Leyton Orient bid to move to Eton Manor refused

Leyton Orient FC, backed by Waltham Forest Council, approached The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) who own the Eton Manor site which is in Leyton ward, with a bid to take over the planned hockey stadium and turn it into a football and rugby stadium after the Olympics. The Orient bid would in the words of Barry Hearn, Orient’s Chairman, make the post Olympic Eton Manor area more sustainable and enable the football club to remain in Waltham Forest. He said that if he could not move to Eton Manor then the club was likely to move out of the area or fade away. A detailed financial appraisal was presented to LVRP Executive committee in November. The Executive referred its decision to a Special Authority meeting on the 15th December.

The LVRP authority meeting on the 15th considered a report from the LVRP Chief Executive outlining the reasons why it could not agree to Leyton Orient’s plans and to refuse Orient’s request.

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan says that as the Waltham Forest member on the LVRP authority he enthused the sustainability of the Orient’s bid and said that he and Waltham Forest residents would not like to see the football club move from Waltham Forest. Unfortunately, all other members voted against Orient’s proposals.

Bob is not sure what Barry Hearn and Leyton Orient FC will do now. He hopes that their forecast of the future can be resolved and the club can stay at Brisbane Road.

New plans for Marsh Lane Playing Field

Plans have been received by the Council to redevelop the Marsh Lane playing fields.

The development proposals are:-

  • To construct a new pavilion building, comprising new changing rooms and community facilities following the demolition of the existing pavilion.
  • The football pitches will be relaid and marked out.
  • The existing basketball court will be resurfaced and flood lighting will be installed.
  • There will be relocation and remodelling of existing play space and the introduction of an additional play area.
  • There will be a new car park accessed from Seymour Road and the footpaths will be resurfaced and extra lighting erected.

The funding for this will come from the money given by the Olympic Delivery Authority for the use of Drapers Field till 2013 for a warehousing facility. This, along with other funds, will go someway to alleviate the loss by residents, clubs and schools of Drapers Field.

Labour Council ignores residents and closes Harrow Green Library

Harrow Green Library axed by Labour CouncilLast Thursday the Labour Council voted to close down Harrow Green Library. Residents had raised a petition of over 5,000 signatures and local Lib Dems had also raised a petition of over 1,1000 signatures to save the library.

Despite these petitions, fierce local residents’ opposition to the proposal and impassioned speeches, Labour Councillors voted to close the Library. The Tories abstained and the Liberal Democrats were the only party to vote against the closure. Even local Labour Councillors, whose residents had campaigned to stop the closure, voted to shut down Harrow Green Library.

Local Lib Dem Cann Hall Ward Councillor Liz Phillips, who has been leading the campaign in the council said:

“Local residents worked hard on this issue and took time out of their day to come and speak in the debate in good faith, only to find that the Labour Party had stitched up the result in advance.

“I’m not surprised that some residents walked out in disgust. Labour has refused to listen to local residents all along and this council meeting was no different.

“The Labour councillors can’t use a cut in the budget to hide the fact that it is them who are closing down our local library.”

The closure was based on the widely criticised libraries’ review and despite the consultation process, two petitions and recommendations from the council’s own scrutiny panel that no libraries needed to close, the Labour leadership refused to change course.

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Libraries’ Review has been widely criticised and appears to have been a foregone conclusion from the start.

“The questions asked in the consultation were clearly misleading. For example, residents were asked if they would like their library to start opening on Sundays, but weren’t asked if they minded other libraries closing for this to be achieved.

“Of course residents suggest improved services, but if they knew that the council were robbing Harrow Green to pay for those services I believe they would think again.

Ive Farm Playing Field left derelict!

Ive Farm Playing Field 'abandoned' by Labour 
The playing field at Ive Farm were managed by the SCORE complex in Oliver Road.

They went bust and the fields are now in the hands of the Council, but they continue to lie derelict.

Councillor Bob Sullivan has tried to get the Council to allow the local running club to use the field, but the Council says it does not have any money to make the site safe for use. Bob Sullivan said “The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for the field to be made available to local sports clubs.”

 Interestingly there is £5.5 million due from the Olympic Authority for closing down Drapers Field but not a penny will go on refurbishing this playing field!!!

Save Harrow Green Library petition – update!

Harrow Green Library to be axed by Labour Council

The Liberal Democrat petition to ‘Save Harrow Green Library’ of over 1000 signatures, has been handed to the Council. Along with another residents petition, the total signatures comes to over 4000.

These petitions indicate the overwhelming support by residents that they want to keep the Library open.

The Council’s consultation on the review of libraries has come to an end and will be reported to the Cabinet on the 11th of October.

Lib Dem councillors Liz Phillips and Bob Sullivan were members of a Scrutiny Panel that scrutinised the original Cabinet report.

The Panel noted that the Cabinet report left many questions unanswered and while it contained a great deal of information, it was not always the right information. They felt the report did not do a complete job.

The Panel identified 19 recomendations which will be given to the Cabinet in October. If implemented would support the expansive Library and Information Service, whilst negating the closure of any library.

Among the 19 panel recommendations to enable libraries to afford keeping open were:

  • Shelving Sunday opening and all libraries should be closed on Mondays.
  • Opening hours should be reviewed.
  • The charges for the use of libraries to be reviewed.
  • Consider locating staff from rental premises to space currently available in Harrow Green Library.
  • Review salaries and grading of staff and review library contracts e.g. cleaning services.

There were many other recommendations, which hopefully, will give the Cabinet reasons to save the libraries from closure.

Save Harrow Green Library – update!

Harrow Green Library - facing the axe!

Thanks to everyone whom has supported the petition to ‘Save Harrow Green Library’. So far, there are over 1,000 signatures with more being received daily. Others too having been collecting signatures.

Petition Closing Soon

The petition is due to be presented to the Mayor in a matter of days. If you would like to show your support please sign our on line petition now at:

http://ourcampaign.org.uk/HarrowGreenLibrary

Thank you

Flats for the Olympics?

A planning application lasting only for three years, has been submitted to the Council. It is a temporary conversion of the Technical Institute, part of the old Leyton Town Hall, entrance in Adelaide Road.

The plan is to convert the inside of the building into 32 residential units:

15 studio flats, 11 x 1 bed flats, 2 x 2 bed flats and 4 x 3 bed flats.

There is obviously going to be a demand for accommodation in Leyton that is near the Olympic Park. Councillor Bob Sullivan said that he would not be surprised if these flats were not snapped up soon after they are built. This is probably what the developers are also thinking.

What they are going to turn them into after three years is anyones guess?

But one thing whatever they do, there is no parking provision. Local residents already have a major problem in parking in the road and more flats without parking spaces, will only add to the problem.

Police stations – not open for business!

A couple of Thursdays ago a resident got mugged in the street. His friend went to Leyton Police station but found the station closed.

He went to Walthamstow and then to Chingford. They were also closed. This was between 9.00am and 10.30am!

He was told that Wanstead was closed and that the nearest Police station open was in Ilford.

The resident was astounded that he could not contact the police about the serious matter of a mugging.

Councillor Bob Sullivan contacted the Police and was told that the opening hours of some police stations in the borough have been temporarily altered in order to deploy as many police officers as possible onto the streets. However, it seems that it is not ‘some’ but all of the police stations in Waltham Forest have had their opening hours reduced and temporarily closed.

 Councillor Sullivan hopes that this is temporary measure and that the closures do not become the norm.

Drapers Field – The Decision!

Drapers Field - to be shut for 2 years

At the Planning Committee meeting this week approval was granted to the ODA to use Drapers Field for 16 months from this September.

In January 2013 Drapers Field will return to the Council. The application included compensation which will be used under a Section 106 agreement to re-provide an upgraded full-size all weather pitch, plus a turfed junior football pitch. There will also be improvements to the Sport England pavilion. Since the Council has decided to carry out the restoration of Drapers Field themselves, it is reported that the Field should be reopened by September 2013.

A Section 111 agreement covers off-site improvements at Marsh Lane and Abbotts Park.

CHURCH LANE CAR PARK

 Also, at the last minute, the multi-utility games area (MUGA) in the Church Lane car park was included. The FOCUS Team believes that this facility should not be unsupervised in the middle of the Shopping Centre, and would be better situated on the field next to the Pastures Centre in Davies Lane, a more central locations for residents in 3 wards, Cann Hall, Cathall and Leytonstone.

What do you think?

We would like to hear from you.

Drapers Field, Leyton – further update!

Council's proposal for Drapers Field

We have manged to get a look at what has been planned for Drapers Field.

The Masterplan (above) shows that the all weather pitch will be re-sited and there is inclusion of some beach volleyball play areas. Maybe the Council is thinking of re-applying for the £100,000 lottery money that it had to return last year when they made arrangements to give the site to the Olympic Authority for warehousing space for the Olympics.

Below is a closer look at the planned beach volleyball area:

The beach volleyball area

Click on this link to enlarge the Masterplan:

Drapers Field – masterplan