Public Inquiry to be held over Council’s plans to build on Marshes
Campaign group Save Lea Marshes are celebrating after the Planning Inspectorate has decided to hold a public inquiry into Council plans to build a new sports pavilion on Hackney Marshes.
Hackney Council’s plans for a £3.6 million sports pavilion on the North Marsh have been met with opposition from the campaign group.
The building, which would replace the current facilities next to Cow Bridge, would comprise of 16 changing rooms for football and cricket teams, a kitchen, storage space and a viewing gallery for the show cricket pitch created in 2010.
A new car park with 68 spaces to be built to the west of the proposed pavilion is also included in the plans.
Save Lea Marshes want the council to build within its original footprint rather than create a new building on open land and have handed the council a petition, signed by 600 people, calling for the Town Hall to rethink its plans.
Caroline Day of Save Lea Marshes said she was “very pleased” with the Planning Inspectorate’s decision. She said: “It’s a chance to examine the proposals in more detail and show why they are unsuitable.
“All members of the community will have their say, that can only be a good thing. We encourage people to attend, the marshes are for everyone.
“We all have a lot to do. We don’t have top lawyers or planning consultants paid for by the taxpayer. We have what we believe to be logical and clear arguments as to why we don’t want to have unnecessary buildings on our precious green space or to bring more cars onto the marshes.
“The council presents it as the only and best option, but it is neither.”
Hackney Council’s Corporate Director of Health & Community Services, Kim Wright said: “We await notification from the Planning Inspectorate of the date and duration of the inquiry.”
Today (September 29) is the last day for members of the public to send objections to the Hackney planning committee about the proposals.
The cricket show pitch is built on a car park, the site is near an old power station and the whole of Hackney Marshes are built on world war 2 bomb rubble. The area has actually got greener and more pleasant recently and the new, attractive, pavilion just adds to it. the sum total of car park spaces is much less than it was and based in an attractively landscaped park.
Please build this pavilion and we can get on with teaching our children how to live a healthy and inclusive lifestyle.
Sharing open spaces in a crowded borough is vital for community cohesion. The current landscape is underused, ugly and wasting precious Hackney space. The current proposal to use the same footprint will not maximise usage of the area, as they are sport-specific and therefore non-inclusive. The revised proposals are forward looking not only because are designed for a multi-cultural Hackney youth, but because they embody a recognition of the need to share urban spaces with sensitivity and utility.
I agree with Johnnie and Jonathan, this part of the Marshes has evolved incredibly in recent years thanks to the increase in cricket use, hence the old car park is now the ‘show’ pitch.
It’s disappointing that these much needed sports facilities are being used to batter the Council for allowing large-scale events in the past. It’s also ironic as the Cricket Club was devastated by the trashing of the pitches during the Radio 1 Big Weekend in 2012, so we’re against the big events too!
We really do need to encourage kids in Hackney to get out more, play sport, participate in teams and these facilities and where they need to be are essential for the Borough.
So come on, stop complaining and support this exciting project on the Marshes.
The Marshes Pavilion will give hundreds of footballing and cricketing kids the chance to change and keep their valuables as well as basics like go to the toilet in a clean safe environment.
It will provide somewhere to buy drinks and snacks for kids and watching parents (and dog walkers) before during and after matches.
It replaces a tumbledown and ransacked building that is from another era.
The new building is on the same site! As is the car parking! The organisation is slightly different but is within the “original footprint”.
All the clubs using the marshes are local too. Sport is a vital way to stop obesity and keep kids out of trouble. This is part of the Olympic Legacy and was agreed before they happened!
It also has Hackneys Borough’s only cricket mets planned.
Vote for YES for the pavillion so that hundreds of kids and park users can change in safely and comfort rather than in public or behind a tree like the rest of the Borough.
Both my son and daughter are members of the Stoke Newington cricket. Between the months of March and September I cycle with them over to the marshes every Saturday morning (often Sunday and mid week too if they have matches) to the North Marsh where they join over 100 boys and girls who enjoy training and having fun outside on the wonderful Marshes. They are joined on the North Marsh by 100’s of young footballers many dog walkers runners and cyclists.
It is a sight that any borough would be proud of, particularly one in inner city London.
What isn’t a sight to be proud of however is the changing and toilet facilities which are really quite disgusting and unsafe after many years of neglect. Hackney Council have submitted a plan to replace the pavilion with wonderful facilities and outdoor nets and yes a car park that will hopefully be less dangerous than the existing one that is chaos on a Saturday morning and match days. Please don’t let these much needed facilities be stopped by people who don’t really appreciated how much the grass roots community of Hackney need them for their children’s development and safety. Vote yes for the new pavilion. Thank you
From my observations the periods of greatest usage of the marshes by numbers and variety of activities are when the local youth are using them for sporting activities. The current facilities are a disgrace and dangerous as they force large numbers of children to cross the car park in order to get to the playing fields. This is the reason for not building in the current footprint. The proposed facilities would be a great improvement and a huge asset to the local population.
The fact that the Save Lea Marshes are “celebrating” another delay to the buliding of the North Marshes sports pavilion says it all.
I attended one of the ward forums last night and over various topics the underlying theme was one of austerity and cuts. This makes it even more disappointing that a crucial hub for sport, for cricket, football and rugby on the North Marsh that is FULLY FUNDED, is going to be delayed. Here is a reminder of what Save Lea Marshes is “celebrating” keeping in situ for a few more months or possibly a lot longer. http://ourpavilion.co.uk/pavilion/
The proposed pavilion will give the north side to the marshes the utilities needed to service the cricket pitches and and other sports going on there. My son has benefited greatly from his time at SNCC – especially loving the summer months playing outside in practice sessions and matches at the marshes!
The current facilities are totally inadequate – and the proposed fully funded new pavilion will enable full use to be utilised from the marshes for the benefit of multiple sports projects, initiatives and clubs!
In this post-olympic-period – enabling sporting activity in Hackney is exactly what is called for – the new facilities will definitely enrich the lives of many that will partake in sporting activities enabled by the new pavilion!
It saddens me that there is opposition to this pavilion. We have a fantastic opportunity to gain a facility that will allow the Marshes to be used and enjoyed by as many people as possible. The Marshes are a precious space. However, to enjoy them properly we need proper infrastructure and that does include parking. I would also like to point out that he plans include some outdoor nets. These will be the only ones in the borough. Where do the opponents of the scheme propose that these are built?
What a shame that a marvellous opportunity to enhance the open spaces of the North Marshes by creating a wonderful facility for sportsmen and women, boys and girls to enjoy and excel at sport in Hackney is being delayed and criticised by “Save Lea Marshes”. It seems there are some who want to prevent any change even if it is to improve the facilities for the youth of Hackney. I am certain that anyone who has had the misfortune to have to use the current facilities will support the proposed development, maybe those protesting the development do not actually use these facilities. The North Marshes have the opportunity to become as famous for grassroots cricket as the Marshes are for grassroots football, lets not lose that opportunity.
Those who fear over-development on the Marshes have got their target wrong this time. A new pavillion will replace what is currently a derelict and dangerous eyesore, next to the wonderful cricket pitches on the North Marsh. I’m sure that anyone walking on the Marshes on a Saturday morning, seeing the hundreds of boys and girls learning how to play cricket, would agree that THIS is something to be celebrated, rather than rejoicing in allowing a dirty, run down changing room to sit there rotting month after month. The new pavillion will surely enhance this area of the Marshes. For once we are not seeing plans for luxury flats! Please do not obstruct something that is being built for all the right reasons.
Stoke Newington CC is a great example of a community who have worked hard and played hard to create an environment where children from different cultural and social backgrounds enjoy regularly spending time together. They have a common purpose and genuinely love being part of the club. Let these kids continue with their great example and please support them by giving them safe, clean and hygienic changing and toilet facilities that others too can enjoy. The Marshes is an amazing place and has enabled this group get together and enjoy sport, for which we are very grateful; please allow the promise for the pavilion to become a reality, in turn, we will keep our kids playing sport and enjoying a mutual respect for each other.
Hackney Marshes has had a long association with local sporting participation- clearly it is long overdue to have modern facilities that can be used by the local community to participate in sport. If you have seen the current changing rooms the proposition is axiomatic.
It is very simple, Save Lea Marshes does not oppose the sports facilities. We welcome them. We absolutely support the creation of a new set of changing rooms. Our concern is with the creation of a car park on the existing footprint which forces the removal of the changing rooms onto the green space. We consider this is unnecessary. The car park and the changing rooms can be put on the same footprint. This is not opposition to the sports facilities. We are quite happy for example for there to be a two storey building on the same footpring. Hackney already have a two storey building at the south Marsh and the present building has a two storey section so we are puzzled by the insistence on a single storey building.
We absolutely agree that obesity is a problem. We recognise the connection between sport and Hackney Marshes and are keen that this continues. At no time have we ever made any suggestion that this should not be the case. On the contrary SLM was vigorous in opposing Hackney’s attempts to hold further music events and worked with the ECB and the FA to prevent this. We have sought to work with sports people to arrive at a consensus on this application as well and are sad this did not work out.
Another important health issue is air pollution which affects young children and the elderly. Hackney has policies to combat air pollution including using parking charges to encourage people to use other methods of getting around. This application is not just about North Marsh but also includes an application for more car parking at East Marsh. We are concerned that Hackney is seeking to create this extra car parking.
Mr McShane has stated quite clearly that Hackney wishes to organise more events on the Marshes and we think it is important to consider their plans for car parking in terms of car parking in this light.
Once again we want to emphasise that objecting to this planning application has nothing to do with opposing the pavilion. We support the pavilion but when a planning application is lodged it is necessary to object if a part of the application is unacceptable so this means SLM are obliged to lodge objections to the application. My personal objection makes it quite plain I have no objection to the ugrading of the pavilion although I think it could be designed differently as a two storey building to enable more parking on the footprint.
Let’s have some common sense here. The marshes is a vast area and there is clearly space for a new building and car park which would transform a rather ugly corner of a beautiful area of Hackney. The club needs the pavilion. Let it happen.
It is sad to see the attempt to explain SLM’s position so immediately ignored by David Smith with the suggestion that ‘common sense’ overrules any discussions about the particular elements of the scheme. Just because Hackney Marsh is a large space does not mean it is acceptable to build on green space. If the pavilion and the car park were on the same site SLM would have no objections and we have made that plain from the beginning. Hackney could have made that proposal and it would indeed by happening right now.
Arguing over details of a planning application may be reasonable. But forcing a planning enquiry and a massive delay to the building of a facility that is vital for the borough’s kids and embodies the Olympic legacy is not. Yes – some of us need to drive and park to get there. Life might be better if we lived nearer – but we don’t. It can’t be tenable to say only those who can get there by foot or the limited bus service can use the facilities – just to prove a point about parking.