File:Pond House 162 Lower Clapton Road Planning Application Listed buildings Clapton Pond E5 and 158 & 160.jpg

English: One the right, the surviving pair of a Georgian Terrace, of which re southen part was demolished in the 1880s to make an access for the Baden Powell Estate -Grade II listed. On the left , Pond House, a rare for Hackney Grade II* listed building. The planning application 2008/3076 and 2008/3077 is to demolished the garages and rear brick extension of Pond House, and replace it with a modern block stepped up to the roof height of the Listed buildings. The new building is completely out of keeping (p.36 here) with the brick surroundings, both of these and the two storey brick terraces of Mildenhall Road and the listed buildings around the Conservation area of Clapton Pond (p. 24 here)

Pond House has been bought by a company registered in 2006 above a Laundrette in Stamford Hill There is an implicit threat in the planning application that if the unsightly and overly massive development on the garages is not permitted the restoration of the Grade 2 star listed Pond House will not be possible. The scenario then is that Pond House will be left to rot, something not without precedent in the world of Hackney if this outrageous development in Mildenhall Road is not allowed, and one which would set an unpleasant precedent for development in the conservation area. Comments on the above proposal may be submitted to Hackney Planning Department until 27 April

Write to hackneyplanning@hackney.gov.uk