Come to the Planning Committee Meeting

Planning Committee

The planning application for retention of the allotments (supposedly temporarily) relocated to Marsh Lane Fields in 2008 is coming up on Tuesday evening at Waltham Forest's planning committee meeting. 7th January 7.00pm at WF Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow.

As I am sure you all know, the Lammas Lands Defence Committee (established in 1892) exists to preserve all of the former Lammas Lands of Leyton and Walthamstow Marshes as unenclosed green open space for the public to enjoy free of charge in perpetuity.  It is fitting, therefore, that one of the Committee, John Gilbert (also CPRE's NE London representative) has put his name down to speak against the Officer's recommendations that the land should remain fenced off as allotments.

I am running a slightly different tack here, in that my emphasis is on the need to mitigate the loss of open character of the fields; something that was promised when the Freight Road (Orient Way) was built through the Grade I Site of Ecological Importance that separated the Fields from the railway track, but which has never been done.  I have also asked to speak against the recommendation.

This leaves one remaining slot for a member of the public to speak, preferably a local person who uses the fields regularly.

The allotment-holders have been thoroughly consulted with and their views made known in the run-up to the application being submitted, whereas other concerned groups - such as the Lammas Lands Defence Committee (which in the 1890s actually became an official local Council sub-committee) - have not been formally approached or consulted at all.  The SLM group has also not been consulted about this, and I am simply drawing to everyone's attention that there remains a chanvce for someone to have their three minutes' of fame and glory on Tuesday evening.

Applications to speak need to be made by close of play on Monday, so this cannot await of the meeting on Monday evening.

Katy.