1. What is the Save Chinatown Campaign?
This is a campaign to stop plans by a property developer, Rosewheel Ltd, to demolish and redevelop the eastern part of London Chinatown. Rosewheel has already served eviction notices on long-established small businesses in Chinatown and has obtained planning permisison for the development without consultation with the London Chinese community.
2. Which shops are being affected?
The building identified for development is Sandringham Court, which is located immediately east of the pagoda from Newport Street and backs on to Charing Cross Road. This includes many long established businesses that have been in there since the building was built in 1985.
For example: -
Golden Gate Chinese Grocers, Garden Restaurant, Harvest Fresh Fish Shop - the only fresh fish shop, Chinatown Jewellery - the only Chinese jewellery shop, and the only Chinese kitchen untensil shop in Chinatown.
3. Why will this development affect the rest of Chinatown?
According to Rosewheel’s own projections, the rent after the redevelopment will rise to between 200% to 500% - a rate that only chain businesses can afford. This will have a knock-on effect on rental prices in the rest of Chinatown which will eventually force many Chinese businesses out of Chinatown.
Further, the Save Chinatown Campaign has received information that Rosewheel is already planning to enlarge its initial development plan. Rosewheel not only intends to develop Sandringham Court, but it also has set its sights on the whole of Newport Court which is the block next to Sandringham Court (2-8 Newport Place and 18-26 Newport Court). The campaign has genuine concerns that this development will drive out small traditional businesses from the area and replace it with multi-national chain outlets, destroying Chinatown's unique characteristics.
4. What stage is the development at?
Rosewheel has issued eviction notices to 17 tenants in Sandringham Court. These tenancies will expire in March 2005. All, bar one, are due to vacate the premises on the 24th March 2005. Westminster Council has granted Rosewheel license to complete ‘Phase 1’ work on the property. This will enable the Rosewheel to change the internal floor plan of the building. The developers are scheduled to apply for ‘Phase 2’ planning permission for the development of Sandringham Court in the first half of 2005. Planning permission will require a full public consultation. The Save Chinatown Campaign will be encouraging the public to engage with this process.
5. Has there been any consultation with the community?
The Save Chinatown Campaign was set up precisely because there was no consultation with the Chinese community on this development. To this date there have been no public consultation by either Westminster or Rosewheel on the proposed development of Sandringham Court.
6. How could Westminster Council approve their (Phase 1) planning permission without consultation?
The Save Chinatown Campaign has been asking this very question since it was set up.
We have been concerned about a possible conflict of interest involving Dunlop Heywood & Lorenz, a property management company. Westminster Council, the freeholder of Sandringham Court, was using Dunlop Heywood as their managing agents who also advised Rosewheel on the strategy for developing Sandringham Court.
7. What can be done to stop this redevelopment?
There are various stages in the development where it can must stop for public scrutiny, eg. while it is seeking planning permission, or when conducting a race equality impact assessment.
The Save Chinatown Campaign aims to inform everyone about Rosewheel's proposals for redevelopment. The campaign relies on the public making their objections known especially at the times of public scrutiny.
8. How could millions of pounds of investment be a bad thing for Chinatown?
The Save Chinatown Campaign is not against investment or in the regeneration of Chinatown. We are keen to ensure that any redevelopment is made in the interest of the Chinese and wider London community. It is important that any development should maintains the cultural integrity of the area, and carries the endorsement and support of the local community. Recently, Camberwell had similar multi-million pound development that drove out 30 black businesses. The Evening Standard reported this and called it 'ETHNIC CLEANSING’. Lord Ouseley conducted an inquiry on the development and said: "We have heard a lot of different experiences (of black businesses) and they have a common theory of oppression-and destroying people's lives.” The Chinese businesses in Sandringham Court are going through a similar experience.
9. Chinatown needs improving, the Chinese community does not have the money to improve the area, why does the community oppose people spending to improve Chinatown?
The Save Chinatown Campaign supports proposals to regenerate Chinatown on the basis that it sustains the cultural integrity of the area. This has to be done through public consultation with the local community. Rosewheel’s development proposal has not attempted to address either of these issues.
10. The property belongs to the landlord. How can we object to the landlord doing what he wants with his property?
The freeholder of Sandringham Court is Westminster Council. The leaseholder is Rosewheel Ltd, who is also the developer. Westminster Council, as a public authority, has a duty to promote racial equality and diversity. The campaign considers that the Council has a duty to ensure that ethnic minority communities within Westminster are not destroyed by multi-national business. By allowing this development without consulting the Chinese community, the Council has failed in its duty to the community.
11. The landlord has already agreed to compensate the tenants. Why does the Chinese community still object to the development?
The tenants have been offered the statutory minimum compensation. The amount of compensation offered is not sufficient for any of the tenants to relocate their businesses to a location in Chinatown where they will have a similar a trading platform. Chinatown will lose essential services as a result. The Save Chinatown Campaign is concerned with the way that both Westminster City Council (through its agent Dunlop Heywood & Lorenz) and Rosewheel have dealt with the Chinese businesses affected by this development. The tenants were given inaccurate information, and subject to psychological and financial bullying in a concerted attempt to pressurise them into giving up their tenancies.
12. Why is demolishing the pagoda a bad thing?
Rosewheel also plans to remove the Feng Shui Pagoda in Newport Place and to build a new one inside their redeveloped building.
The Pagoda was financed and built by Chinese businesses in Chinatown. Rosewheel has not consulted the community on its plans to demolish the pagoda.
Members of the community believe that removing the pagoda will affect the Feng Shui of Chinatown and protection it gives to the community. Many in the Chinese community believe in Feng Shui. The Feng Shui Pagoda is a cultural metaphor, it protects the community from bad weather. By having a pagoda inside the building is to bring bad luck to the community. Only when there is a roof leak or collapsed roof would one needs a pagoda indoor to get shelter. It will also remove a key landmark that represents the cultural identity of Chinatown and Chinese community in London. Moreover it will remove a recognised site that makes it one of the top five most satisfying visit experiences for tourists.