Golf Centre to become Camp Site

LETTER FROM LVRPA

Dear Laurie

Thank you for your letter. Before I deal with the points you have raised let me restate our commitment to the way forward we discussed when we met a month or so ago. Officers are currently looking at potential investment projects in the LBR/Marshes Area re: access and environmental improvement and we look forward to discussing with you and colleagues in the next couple of months.

I am concerned that you are taking such a stance towards a temporary campsite at the Waterworks and an important investment in a popular riding centre.

The campsite proposal for a short period this summer follows the highly successful 2012 campsite last summer. With the OP opening this summer there is an opportunity to provide our regional constituency with affordable visitor accommodation close to the OP. The Par 3 golf course is essentially a local amenity and the Authority needs to take a view as to how it deploys its resources in relation to who benefits.

Any proposal for permanent visitor accommodation at the WW will need to go through an extensive process of feasibility, business planning, design and of course a formal consultation process.

The Riding Centre is a highly popular facility and provides a unique venue for East London and for disabled riding in particular. The investment in 13 stables simply completes the potential for stables at the RC, is within the existing stables curtilage and has a marginal impact on the MOL. More than 50% of the total stables are for the community with the rest for commercial livery. You make the point that the papers emphasise the financial imperative and I would agree that there is perhaps too much emphasis here even though this is a major consideration. The community benefits are significant in terms of expanding the learn to ride programme, creating more jobs for young people and ensuring a viable future for this important community asset.

Of course there is a pressure to generate more income and in doing so with a ‘low impact’ investment so we can continue to provide an affordable community programme and continue to deliver a viable and successful regional and local sports venue.   

 If the Authority is to continue its good work in investing in the environmental infrastructure throughout the Lee Valley it needs to maximise income where it is possible to do so. Furthermore the Authority has a range of constituents and customer groups that it needs to serve and it is working hard to do so.

Finally in the context of the LBR/Marshes area the Authority is clear in its commitment to the effective reinstatement of the Leyton Marsh, investing £65k in local environmental improvements, achieving High Level Stewardship for Walthamstow Marshes from Natural England with the commitments that brings. Following our recent meeting where we discussed identifying specific projects for the LBR/Marshes area (referred to in first para above) I met with Cllr Coghill whose Walthamstow ward includes W Marsh. She is very keen to harness the positive energy of her constituents/users of the Marshes in relation to projects and initiatives. I shall be discussing with LV officers and WF colleagues how we put in place an effective ‘User’ group which can take on board all local interests and become a vehicle for further good work in the LBR/Marshes area.

I look forward to our further discussions in the next few months.

Best regards   

Shaun Dawson - Chief Executive

Direct: 01992 709 856

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Myddelton House, Bulls Cross, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 9HG

Tel: 01992 717 711 Fax: 01992 719 937