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Lea Bridge Station update

Please see this extract from Stella Creasey MP's newsletter: 

"Regenerating Walthamstow: Lea Bridge Station & St James St Updates 

This week I have had updates on two local regeneration projects which I know are of interest to local residents. Firstly, many residents have been in touch regarding the proposed rebuilding and opening of the Lea Bridge Station which was planned for December 2015. The Council have now informed me that three rail freight operators have raised objections during the consultation regarding the new station proposals. I have been assured that  Network Rail are now working through the objections with the rail freight operators and the council are confident they can be resolved to allow work to start.  It is not currently clear how long it will take to resolve these objections.  The Council expects to have a better idea "during the spring" as to when the works are likely to start.  I have asked for more information on this and will update this e-newsletter as soon as I have details as to what this may mean for this project."

There is a WF Lea Bridge Ward Community Forum this week, Wednesday 3rd February, 6-30pm at the Lea Bridge Library Lea Bridge Road (near Markhouse/ Church Road corner). Cllr Masood Ahmad, who will chair the meeting, went to election last May on the basis that the station reconstruction was already an achievement.  Anyone can attend the meeting although the Chair may limit speaking rights to residents. High numbers attending would underline public interest in the station being reopened.

Claire

SLM WEEKLY DIGEST 30-1-15

SLM WEEKLY DIGEST 30 JANUARY 2015

This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes.  We are an open group of people living in the Lea Valley area, trying to tackle the loss and quality of green space on the marshes and nearby.  We care passionately about maintaining the land as a green oasis for wildlife, for local people and future generations to come.  To find out more about our work, please visit our website www.saveleamarshes.co.uk

As we wait to see whether the forecasted snow will be real or a vast media exaggeration as in New York State, remember the birds in your garden or on your balcony that might be in need of extra food during the cold weather spell.  I found a nice idea in “Style at Home” magazine that I thought was worth sharing:   Melt 100g of lard and mix in 250 bird seed, pack into a pastry cutter (heart shape looks really good for Valentine’s Day), make a hole with a knitting needle, skewer, put in the fridge overnight.  Thread string or ribbon through the hole, remove cutter/ or leave if you prefer and hang up.  In our mix this week...

FILTER BEDS – one bit of good news is that, water has been pumped into the reed bed sites in the Wildlife Area by Hackney Marshes, for the first time in ages.  You might remember that before the fish sculptures disappeared, there were areas of water .. now restored.

WETLANDS LINK – if you would like to support the London Wildlife Trust’s bid to establish a wetland to wetland cycle route you can go to

http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/wetland-to-wetland-greenway

A BETTER SORT OF TWEET – a report from a Lea Valley Park Ranger, that Stonechat birds have been spotted on the fencing, in the cattle grazing area of Walthamstow Marshes.

LATEST ON FRACKING – see http://theguardian.cons/environment;2015/Jan/26/Conservatives-u-turn-fracking-  the Conservatives back down over National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and excavation near sources of drinking water.  Bill has to go to the House of Lords, so perhaps we can hope for some other positive changes.

EVENTS

Time for a another reminder about the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority’s February workshop which takes place at the Waterworks, Lea Bridge Road from 1-3 p.m. , 22 February.  We would like lots of people to turn up and give their views, particularly as the new signage boards put up by the LVRPA don’t seem to be carrying information about this event yet.  By the way, any views on the new signage boards that have gone up on Leyton Marsh, and the Filter Beds?  Some of us think they are a bit obtrusive.

The Edge Fund are organising their “Grassroots Fundraiser Party” with a variety of speakers from Jeremy Corbyn MP to the Focus E15 group, plus, music, poetry (including Benjamin Zephania), food and drink.  Saturday 31 January, 18.00 to 22.30 p.m., at the Ringcross Community Centre, 60 Lough Road, N7 8RH.  Caledonian Road tube station.  Tickets

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/get-behind-the-grassroots-20

SLM WEEKLY DIGEST 22-1-15

Tree planting, wassailing and more Park Authority skullduggery this week... View this email in your browser

SLM Weekly Digest Keep Our Marshes Open and Green! This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes.  We are an open group of local people based in the Lea Valley area, trying to keep as much of our marshlands and green spaces for wildlife and future generations to enjoy.  To find out more about our work carried out on a completely voluntary basis see our website www.saveleamarshes.org.uk Hello.  Hope lots of you have been able to watch some of the BBC’s Winterwatch this week (finishes Friday), or will look at on the BBC IPlayer.  Really nice to see wildlife up close and find out things you didn’t know.   Items of interest this week include: Don't eat up our businesses! Lee Valley growers have expressed outrage over the Park Authority's plans to force out farms in the Lee Valley through compulsory purchase orders. See the article here: http://www.hortweek.com/lee-valley-growers-express-outrage-regional-park-authoritys-shock-compulsory-purchase-proposal/edibles/article/1329254 WHAT A WASSAIL! We had a great time traditionally toasting the trees with dancing, drinking and singing at the Ferry Boat Inn. Listen here to RadioPete's recording of the event: http://radiopete.org/ CROSSRAIL 1 – The Evening Standard (Wednesday 21st January 2015), ran two stories on p.12 on the Crossrail – one on the campaign that has been launched by the Twentieth Century Society to try and save the Paolozzi murals inside Tottenham Court Road Tube Station that have been there for more than 30 years, which will be affected by the installation of a new atrium.  Current plans would relocate/reconstitute some of it within a new design but there would be a loss of the work as originally intended.  The second is on the effect of house price rises, particularly in Whitechapel. REPORT BACK FROM THE LONDON GREEN SPACES FRIENDS GROUP – SLM is represented at the LFN meetings.  The last meeting discussed:  looking at ways of increasing involvement;  a change in procedure, to save time by pre-submitting reports to the meetings; how the cuts are hitting parks and spaces, London-wide and the Borough’s seeking more volunteer roles; the new Green Belt Map that has been launched by the London Green Belt Council, that is available via Stanfords at £9.99 (doesn’t include MOL though), available through http://www.stanfords.co.uk or the shop in Long Acre, Covent Garden.  Lastly, a new report called “Make Walking Safer and Easier”   The LFN have their Annual Meeting on Monday 23 March, 6-8 p.m. in Committee Room 4 (downstairs by coffee bar), City Hall, 110 Queen’s Walk, SE1 2AA. TRACKS OF OUR TEARS – If  go for a walk on the marshes and what you increasingly see are thick tyre, vehicle tracks.  Last Sunday, I walked from the Nature Reserve towards the Cow Bridge and noticed a lot of turf damage.  If you see any evidence and particularly if you have a camera to hand (which I didn’t on this occasion), please let SLM know.  Also, on Millfields (South), does anyone know what has caused the circular bare patches on the turf between the main path and the tennis courts? COURSES Naturewise are organising a weekend course in Forest Gardening 31st Jan – 1st Feb from 10.00 a.m. at Bekesbourne, near Canterbury.  It is being led by two passionate and experienced forest gardeners.  To find out more and/or book emailshavannabarker@yahoo.co.uk indicating in your subject line what you are enquiring about or go to www.naturewise.org.uk OPPORTUNITY – CAN YOU DIG IT? Growing Communities (who have just produced an excellent map to their sites), is offering 4 volunteer apprentice places (1 to 1 and a half days a week) with training, from the beginning of April to the end of September.  Download application forms from  www.growingcommunities.org.uk  Deadline 5 p.m. 18 February 2015. EVENTS The Tree Musketeers have some green events coming up to keep our spaces green and keep your body lean! There is a Wood Management Workshop this Sunday 25th January from 10am-3pm at Hackney Community Tree Nursery. On 31st January there is a Fruit Tree Planting on Daubney Green Orchard from 10am-3pm. More details here Sustainable Hackney are organising an evening of film, discussion, ideas and organisation in preparation for the next big Climate Change March on 12th February  from 6.30pm to 8.45pm at Homerton Library, Homerton High Street, E9.   Please note that the film will be up first  as the Library’s WiFi gets switched off with the library closure.  Further details here Next SLM meeting will be on Monday 26th January at 7.30 in the back of the Princess of Wales Pub.   New attendees welcome.  We generally do a run through of developments of each area and follow up action points and discuss up-coming plans.

SLM WEEKLY DIGEST 15-1-15

Hasn't January gone fast already? Here's the first installment from us... View this email in your browser

SLM Weekly Digest Keep Our Marshes Open and Green! This is the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes a group of local people concerned to see the marshes of the Lea Valley and other surrounding green spaces survive and thrive for nature and for future generations to enjoy and gain health and well being. Do visit our website www.saveleamarshes.org.uk  to keep up to date with our campaign and to find out how you can get involved.  We have a merchandising page to help sustain our work and we are planning to add some exciting new products in 2015, which we will tell you about as soon as they are ready. Well, we hope you have had a great time over the Christmas/New Year holiday.  Perhaps you had the chance to walk, run, skip, pogo etc., around the marshes?  Sometimes, this can be relaxing and enjoyable but on other occasions it can lead to a rise in blood pressure when you spot unnecessary vehicle tracks racking up the grass or trees that have been vandalised (officially or unofficially!).  Keep your eyes open and do let us know if there is something you would like SLM to know about. As we crank up the engine of the Weekly Digest again, the items that have flowed to the top of the tank include: NEXT LVRPA WORKSHOP MEETING – it’s at the Waterworks Centre on Sunday 22 February  1- 3 p.m.   I’m putting this here, rather than in the events section as we’d like as many of you as possible to turn up and hear for yourselves the plans that the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority have in mind for 2015, which include more mural art projects under the Lea Bridge Road underpass (though, personally, I like the graffiti which is currently there), the possibility of more scarifying to help poor old Leyton Marsh closer to its former glory in Autumn 2015, if the works in 2014 haven’t worked successfully ... and information about Network Rail work on Walthamstow Marsh. CROSSRAIL 2 – though we all like our journeys to be easy, we do need to be vigilant about our environment.  Previous digests have given some information about the Crossrail 2 plans as they emerge.  The latest information that one of our members has received has a link http://crossrail2.co.uk/the/route/  which gives the latest route so far, and the proposed location of the tunnel between Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale though it is still up for consultation.   As well as being concerned about our local green space and effect on homes, there is also cause for concern around the more central areas of London, including the much loved Soho Cinema on Shaftesbury Road, which might be lost to a ticket hall. https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-curzon-soho IN THE PRESS – this week’s Hackney Gazette, has another long letter, p15, from Johnnie Walker, Chairman of the Hackney and Leyton Football League, about inaccuracies that appeared in an article on Hackney Marshes, particularly East Marsh, concerning the Olympics in the preceding edition of 31 January, p5. There is interesting coverage on page 1 and in the letters pages of the “Camden New Journal” featuring the trashing of Primrose Hill after the New Year’s Eve fireworks.  This is exactly the kind of thing that SLM wants to prevent on Hackney Marshes, so that damage is not done to the land and the sporting facilities. Lastly, in The Guardian online http://www.theguardian.com/commentsfree/2015/jan13/families-cheated-homes-poor-labour-council-gentrification is another story of a proposal by Waltham Forest Council to uproot local council tenants in favour of creating flats to sell – resulting in overseas investors leaving properties empty in Leytonstone, with the proposal to gut the Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers and build another in between. EVENTS Those of you who love trees and also want to work off the festive poundage, can do volunteer tree planting of 150 trees on North Marsh with the Hackney Tree Musketeers, meet at the Tree Nursery off Homerton Road, Hackney E5, this Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th January from 10am or find them on North Marsh if you arrive later.  Wear appropriate clothing. For enjoying nature in a slightly less energetic way – there is a “Tree Walk – Food From Trees” also on Saturday 17th January, from 1 p.m. meeting outside Bruce Castle on Lordship Lane N17, courtesy of Haringey Tree Wardens.  For more information on this and other upcoming events organised by Hedge Herbs contact Rasheeqa Ahmad on 07784506494 or Facebook Hedge Herbs or Twittering Hedge. Although, they are fully booked at the moment, Forage London also have further events coming up and some interesting herbal hints on how to cope with the common cold seehttp://foragelondon.co.uk/walks-courses. Another reminder about “Apple Yowling” on Saturday evening 17 January at the Ferry Boat Inn, Ferry Lane/Forest Road Walthamstow.  An enjoyable, traditional way of celebrating the new year’s green growth. From 5.30pm. There is also the Edge Fund: Get Behind the Grassroots Fundraiser on Saturday 31 January, 6pm-10.30pm.  Ringcross Community Centre, 60 Lough Road, London N7 8RH Join grassroots activists, poets and musicians to celebrate the power of the grassroots! Will feature Jeremy Corbyn MP, Andy Greene (DPAC), Shareefa Energy, Hilary Wainwright (Red Pepper), Pete the Temp, Nina Power (Defend the Right to Protest), I Sis, Anthony Anaxagorou, Spliff Richard, Focus E15 Mothers, Ritzy Living Wage campaign, Siana Bangura, Jembe Explosion and Crazy Divine. For those that like to plan ahead  the intrepid and knowledgeable Joan Yeadon has been asked by the Ecology and Conservation Studies Society to run a field trip on Saturday 25 July at 1.00 p.m. starting at the Riverbank Cafe at the bottom of Spring Hill and finishing up at the Spark Cafe in Springfield Park.  We’ll put this in again at a later date. Our next SLM meeting will be on Monday 26th January at 7.30pm at the Princess of Wales pub.

Lea Valley Leisure Trust Maps

SLM WEEKLY DIGEST 19-12-14

 

It's nearing the end of 2014 and it's the last from us until 2015! View this email in your browser SLM Weekly Digest Keep Our Marshes Open and Green! This is the Festive Edition of the Weekly Digest of Save Lea Marshes – a campaign group trying to keep the local marshes and green spaces of the Lea Valley thriving with wildlife and enjoyed by people for many years to come.  Please see our websitewww.saveleamarshes.org.uk We have now sold out of all of our calendars (hurrah!) but recommend the stunning Tree Musketeers’ calendar and have added details of where to get one to our website for those looking for a good alternative. Topics in Santa’s Green Sack this week include: PLANNING WATCH (1) – we have received news that the PINS Inquiry concerning the car parks and sports pavilion on Hackney Marshes will begin at 10.00 a.m. on 16th June at the Hackney Marshes Centre in Homerton Road E9 5PF.  Anyone who has requested to speak and/or give evidence has been sent guidance on how to prepare and give their evidence. PLANNING WATCH (2) – The next Hackney Planning Sub Committee is on Wednesday 14 January and there will be an additional meeting on Monday 19th January but this is expected to be a pre-application meeting.  We do not know the date that the issue above will be presented yet and whether it will be before the PINS Inquiry or not. HOGGIN – the dreaded, unnecessary, hoggin path on Leyton Marsh moorings has been partially completed; damage has been reported including tyre marks next to the path.  We would like people to take photos. BRR, BRR –  this relates not to the cold winter but to the sound issue from the Ice Rink.  We have received news (for which thanks), that a barrier has now been installed by the refrigeration unit, which has partially reduced the noise level for those living nearby and on Leyton Marsh.  This is reported as “an improvement” and that a buzzing sound is still audible. IN THE PRESS – this week’s Hackney Gazette has a story “Fight to save canal buildings returns” by Emma Bartholomew, p. 7 concerning local campaigners trying to save the heritage of Regents Canal, with a scheme for a Hoxton building in what has been dubbed a “hit and run” development. Also in the Hackney Gazette is a special Anniversary Feature on the Changing Face of Hackney pp.12-13, with some historical facts and pictures of the various Hackney villages.  It is a bit sad that the picture illustrating Clapton was of the Lea Bridge Roundabout in 1973, when it could have been many other more positive images e.g. a picture of one of the oldest cinema buildings in the country ...  In last week’s Sunday Times (14.12.14) page 9 was an interesting article “Co2 behind Britain’s winter deluges”, concerning a group of scientists who have concluded that climate change is having a direct effect on our weather. EVENTS The annual “Apple Yowling” event will be taking place on Saturday 17 January at the Ferry Boat Inn, 1 Forest Road, near Tottenham Hale Station and on the bus routes of the 123 and 230.  For the uninitiated, this is a traditional event held at the Winter Solstice period to celebrate green growth and fruits, particularly apples and an occasion of mirth and merriment. Next SLM meeting will be Monday 12th January at the Princess of Wales, Lea Bridge Road.  We are taking a Christmas break from meetings and doing the digest but those of us who are around will be out and about keeping an eye on the marshes and will report anything urgent. We wish all our readers and their families a Happy Seasonal Holiday and a greener 2015!