China Town has lost...

Hello to you all,
I have been away from town for 3 weeks courtesy of the Flu and trapped nerves in my neck,
I went in yesterday and was shocked to see how fast the eviction of China Town is taking place...
Several places that I regularly frequent are now boarded up.
I had a quick talk with some of the local businesses who basically said they had given up and are moving out within the next 2 weeks...the deadline for the eviction.
Some of them can not find or afford other premises in the area and are now having to completly change their life around and find somewhere new to restart, but it won`t be in town as rent and rates are to expensive so the only options are low rent areas...read high crime, and being alienated from the now scattered chinese comunity that most of them have grown up with.

So yet another loss of a landmark and comunity to trendy High street shops that you only have to go around the corner to see others just like them...but you can`t go around the corner and see another China Town.
If this trend continues how many other landmark sites are we going to lose? maybe "the powers that be" don`t want tourists and just want trendy shoppers, maybe they spend more.
This was a cake shop and restaurant
Pizza no take away
Ex fancy goods shop in the square
Shop on the corner of Newport Place
The Contractors

yours
The Reverend Rat
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This is taken straight from the Campaign website.

Judgment decides Court Battle.
The judgment in the case involving the final tenant of Sandringham Building, Tuk Tuk Noodle Bar, was handed down on 16 February 2005 by Judge Levy of the Central London County Court. Judge Levy found for Rosewheel Ltd (Rosewheel) and against Tuk Tuk Noodle Bar (Tuk Tuk). Judge Levy granted possession of Unit 11 in Sandringham Building to Rosewheel, thus sanctioning Tuk Tuk's eviction.

The case focussed on the issue of planning permission. Tuk Tuk argued that planning permission was required for Phase 1 Rosewheel's development plan. Rosewheel argued that it did not need planning permission. In effect, if Rosewheel was unsuccessful at obtaining planning permission, there would be no point evicting the tenants.

In Judge Levy's judgement, he agreed that the Phase 1 development required planning permission. However, he was of the opinion that Rosewheel would probably have no problems obtaining the required planning permission. Therefore he gave judgment for Rosewheel to evict Tuk Tuk.

The Save Chinatown Campaign is disappointed with the outcome of the case. The Campaign considered that the separation of the development plan into two Phases was designed to circumvent the planning requirements. Together with Tuk Tuk, the Campaign will study the judgment to examine the prospects in appeal.

The Campaign commends Tuk Tuk's courage to stand firm under extreme pressure. It is Tuk Tuk's legal battle that is keeping alive the fight to protect community spaces in Chinatown. Rosewheel's plans have outraged the community and many Londoners. The Save Chinatown Campaign has received over 7,000 petition cards to date objecting to the Rosewheel Sandringham development. With your help, the Campaign will continue to resist Rosewheel's redevelopment of London Chinatown.
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