Wednesday 16 December 2015

Future of Ice Rink

Hi everyone

The LVRPA are asking our opinion on their plans for the ice rink. It’s very short notice, but hopefully you’ll be able to attend one of the drop-in sessions outlined below.

There isn’t enough time for us to meet before the drop-in sessions, but it would be great to see as many people as possible at the Save Lea Marshes meeting on Monday 14 December to discuss the feedback from the sessions and think about our collective response. It’s at 7.30 at the Princess of Wales pub.

Please share far and wide!

Abi

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Andrews, Pauline" <pandrews@leevalleypark.org.uk>
Subject: The Future of Ice Skating in the Lee Valley - Feasibility Study Information Session
Date: 3 December 2015 13:17:11 GMT



Lee Valley Regional Park Authority – the body which owns Lee Valley Ice Centre – is carrying out a feasibility study on the provision of ice activities in the Lee Valley.

The hugely popular Lee Valley Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road is more than 30 years old and we need to look at the future.

The centre is open up to 19 hours a day, seven days a week and is a well-established and well-used community asset that draws around 370,000 visits from the local community, across London and further afield.

The study is looking at three main options:
1. Refurbish the current venue
2. Build a new venue at the current site on Lea Bridge Road
3. Build a new centre elsewhere in Lee Valley Regional Park

We’re looking at these options so that we can meet the growing demand for public skating, community and national programmes and have greater flexibility to host major events, including internationals. One possibility is
a venue with two ice rinks which would allow public skating sessions and events to take place simultaneously.

We’re holding two drop-in sessions to bring you up to speed and answer any questions you have.

Wednesday 9 December, 17:00 - 18:00 at Lee Valley Ice Centre

Saturday 12 December, 10:30 - 11:30 at WaterWorks Centre (across the road from  Lee Valley Ice Centre)

Please let us know if you’ll be attending by emailing pandrews@leevalleypark.org.uk


Pauline Andrews 
PA to Shaun Dawson Chief Executive
Tel: 01992 709 856 
 
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Myddelton House, Bulls Cross, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9HG
Tel: 01992 717 711 Fax: 01992 719 937 
Web: visitleevalley.org.uk

2016 Calendar




Save Lea Marshes is an open group of  local people concerned to keep the marshes and green spaces of the Lea Valley open and green for wildlife and local people.  For further information go to
www.saveleamarshes.org.uk

 
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A Sneak Preview of Our Calendar!


It's not long to go now until Christmas and we want to make sure that you've all had the chance to snap up a Save Lea Marshes calendar in time!



Above are two beautiful images featured in the calendar, Mist Over the Marshes by Manal Massalha and Gold Trees by Emma Cameron. It is packed full of more lovely photos snapped by local people and submitted for the 'What I Love About the Marshes' photo competition that we ran in 2013.


To get hold of a copy, make sure you order as soon as possible from our website 


A number of local shops, including Pages of Hackney in Clapton and Londis in Stoke Newington are also stocking our calendar. We will be selling our calendar at our stall this coming weekend at the Abney Park Fun Day on Saturday 12th December between 11am-3pm.


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You signed up for this email by contacting us directly or ticking a sign up sheet on a petition.

Our mailing address is:
Save Lea Marshes
c/o The Hornbeam Centre
458 Hoe St
Walthamstow, London E17 9AH
United Kingdom

SLM Digest 11-12-15

To: yahoo group <saveleytonmarsh@yahoogroups.co.uk>



 


This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes. We are an open group of people living in the Lea Valley Area concerned to keep unnecessary building development off of the marshes and other local green spaces and keep the Lea Valley for nature, for people for the future.  Please check our website for more information and to visit our Shop page before our beautiful calendars with photos taken by local photographers run out:  www.saveleamarshes.org.uk

 
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SLM Weekly Digest

Keep Our Marshes Open and Green!

ICE WARNING – yesterday I attended the first “Drop-in” session held at the Ice Rink concerning the first stage of consultations about the future of the current rink on Leyton Marsh/Lea Bridge Road.  The first thing I have to say is that there was a lack of a notice on the board in front of the ice rink and a lot of the 15 or so people in the room seemed to have been fetched from the rink...The second is that like the Lee Valley Regional Park “workshops” this was more of a Powerpoint presentation with the opportunity to ask questions.  We heard the usual buzzwords such as “strategic” but a few new ones like any new centre must be “Ice-focused” – which means the priority is ice activities first, with less multi-purpose facilities and other types of regular events such as concerts – although the occasional one would not be ruled out.  CEO Shaun Dawson and his wing man from the new Trust – Alan (who sat silently), explained the three stage process – first, research (although they have been working on it for at least two years); take a report to the Board and then if the board approves do the feasibility study and liaise with other bodies e.g. L.B.W.F. and see if the funding can be gained as well as further public consultation...


After outlining the options – refurb the current one as is; add on another rink; complete rebuild on site or move it to another part of the Lea Valley e.g. Hertfordshire or near Eaton Manor.  The rink would not be mega Olympic size or quality but would likely be of a standard the next stage down.  Being surrounded by a roomful of the ice skating fraternity I waited whilst other people asked questions such as “Wouldn’t it be better to site it in Stratford for transport reasons?”  Mr Dawson said that the opening of the Lea Bridge Station next year might improve matters if the Ice Rink was to stay at its current location; “What would happen to the current centre whilst the new one was built if it was on the same site?”  (“Good question” said Mr. Dawson – indicating perhaps he hadn’t thought about it).  In all, people wanted a good, reasonably priced centre that would accommodate a range of skating sports and the general public to pootle about on and were most concerned about the transport and particularly the traffic on the Lea Bridge Road.  So, having heard not a thing approximating the word “environment” I asked what was the thinking on environmental considerations, including powering and insulating the building.  “Good question”, said Mr. Dawson again.  We will, of course be involving the planners in the physical location at an early stage..”  I was looking for some sort of clue as to what Mr. Dawson favoured, when someone asked him that directly and he said he would favour a twin pad (2 ice rinks to you and me), but apart from his remark about the new Overground station did not elaborate further.  The timetable if the report is agreed would be a feasibility study to be completed (by one of two consultancy firms) by summer next year and the process of building, including an approximated 18 months of building time could take a few years.  There is another opportunity to attend a “drop-in” session on Saturday at the Waterworks in Lea Bridge Road from 10.30-11.30.  (Note, if you are coming from the Waltham Forest direction you won’t have to pass by the garish Xmas Tree World next to the Ice Rink, lucky you!)

SLM is holding some of its own “drop-in” sessions at the usual meeting space the Princess of Wales pub (we’ve booked a table at the back on the road side of the pub) from 7.30pm on Monday 14 December – for anyone who wants to come along and talk about this issue – in addition to a regular agenda.

MINI HOLLAND – almost a regular feature in the digest... Waltham Forest Scrutiny Committee were supposedly scrutinizing  the £15m Lea Bridge Road part of the £27m (does m stand for “misery” perhaps?) Mini Holland Scheme.  There are 30,000 vehicles and 1,500 cyclists using the road per day but, as raised at the Neighbourhood Scrutiny Committee, no-one has thought about motorcycles.  (Though I thought Boris had given the go-ahead to use cycle lanes in London, but I may be wrong).  Crucially they are recommending a 20 m.p.h. speed limit along the road.  (Are they having a larf?  It is mostly 2 m.p.h. at the moment!).  Responses to the consultation only resulted in 1,300 people and 175 businesses, which is much less than the daily vehicle total above.  Full story on the Waltham Forest Guardian website http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/

MARSH MASH-UP -  an SLM member was walking by Marsh Lane Nature reserve on Monday and to his horror found that there was no access to the nature reserve and it was being dug up for “essential works”,  putting in new surfaced paths and not on the periphery either, right on the reserve.  SLM members are also concerned about any imported soil here.  Am sure we’ll come back to this one.

EAST MARSH GATES – correspondence is still going on about putting in new scaled down gates to replace the Stalag ones currently there.  Hackney Officers believe Planning Inspectorate permission is not needed – SLM disagrees...

WETLANDS TWEET –  a bit of light relief – “Wetlands Steve” tweeted “a kingfisher film #walthamstow wetlands on 4 December @wildwalthamstow

TIP OF THE WEEK – Hackney Herbs @hackneyherbal have tweeted some tips from @permacultureMag about how to look after herbs in the winter months http://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/how-grow-and-look-after-winter-herbs

PETITION OF THE WEEK – the Council for the Protection of Rural England alerted us to a petition which closes at time of writing about the Government’s proposals that will effect environmental justice but we are in time to another of their calls for action:  Hounslow Heath – there are plans to X12 the size of the current car park to 600 vehicles and block-off large areas for private events – if you don’t like that idea you should emaileamon.cassidy@hounslow.gov.uk   What happens in Hounslow today..  I wonder if anyone has thought about the impact of water run-off, particularly in the light of the current floods up North?

IN THE PRESS – masses this week.  Hackney-ites should just go out and buy a Gazette or look at it on line www.hackneygazette.co.uk – there’s front page news on the London Fields road plan debacle; page 2 on the Bishopsgate Goods Yard (Boris looms large like the proposed buildings) and the profit Hackney is making in car parking fees that funds the Freedom Pass scheme; Zen and the art of reducing air pollution on page 7; letters on page 16 feature Crossrail and plans for Fish Island down the River Lea and on page 18 the story of Clyde the rescued cat.

Private Eye -  11 December page 36 also has an alarming story on:  “Canals and rivers run by the Environmental Agency are so neglected that boating on them is becoming unsafe”, says the Inland Waterways Association.  Adding, that they are seriously under-funded.  Meanwhile, the largest canal body the Canals and River Trust who are responsible for the River Lea are busy selling off assets – including a 1.1m. strip of water space from the eastern side of the River Lea (at the side of a large property development) – I think we need to establish from the Trust, where this is exactly before we get to thinking it might be Essex Wharf.

Tuesday’s Guardian has a few stories reflecting the current newsworthiness of the Climate Change Conference but a story on page 11 caught my eye:  “Tall but not too loud: the City’s riposte to the Shard revealed” with a quote from Eric Parry in his book Context:  Architecture and the Genius of Place, “An orgy of tall buildings will transform and overwhelm London” (sounds like Bishopsgate).
www.guardian.co.uk/national

EVENTS -  our friends at Mabley Green will be planting Rowan, Holly and Hazel trees onMabley Green on Saturday 19 December – meet at the Wally Foster Centre, Homerton Road, E9 at 12.00 and yomp across the road (dress for gardening), the idea is to create a source of food and a protection from the noise and pollution of the A12.  Were told that their plans are progressing on the Orchard and that they have teamed up with other Urban Orchard experts: http://mableygreen.org/

The Mill continues to go from strength to strength – this month’s news is that there is an on line guide called “Grow your Idea” about the Mill’s development progress and this is also available as a £1 (Secret Santa Present?) from the reception.  For other present ideas there is on offer 10 copies of an elephant illustration made at The Mill by Janet Cheeseman at a cost of £15.00.  There is also a Kids Arts Club Exhibition launching at 5.00-6.30 p.m. on 10 December, but continuing until 6 February.  If you would like to become a member and support The Mill the fees range from £10 for unwaged to £32 for family groups to £100 for corporates per year.  Further details:
www.themill@coppermilllane.org.uk

Sat 12th December - Tree Planting at Abney Park Nature Reserve
: Tree Musketeers and volunteers will be planting two native black poplars to provide continuity of habitat and an oak tree:10am -12pm Sat. Meet 10am at the main gates on Stoke Newington High Street.

Sunday 20th December - Tree Planting on South Millfields. Tree Musketeers will be planting about 12 trees in and around the south Millfields arboretum. 10.30am - 2pm Sat. Find them in the park. MAP

Monday 21st December - Tree Musketeers Solstice Gathering: Meet the musketeers at the lovely Hackney Community Tree Nursery. Bring food & drink to share by the bonfire. 6-9pm MAP

Tuesday 29th December – Formative Pruning Workshop –Stoke Newington Common: Help TM and Stoke Newington Common Users' Group manage wildlife hedges and prune young trees. 10am-2pm. MAP

New Years' Day Guided Tree Walk in Abney Park Nature Reserve. Join the Tree Musketeers for the annual New Years' Day guided tree walk around the amazing Abney Park Cemetery Nature Reserve. 1st January 2016, 2-4pm. Meet 2pm at the main Stoke Newington High Street Gates. MAP 

 And to end this seasonal and long edition of this week’s Digest – we’ll be taking a rest over the festive season and start up again in the New Year.  However, if anything urgent comes up we’ll let you know.  

Don’t forget to come and visit our stall at the Abney Park Winter Fair on Saturday 11am-3 p.m. and pick up a copy of our gorgeous calendar; come along on Monday to the drop-in and meeting on Monday 14 December at the Princess of Wales at 7.30and be vigilant if you are out on the marshes over the Xmas period.  It looks like 2016 will be a busy year but from all at SLM we wish you a happy festive season, whatever that may mean to you.
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Copyright © 2015 Save Lea Marshes, All rights reserved.
You signed up for this email by contacting us directly or ticking a sign up sheet on a petition.

Our mailing address is:
Save Lea Marshes
c/o The Hornbeam Centre
458 Hoe St
Walthamstow, London E17 9AH
United Kingdom

SLM Digest 29-11-15

This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes – an open group of people living in the Lea Valley area who come together to discuss and respond to issues concerning the preservation of green spaces for wildlife and people under threat from unnecessary development.  Our website is

This week we can announce that our fabulous 2016 Calendar, featuring more photographs from our “What I love About the Marshes” photo competition in 2014.  We had so many beautiful photographs that we wanted to have a means of showing them; demonstrating what a beautiful place the Marshes are and helping to raise funds for SLM.  The calendar is available on our website above and thanks to our friends in the Tree Musketeers, it will be stocked in local shops too.  Tree Musketeers produce their own beautiful calendars every two years, so we will produce ours in opposite years from now on. Order yours from: www.saveleamarshes.org.uk/Shop.html

On line conversation has been dominated this week by Mini Holland and the changes to the Lea Bridge Road and especially the lack of information and confused information about consultation in both Waltham Forest and Hackney.  Before going into the why’s and wherefores I would mention first that this Saturday evening a crane will be lifting a bridge into place, where the strange “ziggurat” steps have been erected near the underpass tunnel leading to the marshes – therefore traffic will be diverted to the usual diversion route in Hackney, up Chatsworth Road, to Homerton Road and Eastway plus some side streets (and in reverse).  This means hell, particularly if the work runs on into Sunday, when the Chatsworth Road Market is in process.  More hell is expected when a second bridge is to be installed by the reopened Lea Bridge Station, now expected to be in May 2016.  No mention of this work is given in the on-line TFL alert that I receive weekly.

Now, the confusion about the consultation processes.   Firstly, whether or not Hackney Council has been consulted regarding the works affecting Hackney residents.  Hackney Lea Bridge Councillor Ian Rathbone, thinks not and is on the case.  Meanwhile, a Waltham Forest resident on the W.F. Mini Holland Stakeholder’s Group recalls that the issue was raised some time ago re. the Hackney/W.F. Lea Bridge first section.  W.F. officers say that Hackney officers had submitted correspondence to W.F. officers.  This representative also pointed out that the cycle lanes on the northern side of the Lea Bridge Road/LVRP frontage are taking place on Highway Authority land.  The original plan was to widen the road. 

Secondly, there is the issue whether or not Section A of the Lea Bridge Road (Hackney Boundary to Lammas Road, was open to residents of Hackney.  This area also affects residents of Waltham Forest who are also concerned about the effects on them.  Transport for London has only recently contacted certain residents over the plans.  One part of their consultation process has already closed and the next area (which particularly affects Hackney residents, closes on 2 December.  Local residents have been writing to Cllr. Loakes, the councillor with responsibility for the scheme in Waltham Forest and have also written to Jeanette Arnold.  They are also urging and inviting others to campaign to get the TFL consultations left open until 31 December.
I hope this is a reasonable summary of what is going on to date and is a story to be continued...

OLYMPIC OPPOSITION FILM – as most of you know, SLM was formed when the Olympic’s came to Leyton Marsh and built a £5m, barely used “temporary” basket ball training facility – which has left  still visible scars on the land as well as in the hearts and minds of local people.  Back in June, we had discussions with a representative from a group in Chicago, opposing the Olympics and thankfully that bid did not come to pass.  But lo, now there is another bid for Hamburg to be a future Olympic host and Marlene, a filmmaker from Hamburg, came hotfoot a couple of months ago to talk to representatives of SLM again.  This film can now be seen on:
Stars are born...

STOP MESSIN’ ABOUT WITH THE THAMES – The Council for the Protection of Rural England has launched a call for all the Mayoral Candidates for London to “stop selling off the historic Arcadian Thames”, which they say is under threat as a result of the Government’s new liberal national planning policy and are requesting that candidates make sure planning policies are aimed at protecting London’s historic and green assets.  To view the report  go to:
There is also a press release on the website.

EVENTS

The main event this week is today's People’s March for Climate Change, Justice and Jobs on Sunday.  Sustainable Hackney are meeting at Down Street, W1 at 12.30pm if you would like to join them there.  SLM will also be represented at the march with our new banner.  The march has been organised to be fun and family friendly.  Let’s hope that the important and linked issues are truly supported by lots of people particularly ahead of the Conference in Paris and at a time our Parliament discusses stepping up the war.

Next meeting of SLM  is at 7.30pm on Monday 30 November at the Princess of Wales pub, in Lea Bridge Road – all welcome.  Also come and see our stall on Saturday 12 December from 11.00am to 3.00 p.m. when we will be selling our 2016 calendar and other merchandise...  Our stall will be supporting Abney Park and to cover SLM basic costs.
P.S. FORGET “BLACK FRIDAY” – make it green instead ... 
__._,_.___

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Lea Bridge - Mini Holland plans

Lea Bridge Road Mini Holland plans

SLM Digest 20-11-15

SAVE LEA MARSHES WEEKLY DIGEST 20 NOVEMBER 2015

This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes – an open group of people living in the Lea Valley area campaigning to keep the local marshes and green spaces free of unnecessary development and left in good condition for nature and for present and future generations.

This week is – budget edition (without Heron).  I have been on a workshop today to help balance my time more effectively and as a consequence haven’t had so much time to produce the weekly update.  Such a modern dilemma!  SLM’s meeting agenda and on-line communications this week have mainly concerned:
·       Dialogue with Hackney Council on the plans to remove the car park from East Marsh and “wild the space”.  We’ve been working with other local groups on this, such as Hackney Marsh Users Group and are broadly in agreement over what we would like to see done, with the exception of whether the current access gates stay or are replaced by smaller-scale pedestrian access gates.  There are pros and cons on this but SLM’s view is that vehicular access should be discouraged and that the access point is not ideal in the approach to the road.
·       Horseshoe Island – we discussed the re-appearance of boats mooring and people not respecting the land there at our last meeting and propose to write to the Canals and River Trust and get them to come to a future Lee Valley Regional Park Authority workshop (if the LVRPA agree to this), to look at a better way forward.  This is an issue which has been around the block a few times, so we’re giving it another go!
·       Pursuing an Freedom of Information inquiry with Transport for London over transport and parking issues resulting from the Planning Inspectorate process in June.  TFL is “dragging its feet” in coming up with a response, promising a letter by 7 December....
·       We are also continuing to draw attention to Tree 46 on Hackney Marshes which is scheduled to be eradicated and replaced by a car park and the surrounding trees which might have their roots affected so do follow us on Twitter @treefortysix
BEES ON THEIR KNEES -  I heard on Wednesday’s Radio 4 “Today” Programme, an explanation on the negative effect of Nicontinoid pesticides on honey bees – it effects the reproduction of honey bees, with the hive compensating by creating more worker bees.  This news followed on from an article in the Sunday Times last Sunday 15.11.15,p25. http://www.sundaytimes.co.uk  “New crop protection is the bees’ knees” – about factory farmed bumble bees that could be deployed to deliver pesticides to crops, protecting plants including strawberries, apples and rapeseed from fungus – basically by having a tray of pesticide powder that the specially designed hives would have at the entrance for the bees to walk through before they fly out.  I can see big flaws in this plan – it sounds like another misguided attempt to interfere with nature and rapeseed fields, which are reported to have bad effects on bees....

IN THE NEWS – this item just missed last week’s Weekly Digest but is worth mentioning in case anyone missed it in last Thursday’s “Evening Standard”, 12.11.15, “Let’s build on green belt..” an article presenting the rise of London house prices and the rise of commuters coming into London and saying that some of the green belt could be spared for housing,  to reduce the numbers of commuters http://www.standard.co.uk/business/let-s-build-on-green-belt-to-squeeze-on-commuters-a3112971.html
Personally, I didn’t buy this argument – commuters would still have to travel and building on green belt would be more luxury houses at unaffordable prices. 
In the Sunday Times, p.30 15.11.15 “So this is our grand Olympic Legacy”, by Dominic Laswson – an interesting piece veering from the recent Olympic drugs scandal to the statement that “to my complete lack of surprise, the London Olympics did nothing at all to attract children into athletics”.   Worth a read http://www.sundaytimes.co.uk/comment
This week’s “Hackney Gazette” has a number of housing/planning related stories.. on page 1 “Council’s new build sell off fear”, about rare new social housing that might have to be sold off  if the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill is passed; “Skyscraper shadow cast over Shoreditch” – on the protest last Sunday,p.p.4-5; “Residents locked out of road plan meeting”, residents had to be addressed in the street as the booked room was too small.. this concerns the Hackney Council plan to close off 16 roads in London Fields, p.7 and more on the borough’s school building plans which involve offsetting costs by incorporating private housing into the plans “New generations ‘short changed’ by school proposals.. p.15 www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news
EVENTS
Dalston Curve Garden – winners of the best local cultural place in Hackney in 2005 by “Time Out”, have activities celebrating a Festival of Light.  On Saturday 21 and Sunday 28 November there are free (just turn up) events for children and all to make lanterns out of fruit and veg. (you are requested to leave the lanterns behind) and on Tuesday 24 November and 1 December, there are paper shadow lanterns to be made..  Winter opening hours for the Curve Garden are Daily from 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., Saturday open from 11 a.m. until 11.00 p.m. and Sunday closing at 10.00 p.m.  There are also wood-fired Pizzas on sale at weekends.   Further information from
Sustainable Hackney’s upcoming events include “The Big Fix” event on Saturday 21 – find out more at
http://sustainablehackney.org.uk/ and click events, they, SLM (look out for our banner), and Green Peace will all be at the Climate Change March on 29 November.  Greenpeace are producing a “march kit” – if you would like one contact team.uk@greenpeace.org.uk by this Sunday.  Greenpeace will be meeting at 11.30 at the Wellington Arch on the morning of the March.
Next SLM meeting will be on Monday 30 November at the Princess of Wales pub, Lea Bridge Road, Hackney from 7.30.  All welcome.

And finally .. SLM received a tweet from @help 4 Hedge.. about being hedgehog aware when digging compost etc.

SLM Digest 13-11-15

To: yahoo group <saveleytonmarsh@yahoogroups.co.uk>



 


Save Lea Marshes is an open group of  local people concerned to keep the marshes and green spaces of the Lea Valley open and green for wildlife and local people.  For further information go to
www.saveleamarshes.org.uk

 
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SLM Weekly Digest

Keep Our Marshes Open and Green!

This week, with the exception of housing development meeting organised to discuss the Lea Bridge Road developments (as reported previously), which we don’t know the outcome of yet, discussion has been mainly Hackney based...
 
  • Hackney Council have shared with us draft plans for the replacement of the car park on East Marsh with a brownfield habitat (discussions have not been concluded yet – we’ll keep you updated).
  • New plans being submitted for conversion of the existing 'Old School Nook' building at 146a Lea Bridge Road (reference number 2013/2118), to 2 x 2 bed flats  (this is the historic building near the Prince of Wales public House, which used to be used for schooling children of canal families).  There is a community plan to use the place for an historical project seeking Heritage Funding.  Anyone who wants to object to the flat conversion should write to the Planning Officer Gareth Barnett by  27 November or use the online service viawww.hackney.gov.uk/planning-applications
  • Horseshoe Island – there have been boats moored near the Island with people lighting fires and using the space again.  This bit of land near the Ice Rink is the responsibility of the Canals and Rivers Trust (CaRT), but the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority try to keep an eye on it (because it is a bird habitat, with swans nesting etc).  They would like to negotiate with CaRT to take over its management.  SLM will be discussing this matter at its next meeting (see below).
IN THE PRESS – a bit of promising news from the Waltham Forest Guardian is that a 45-house development plan on green belt land is likely to be refused as planning officers are not backing it at the Epping Forest District Council. Other great news from that area is that a petition to keep the forest free of charge has smashed the 12,000 signatures mark! See http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/14023041.Organiser__astounded__as_forest_petition_smashes_12_000_signature_barrier/

The Hackney Gazette features a front page story about Hackney Council reassessing a planning decision to grant permission for a block of luxury flats which would block out the light to an adjoining school playground due to a covenant written into the deeds in 2001.  On page 4 more news on a plan for allotment gardens at Hackney stations (further information from
Reclaimed London ) and on page 8 “Edible Park planting to begin” – the long-cherished idea to start an edible park thought up by the Mabley Green Users Group is finally getting underway in the New Year. www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news

PETITION OF THE WEEK – the Government is considering making changes to the Freedom of Information Act by clamping down on how the public can use it.  FOIs are a hard-won right which came to prominence over the issue of members of Parliament spending from the public purse (duck houses et al).  To sign the petition go tohttps://www.cfoi.org.uk/campaigns/stop-foi-restrictions/

CONGRATULATIONS – to our friends at The Mill – whose art postcard fundraising event raised enough money to pay their rent for a year as well as support 55 homeless people for a safe bed and breakfast for a night.  The Mill are currently recruiting for volunteers to help with their publicity further details from TheMill@coppermill.org.uk

EVENTS
Join Sustainable Hackney and others at a demonstration against the planned mega-storey flats at the Bishopsgate Goodsyard, being organised by Defend Council Housing. Sunday, November 15 from 11-3.00 p.m. meet at Shoreditch Overground.

Vision Redbridge are asking green-fingered volunteers are asked to help for a day of woodland coppicing at Hainault Country Park on Thursday 26 November – meet at 10.00 a.m. in the Car Park on Romford Road.  Finish 2.30 p.m.  Dress appropriately.

Friends of the Earth and Biofuelswatch are putting on a free film screening of “Threatened Forests” – about the impacts of the UK biofuels industry on U.K. energy policy, Tuesday 17 November from 6.30 p.m. at the FoE office, 139 Clapham Road, SW9 8HP 

The Waltham Forest FoE are having their regular third Tuesday of the month meeting on 17 November at the back of the Rose & Crown, 55 Hoe Street, Walthamstow and the main topic will be on Divest – persuading Waltham Forest Council to change its pensions policy and favour more sustainable choices of investment.

The People’s March for Climate, Justice and Jobs (a family-friendly demonstration), takes place on Sunday 29 November from 12.00 noon at Hyde Park towards Parliament.  Sustainable Hackney will be represented as will SLM and its new banner!

Next SLM meeting will be on Monday 16 November at 7.30 at the Princess of Wales Pub, Lea Bridge Road.  New people always welcome to attend.
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Copyright © 2015 Save Lea Marshes, All rights reserved.
You signed up for this email by contacting us directly or ticking a sign up sheet on a petition.

Our mailing address is:
Save Lea Marshes
c/o The Hornbeam Centre
458 Hoe St
Walthamstow, London E17 9AH
United Kingdom

SLM Digest 6-11-15

To: yahoo group <saveleytonmarsh@yahoogroups.co.uk>






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SLM Weekly Digest


Keep Our Marshes Open and Green!

This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes – an open group of people living in the Lea Valley area, concerned to keep the marshes and other green spaces in good condition for wildlife and local people and to ensure that development does not encroach on our vital “Green Lung”.

Last weekend, the River Lea and the marshes was swathed in a thick fog and looked fittingly spooky for Halloween.  On Sunday morning, I was taken with the way that the mist was rising up from the water as the sun started to break through.  Enough – what else has been going on?

On the SLM front we are continuing our efforts to get rid of the concrete and other car-parking edifices from East Marsh with cooperation from Hackney Council and keeping a watching brief on things such as building developments and the Mini Holland Scheme in Waltham Forest (more later).

Tree '46' is continuing to tweet from Hackney Marshes in an attempt to save itself from the Council's axe. Check out its words of wisdom @tfortysix

We are also working on new publicity and merchandising new products for fundraising including our new calendar which will be available for sale by the end of the month. It features more beautiful images taken by local lovers of the marshes so that's one present sorted in advance!

“MINI- HOLLAND” OR “DOUBLE DUTCH”?  An active local resident has informed SLM that she has written to both local MP Stella Creasy and Waltham Forest Council querying the removal of bus lanes and bus stops from the Lea Bridge Road.  The removal of bus lanes wasn’t mentioned in the original consultation and our local resident wants to know where this idea has come from and what are the sources of research which have led to this action?

IN THE PRESS

SLM has received an email of monthly news from the newly-established Waltham Forest Echo – there is more coverage of the “Mini Holland” scheme but also included in this eighth issue is an interview with an SLM member talking about her experience at the recent Public Inquiry on North and East Marsh developments.  TheWaltham Forest Echo has just had one of its regular consultations with members of the public this week but if anyone would like to have something included in Issue 9 the copy deadline is 19 November contact: wfecho@socialspider.com

The Waltham Forest Guardian has a story this week about a new car-free development of a four- storey block of nine flats that will go up on site at 590 High Road, Leytonstone – that’s the good news.  The bad news is that none of these flats is at an affordable price and WF Council will only receive £85k to spend on housing priority elsewhere – not even the cost of a garage!
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news

Over in Hackney, the Hackney Gazette has on p.1. “Voter Crisis could rob Hackney of MP” in the next election if people don’t check their vote under the Government’s new changes and find themselves disenfranchised and with a drop in numbers not meet the constituency requirements; on page 5, more on  road blocking plans in London Fields/De Beauvoir, which has residents divided; p9  Hackney Marsh Adventure Playground in Daubney Road gets voted the best in London by the London Adventure Play Awards and on p.7 “Mayor’s (of Tower Hamlets and Hackney) team up to fight goodsyard skyscrapers” by planning a conference to raise concerns.  These are mega-blocks of 48 storeys – which if the local Mayors don’t succeed will to the London Mayor, Boris and three guesses ...  http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk

Nationally – today’s Guardian 5 November, p.12 has “Fracking plan for nature sites is finally axed”, however, Greenpeace are not totally convinced and their spokesperson said:  “This seems like a statement to mollify concerned backbenchers but lacking the substance to actually protect the countryside from fracking pollution”.

Wednesday’s Guardian had an article on “Tiny beetle poses new threat to Britain’s ash trees”, which could be worse than Ash Dieback.. p.9 http://www.guardian.co.uk

CROSSRAIL – there are some consultation meetings being organised.  To check the latest go to
http://www.crossrail2.co.uk

EVENTS

Saturday 14th November 2-4pm: An Autumnal Plant Walk over Walthamstow Marshes
Meet at 1.45pm at the Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow E17 7HA 
Guided by the Gone Wild Herbs collective - Rasheeqa, Sarah & Steph: "We'll walk up to the marshes and take a ramble in the green freshness to see what's still out there this time of year that can bring us medicinal and edible joy, stopping to explore the uses of particular plants and  share collective  knowledge around traditional recipes."

If you're interested to join, please contact Rasheeqa on 07784 506 494 or email: rasheeqa@hedgeherbs.org.uk - £7.50/ £5 concessions

With all this gloom and doom going on if you fancy a laugh there are some Red Imp Comedy nights happening at Ye Old Rose and Crown, including Dec 5 with Sara Pascoe and Lenny Beige’s Christmas Smorgasboard on December 8.  For full details and prices go to http://www.redimpcomedyclub.co.uk
Next SLM meeting will be on Monday 16th November at 7.30pm at the Princess of Wales pub, Lea Bridge Road – all welcome.
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