Save Lea Marshes Newsletter September

This is the weekly digest of Save Lea Marshes (SLM) a round-up of email discussions, issues, events and news concerning keeping our marshes and green spaces in the Lea Valley area, green, open and free for all.  This week's topics are:
 
LEYTON MARSH - we've caught site of an interim report from the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) into the state of biodiversity on our beloved marsh after the rampages of the Basketball Training Facility atrocity.  It appears that there was no control over the contractors regarding the mowers but the LVRPA has admitted concerns over the mowing in certain periods, that is closer to SLM's general view on this.  If that's reasonably good news then what follows is not.  Salient points include (1) the seeded area has no wildflowers on it save a bit of clover because it has been seeded so heavily with standard grass mix, which hinders wildflowers from growing. (2) sections of the grass that form the SINC designated areas, which have not been reinstated as agreed.  For those who are new supporters of the SLM campaign - the Olympic Delivery Authority's contractor for the turf provision and laying - the Sports Turf Research Institute - told us verbally and in writing about the diverse range of seed they had planted on Leyton Marsh.  The full report will be due later in the year.
 
MILLFIELDS PARK/STRIMMING - complaints have been made to Hackney Councillor Mc Shane and other people responsible for Hackney's Biodiversity Plan, about recent strimming of the paths (the south side in July) and this week on the side.  This and the fact that mowing has also been carried out on a wet cover area, specifically mentioned in the Biodiversity Plan, are in contravention of that plan.
 
EAST  MARSH - some of us took a bracing walk to East Marsh to examine the area over there.  East Marsh pre.ODA consisted of football pitches and general green space.  Post ODA - leaving aside the issue of the car park space for the moment - most of the grass has been replaced.  However, the turf is not entirely even and there will be a bit of an advantage/disadvantage of a slight hill to teams playing there in future.  Otherwise, the area has a plethora of pathways that seem to anticipate "herds of wildebeests" walking to and from the Olympic park.  There is a wide central pathway, where fairly mature trees have been planted along the edges in some sort of artificially covered material.  At present this comes to an abrupt end, which doesn't seem to correspond (at least yet), to linking with the bridge, which has many steps up to it.  There area other pathways, with many seats - some of which will allow you to lie down (so good news at least for people forced to sleep out ..), there are also humpy, winding paths that could be for cycling and landscaping not exactly wonderful for small toddling persons.  There also seems to be some non-native, non-wild species of plants dotted about, that may or may not be planned.  Access is possible from the roadside but there are still fences from the Hackney Marsh side.  As an added extra, there are also terraces built into a bank for people to watch the football.
 
Talking of football and car parks ..  Chairman of the Hackney and Leyton Football League, has another long, meandering and confused letter in this week's "Hackney Gazette's" letters page, concerning this topic.  We can appreciate his post ODA trauma but he seems to think we are against football on the marshes (No, Johnny, no Johnny no).  We are as one on this matter and want to see good football changing rooms etc., for the sportsfolk, what we are against is the building of unnecessary car parks that will not only reduce green space making it easier for developers but also make it easier for the big events that L.B.Hackney would like to stage on the marshes similar to the Radio 1 event that so wrecked the hallowed fields.  Furthermore if these sports-folk are so unfit that they cannot walk the required 500 metres they shouldn't be playing anyway.  Referencing Elizabeth the 1st. - if I as "weak and feeble woman" can carry an amount of shopping equivalent to a sports kit that distance, then ...  There is also a leader report on East Marsh and the Car parks in this week's "Hackney Citizen".
 
BUTTERFLY COUNT - after the previous item let's cheer ourselves up with some good news.  Our friends at the annual Butterfly Count say that 15 of the 21 Big Butterfly Count species have increased this year from 2012 and 12 species are up by 50 per cent, these include Tortoiseshells and Peacocks.  This is mostly due to better weather for them this year.
 
MARSHROOTS ART EXHIBITION - this exhibition of community art created for the "Reclaim Leyton Marsh Celebration" a year ago is now on until 4 November at the Spark Café in Springfield Park E5 9EF.  Also featured in this week's "Hackney Citizen".
 
ABNEY PARK CAMPAIGN - our friends, Stokey Local, over in Stoke Newington have put in for a Judicial Review but are still appealing for funds to help over-turn the recently agreed Sainsbury's store/apartment development that, if not stopped, with overshadow  the important wildlife reserve of Abney Park.  Any pence and pounds you can spare welcomed.
 
AND FINALLY ... one year on - you can get close to nature and the countryside at the "Lee Valley Countryside Live" event on Saturday 28 and 29 September on Leyton Marsh - what a shame that there is generally a lot less wildlife there to see now and after a year when people were fenced off from the land ...