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!!!

The Big 6 Launch!

Mahmood Faiz at the Big 6 launch

To celebrate the Games the Council is laying on 6 events across Waltham Forest. The events are:

  • Winter Wonderland – A seasonal experience featuring Santa and his reindeer and a 300 square metre ice rink to test your skating skills

  • New Year’s Fireworks – Two displays in the north and South of the borough

  • Party on the Pitch – A top pop event at Leyton Orient football stadium

  • Modern Symphony – A live concert in Walthamstow

  • 2012 Festival of Sports – A chance to try your hand at a series of sporting challenges

  • Forest Film Fest – A summer weekend of outdoor cinema screenings

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.

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

Drapers Field – update!

Drapers Field - lost to the community for at least 16 months

The planning application by the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) to use Drapers Fieldis is still to be submitted to Waltham Forest Council’s Planning Committee. News is that it will go to the Planning Committee in August. The information regarding how much compensation that the Council will get, through what is known as section 106 and section 111, has still to be finalised.

The money received will be used to improve Abbotts Park, Marsh Lane and of course Drapers Field.

The good news is that the money allocated to Drapers Field will be to re-instate the all-weather pitch and introduce new landscaping, access, and community sports facilities. This is good news, as previously there was no mention of the all-weather pitch, or sports facilities being replaced, only that Drapers would be turned into a ‘special park’.

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan reports that other not so good news is that the ODA want to chop down two mature trees so that they can get access to the field by their lorries. He has followed this up and it is being challenged by council officers in the tree department who feel that access can be achieved without chopping down the trees. Councillor Sullivan will update again when he receives any further news on this.

Drapers Field – planning application received!

Drapers Field to be closed to the community for at least 16 months

A planning application has finally been lodged with the Council for the temporary use of Drapers Field as a service centre/store for the Olympic Village.

The application number is: 2011/0623, and comments can be made online at the Waltham Forest website, or by post to the Planning Officers at the Town Hall.

Local residents have been very concerned about what the Labour Council has in mind for the reinstatement of this historic playing field when it is returned in 2013.

Kinnear Landscape Architects were commissioned to develop improvements, and their plans will be subject to a public consultation event to be held at Drapers Field on Tuesday 14 June, between 3 and 7 pm. Council officers and the design team will be present.

Don’t miss this opportunity of seeing what the Council has in mind, and making your views known.

Drapers Field update!

This all-weather pitch is scheduled to be destroyed and replaced by hard standing

A planning application was anticipated to be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee in January, regarding the Labour Cabinet’s desire to lease Drapers Field to the Olympic Delivery Authority for a period of 16 months.

During this time the all-weather pitch and the grass football pitches would be ripped out, hard standing installed to allow Drapers Field to be used as a storage centre and laundry for the Olympic Village.

So far, there is no sign of this application!

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan has raised this question at the Town Hall, as the Lib Dems are anxious that residents’ views should not be ignored.

We will let you know about any developments.

Labour hypocrisy over school sports

Drapers Field with all-weather pitch in the distanceWaltham Forest’s Labour councillors have been condemned for outrageous hypocrisy for putting down a motion on school sports partnerships at the last council meeting while simultaneously.

  • Slashing funding to the London Youth Games
  • Hiking charges for schools sports days and other sports activities
  • Seeking to concrete over the playing fields at Drapers Field for two years

Liberal Democrat Councillor Naheed Qureshi said:

Labour talks the talk but we see their true colours when it comes to the decisions for which they are responsible. Their withdrawal of funding for the London Youth Games, school sport fee increases and closure of Drapers Field shows that Labour’s commitment is all words and no action.

Colleague Councillor Bob Sullivan added:

Drapers Field will close for two years so the Olympic Delivery Authority can use the playing fields to do its laundry and catering. This will deprive local children and Norlington school of their current playing fields. Labour has consistently failed to set out any clear plans for the future of Drapers Field once the ODA leaves the site.

Labour councillors at London Councils (Waltham Forest representative Cllr Chris Robbins) earlier this week voted to cut funding for the London Youth Games by £130,000. This will lead to a loss of over half-a-million pounds [£650k] of match funding and raises questions about the future of the Games

Labour councillors have proposed the following sports fee increases

  • A 12% increases in the cost of school football and school cricket
  • A 23% increase in the cost of casual Saturday pitch hire
  • A 25% increase in the cost of hiring Leyton County Cricket Ground
  • Increases of 33%  in school sports day fees

Spotlight on Drapers Field

Leyton Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Sullivan was interviewed by the BBC last Friday (7 January) about his campaign to save Drapers Field.

Waltham Forest Council intends to rent the playing fields to the Olympic Delivery Authority for nearly two years, to concrete it over and use it for a laundry and storage area. This is despite the fact that Drapers Field is used by over 100,000 people a year and nearby Norlington School uses the playing fields four times a week for sports activity.

The council is so embarrassed about the situation that it banned BBC cameras from filming in front of the Drapers Park sign. Bob Sullivan said:

This shows that Labour just wants to sweep this issue under the carpet and avoid scrutiny of their decision. In the run-up to the Olympics we should encourage young people to take part in sport – not take away one of the few playing fields and open spaces in the area.

Labour has still failed to come clean about their plans for Drapers Field after the Olympics, although plans exist which show housing on part of the grounds.