space.

Volunteers for people to reccy and access shortlisted buildings

Mobile numbers of people up for initially holding down a newly opened building.

A signup sheet of those up for helping clean up and fix up such a building.

A list of those people either wanting to act as live in 'care takers' or those up for being on an occupation rota.

email rampart at mutualaid dot org

We are also organising a meeting which aims to breath new life into opening not just one new space to replace the rampART but initiate a london social centres collective which would try to ensure that there are plenty of social centres, preferable throughout London on an ongoing basis.

It will take place 2pm Sunday 6th Jan 08
please pass the word and come along if this interests you.