Iain's Story

It's etched in my memory: 23 July 1984. The tension, the hope, the sheer willpower of everyone involved. We had just come through two gruelling public inquiries about the Coin Street site.

After the first inquiry, all the commercial office schemes and our community planning proposals were refused planning consent by the Secretary of State. But we didn't give up. We fought harder and, after the second inquiry, the Government approved both the community and commercial office plans. Now, everything depended on one crucial thing: owning the land. 

The Greater London Council (GLC) owned three of the eight Coin Street sites. The rest were held by commercial developers. Initially, the GLC backed the commercial developers, but then everything changed in 1981, with the election of Ken Livingstone’s administration. Now we had the support of the GLC and Lambeth Council, and shortly after, Southwark Council joined us as well. It felt like the tide was finally turning in our favour.  

By 1984, the stakes couldn't have been higher. The Government was threatening to take over Lambeth Council and had announced plans to abolish the GLC. Seven years of relentless campaigning were at risk of going down the drain. We had to secure the land and undertake the development ourselves.  

The Greater London Enterprise Board (GLEB) stepped in with a lifeline — a £100,000 loan for professional advice. It was a make-or-break moment. If we succeeded, the loan would be part of our overall borrowing. If not, GLEB would write it off.  

With this support, we got the legal advice we needed. We discovered a way for the GLC to sell us the site at 'best value’, despite the large commercial office consent in place. George Nicholson, the GLC planning chair, managed to negotiate the purchase of the five sites owned by commercial developers for £2.4 million.  

In March 1984, we formed Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB), and negotiations with the GLC began in earnest, led by GLC assistant director general Bob Lane. Those months were a whirlwind of meetings, legal paperwork, and financial arrangements.  

Then came that unforgettable day. At noon, on 23 July, all five main GLC committees were summoned for a joint meeting. By 2pm, the resolutions were passed, and lawyers from all sides gathered. Just when we thought we were nearing the finish line, the GLEB solicitor dropped a bombshell — GLEB now wanted a 50% share of CSCB as a condition of its loan.  

We had come so far, and now it seemed like it could all slip away. The hours dragged on as solicitors at Westminster Council scrutinised the GLC papers for possible legal challenges. By 7pm, the sale was being debated in the House of Lords. It was Michael Ward, chair of the GLC’s industry and employment committee, who persuaded GLEB to drop its demand. By 11pm, we had signed all the legal documents. Loans totalling just over £1 million had funded the purchase.  

The very next day, the Government restricted further asset disposals by the GLC. We had just made it. Against all odds, we had secured 13 acres of central London land for the community. The joy and relief were overwhelming. It wasn't just a victory for us, but for the entire community that had stood by us through thick and thin. This land, our land, was now a symbol of what determination, unity, and unwavering hope could achieve.