Hackney Mosaic Project Faces Eviction Risk as Council Plans Pavilion Café

Key Points

• Hackney Mosaic Project has used Hackney Downs Pavilion since 2013 and faces losing exclusive access under plans to transform the building.
• Founder Tessa Hunkin, 72, says the proposed café and flexible community space could undermine the stability needed for the group’s large mosaic projects.
• The project began supporting people affected by addiction but has expanded its work to hundreds of vulnerable and isolated residents across Hackney.
• Members say the workshop provides therapeutic benefits, social connection and a sense of belonging that would be difficult to replace.
• Hackney Council first announced plans in November 2025 to repurpose underused changing-room facilities into a café and flexible community space.
• The initial proposal included a café seating 30 to 40 people, an accessible toilet, food preparation facilities and staff office space.
• The council says the redesigned venue will continue to provide space that community groups and residents can hire.
• About 2,800 people had backed an online petition calling for the Hackney Mosaic Project to remain at the Pavilion within a week of its launch, according to the supplied report.
• The Mosaic Project says finding another suitable venue is difficult because its work requires particular space and stability.
• The group is expected to remain at the Pavilion for at least another three months while discussions and plans continue.

Extra London News (ELN) October 7, 2026 – Hackney Mosaic Project is facing an uncertain future at the Hackney Downs Pavilion after more than a decade at the site, as Hackney Council progresses proposals to transform the former sports pavilion into a café and flexible community facility. The project says losing exclusive access would threaten the environment in which volunteers create large-scale mosaics and provide support to vulnerable and isolated residents. The council, however, says the revised plans will continue to provide opportunities for community groups to hire space at the venue.

The dispute centres on whether the redevelopment can accommodate both the proposed commercial and community uses while preserving the specialist environment that Hackney Mosaic Project says it needs.

Why is Hackney Mosaic Project facing the loss of its workshop?

The Hackney Mosaic Project has worked from Hackney Downs Pavilion since 2013, developing a long-running programme of mosaic-making and community activity.

According to the report supplied from MyLondon, founder Tessa Hunkin said the project could effectively lose its home if the council’s redevelopment proposal is approved in its current direction.

Hunkin, who is 72, said the character of the existing building was important to the people who use it. She argued that a shared or hired space would not provide the same sense of ownership and continuity.

“There will be no sense of place. You can’t make it yours,” Hunkin told MyLondon. She said the Pavilion had developed a character and identity that helped make it welcoming and supportive.

The project requires room to work on large mosaics over extended periods. Hunkin’s concern is therefore not simply about the availability of a room for occasional sessions, but whether the proposed arrangement would offer sufficient stability for the group’s activities.

The organisation has also developed a distinctive relationship with the local community through public art projects. Its work has included mosaics for housing estates, playgrounds and private clients, including London Zoo.

What role does the Mosaic Project play in the Hackney community?

The Hackney Mosaic Project was originally established to support people living with addiction. Over time, its activities expanded to include a wider group of vulnerable and isolated people across the borough.

Hunkin told MyLondon that the project has supported “hundreds” of people and has become a place where residents can participate in creative activity while developing relationships with others.

She particularly highlighted older residents, widows and volunteers experiencing significant changes in their lives.

The project combines practical artistic work with regular social contact. Participants collaborate over periods of months on major mosaic installations, creating a routine that members say is an important part of their lives.

Hunkin also argued that the project’s value should not be assessed only in financial terms.

She said public art can improve shared spaces and give residents something that connects them across different backgrounds and circumstances.

The project’s supporters therefore see the Pavilion as more than a workshop. They regard it as a community environment that enables artistic production, social interaction and participation in public life.

Why do members say the workshop is important to them?

Members have described the prospect of losing the Pavilion as deeply upsetting because of the routine and social structure provided by the project.

Ken Edwards, 62, has attended weekly sessions since being referred to the project by an alcohol rehabilitation centre in the early 2010s.

Speaking to MyLondon, Edwards described the potential loss of the project as “devastating”. He explained that attending the workshop had become a regular part of his week, with sessions on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

He also described mosaic-making as therapeutic because of its detailed nature and the satisfaction of seeing a project gradually completed.

For Edwards, the value also comes from seeing other people enjoy work that he helped create.

His comments illustrate the connection some participants have developed between the artistic activity and their personal routines.

Other members have similarly argued that the project offers a type of community activity that cannot necessarily be measured through conventional financial returns.

Deborah Chapman said there were already enough cafés in the surrounding area and argued that the existing use of the Pavilion provided a greater community benefit.

Mina Patel, who has volunteered with the project for about two years, said being part of something larger was one of its most important qualities. She described the project as part of Hackney Downs and said removing it would affect the character of the site.

What are Hackney Council’s plans for the Pavilion?

Hackney Council first announced proposals in November 2025 to redevelop the former sports pavilion and make use of changing-room facilities that it considered underused.

The initial proposal included a café capable of accommodating between 30 and 40 visitors. It also proposed an accessible toilet, food preparation facilities and an office for staff.

Alongside the café, the council proposed a relatively small community space available for hourly hire.

The consultation material described the community room as a flexible facility intended to support a range of uses.

The council’s position is that the redevelopment would make greater use of a building that currently has underused areas while creating facilities for wider community use.

However, the Mosaic Project argues that the proposed arrangement could be incompatible with the way its work is organised.

The dispute therefore involves different interpretations of what constitutes effective community use. The council’s plans seek to make the building available to a broader range of users, while the Mosaic Project says its established activities require consistent access and specialist working conditions.

What happened during the council’s consultation?

According to the supplied report, Hackney Council consulted the public about its proposals, with the initial plans receiving overall support.

Hunkin said feedback relating specifically to the Mosaic Project was overwhelmingly supportive of the organisation remaining at the Pavilion.

The project was not opposed to the principle of a café being introduced, she said, but wanted the design reconsidered so that sufficient space could be retained for its work.

“We’re not totally against there being a café being here but the plans should be adapted as there is plenty of space,” Hunkin told MyLondon.

She said the group had hoped the consultation process would result in changes that would protect its position.

However, the project says its concerns remain unresolved as the council continues to develop the proposal.

How has the Mosaic Project responded to the uncertainty?

Hunkin has sought to demonstrate the level of public support for keeping the project at Hackney Downs Pavilion.

An online petition had attracted around 2,800 supporters within a week of being launched, according to the supplied report.

The petition calls for the Hackney Mosaic Project to remain at the Pavilion.

Hunkin said the organisation had paid the council to use the space through the end of September and that the approaching deadline prompted her to seek greater clarity over what would happen next.

She said the group wanted to demonstrate that it represented a form of value that was not necessarily economic.

The petition has consequently become part of the group’s attempt to communicate its community impact as the council considers the next stage of the redevelopment.

Could the Mosaic Project move to another location?

The group is considering alternative venues, but Hunkin said relocating would be difficult.

Mosaic-making involves particular requirements, including sufficient working space and an environment where large projects can be developed over time.

The report says the council previously offered the project a site in Springfield Park in Upper Clapton. According to the project, that location was approximately half the size of its existing workshop.

That proposal did not resolve the organisation’s concerns about finding a suitable alternative.

For a group producing large mosaics, the physical characteristics of a replacement site are particularly significant. A venue may technically provide room for meetings but still be unsuitable for storing materials, constructing large artworks and accommodating volunteers during extended projects.

The organisation therefore continues to assess alternatives while seeking to remain at Hackney Downs.

What has Hackney Council said about the redevelopment?

Hackney Council has defended the principle of transforming the Pavilion and said the plans have been adjusted following public feedback.

Councillor Jacob Cable, the council’s Cabinet Member for Climate, Clean Air, Energy and Transport, said the authority had asked residents for feedback on proposals to transform what it described as an underused facility into a new café and flexible community space.

According to the statement supplied from the council, the overall consultation response was strongly supportive.

Cable said changes had been made to the design as a result of the feedback and that the updated proposals would be published in the following months.

He also said the plans would continue to include a space that community groups and residents could hire for different purposes.

Cable’s statement specifically addressed the position of Hackney Mosaic Project, saying the group would continue to have the opportunity to hire space at the venue.

The council noted that the project has historically hired space at the Pavilion for approximately six to nine hours each week.

This is a significant point of difference between the two sides.

The Mosaic Project is concerned about losing exclusive access and the continuity associated with its current workshop. The council’s position, as described by Cable, is that continued access through a bookable community facility can meet the project’s needs while allowing other residents and groups to use the building.

Why is the question of exclusive access important?

The disagreement is partly about how the Pavilion is used and who controls access to the space.

The council’s proposal is based on the idea of making the facility available to a broader section of the community. A flexible booking system would potentially allow different organisations and residents to use the space.

For Hackney Mosaic Project, however, its existing use is built around continuity.

Its members work on large mosaics over extended periods and maintain materials and projects within their workshop environment. Hunkin argues that this requires more than occasional access.

The distinction between exclusive and shared access could therefore determine whether the project can continue in substantially the same form.

The council has not indicated that it intends to remove the project from Hackney Downs altogether. Instead, its stated position is that the project will retain the opportunity to hire space.

The unresolved question is whether that arrangement would provide enough space and continuity for the organisation’s established activities.

What happens next for Hackney Mosaic Project?

The Mosaic Project is expected to remain at the Pavilion for at least another three months, according to the supplied report.

During that period, the organisation will continue considering alternatives while seeking further information about the council’s revised design.

Hackney Council is also expected to publish changes made to the redevelopment proposal following consultation.

That information should provide greater detail about the size, layout and availability of the proposed community space and how organisations such as the Mosaic Project could use it.

The eventual outcome will depend on the council’s final proposals and any subsequent planning or change-of-use processes that apply.

For the Mosaic Project, the immediate priority is to establish whether the redesigned Pavilion can continue to support its existing programme without removing the stability that members say is central to their work.

What is the background to the Hackney Downs Pavilion dispute?

Hackney Mosaic Project has operated from Hackney Downs Pavilion since 2013. Its original focus was supporting people affected by addiction, but its activities subsequently developed into a wider community programme involving vulnerable and isolated residents.

The organisation creates mosaics collaboratively, with projects sometimes taking several months to complete. Its work has included public art for housing estates and playgrounds as well as commissions from private organisations.

One of its best-known local works is the “Hounds of Hackney Downs”, a mural depicting past and present dogs associated with the area.

Hackney Council’s redevelopment plans emerged in November 2025 and focused on bringing underused areas of the former sports pavilion back into use. The proposal combined a café with a flexible community facility.

The consultation process generated strong overall support for the redevelopment, according to the council, while the Mosaic Project said feedback specifically supported its continued presence.

The council subsequently said the design was being modified in response to consultation feedback.

The dispute now centres on how the revised scheme will balance wider public access with the specialist needs of an organisation that has occupied the Pavilion for more than a decade.

How could the redevelopment affect Hackney Mosaic Project and local residents?

If the council’s plans proceed while the Mosaic Project moves to a shared-use arrangement, the organisation could face changes to how frequently and consistently it can use the Pavilion.

For project members, particularly those who depend on regular sessions, any disruption could affect an established routine and community network.

For the wider public, the redevelopment could create a café and flexible community space with opportunities for other organisations and residents to use the building.

The outcome will therefore depend on whether the final design can accommodate both objectives without significantly reducing the Mosaic Project’s ability to operate.