Mayor slammed for ‘bunch of tree-huggers’ jibe in football stadium row
Kicking off: Mayor Jules Pipe has enraged local conservation volunteers
A war of words between Hackney’s Mayor Jules Pipe and conservation activists erupted after the mayor dismissed opponents of building on public land for football games as “a bunch of tree-huggers”.
At a council meeting last month the Hackney Mayor welcomed a deputation from Sporting Hackney FC asking for help finding a site for a football stadium. He said he had been in favour of at least fencing off one of the football pitches on Lea Marshes when the council decided to build a new sports pavilion, but the idea was unpopular with some residents.
Mr Pipe said: “There would be a howl of protest by a bunch of tree-huggers who think that all those acres out there, rather than being enjoyed by thousands of young people to play football, they think it should be reserved for a couple of dozen dog-walkers. Because apparently it’s the middle of the countryside!”
Damian Rafferty, chair of Mabley Green Users Group, resigned his membership of the Labour party in protest after reading these remarks in the Citizen and copied the mayor in on his email.
He said the comments showed “contempt” for local conservation volunteers.
Mayor Pipe wrote back to Mr Rafferty saying he was not referring to “volunteers involved in community projects” or “environmentalists in general”, but only those who hold “ideological positions” against this use of Hackney Marshes.
He wrote: “I was perfectly clear that I was expressing my opinion not about a specific group of people, but about what I regard to be uncompromising, ideological positions that are doggedly against any change or upgrade in facilities whatsoever at the marshes – changes that would see more Hackney people, particularly the young, use the marshes for sport and recreation.”
Hackney’s elected mayor, Jules Pipe. Photograph: Hackney Council
The Mayor said that fencing off one of “more than 70 pitches on Hackney Marshes” would mean “the enclosure of a fraction of one percent of the Marshes within Hackney”.
“I do not believe that to be too high a price to pay to give a team of enthusiastic amateur players a home – not to mention act as a catalyst of ambition for young sportspeople across the borough,” said the mayor.
Mr Pipe also apologised to people against “alternative uses” of the Marshes: “I’m sorry if they perceive the epithet I used as unduly derogatory, which was not my intention. Nevertheless, if a brief remark during a council meeting prompts a debate in which the other side is heard for once, then I believe that it will have been justified.”
Mr Rafferty accused the mayor of having a “blinkered view” about use of common land, adding that “painting community groups as enemies of sport is divisive and desperately low politics”.
Mr Rafferty concluded: “I don’t know whether to laugh out loud by the suggestion that a few local volunteers unfairly cower organisations such as Hackney Council itself and are somehow stifling debate. Are you serious? Do you really see yourself as David facing Goliath?
“May I remind you that you are the head of one of London’s biggest councils with huge resources, your own newspaper [Hackney Today] and a press team working to put your views out there, not to mention consultation officers, legal representatives, planning officers and more.
“Your insulting remarks demand an immediate and full apology and not a self-awarded commendation for bravery.”
The current home of Sporting Hackney FC. Photograph: Paul Flannery via Flickr
The mayor wrote back again to say Mr Rafferty’s reply “supports my point”, before saying the two would have to “agree to disagree”.
Speaking to the Citizen, Mr Rafferty said he resigned from Labour “because of the contempt in which volunteers are held by the council and in particular the mayor as exemplified by his comments, and this relentless campaign to monetise the green spaces of Hackney.”
“I didn’t have a strong view of Jules Pipe beforehand. I was incredibly upset.
“Our green spaces are not there to be parcelled off to make a few quid for the council. The council have a duty to protect common land, not chop it up and sell it off.
“I know so many people who feel the same way.”
When asked what the mayor would need to do to change Mr Rafferty’s mind, he said: “If he resigned.”
He said volunteers have been kept busy “fighting idiotic proposals” from the council “instead of making Hackney a greener, better place for everyone to enjoy”.
He added: “Then to have the mayor make his contempt so clear. Who does he think is going out there and volunteering to pick up litter and improve the trees by re-planting? It’s those same people.
“They don’t expect thanks, but they don’t expect contempt either.”
Hackney Council has been approached for comment.
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This article was amended at 18:00 on Monday 15 February 2016. The original article stated a deputation from Sporting Hackney FC called on the council for help in finding a better football ground”. In fact the deputation from Sporting Hackney FC called on the council for help in finding a site for a football stadium. The word “pitch” in the headline was replaced with the word “stadium”. – Ed.
Given the distance by which Jules Pipe misses the point, I hope for his sake the next mayoral election doesn’t have to be decided by penalty shootout.
He is of course correct that Hackney is not in the middle of the countryside, but an inner London borough. That should make him and anyone who loves Hackney all the more keen to preserve and enhance the small slices of open land we have access to in the form of Hackney Marsh, the River Lea and our other smaller open spaces.
Hackney Marshes are a vital resource for London wildlife, form part of the flood-plain that protects our low-lying areas and most of all, are a wonderful haven for local people. With ever more of us suffering from stress and poor mental health, children growing up in crowded flats unable to run and play outside and our often toxic urban air, the benefits of having this open space in our borough are absolutely incalculable and ought to be celebrated, not disparaged.
If Mr Pipe cannot appreciate that, it saddens me greatly and suggests that our mayor really doesn’t “get” Hackney at all.
Ben Mathis
Tree-hugger and Chair of Hackney Liberal Democrats
Time to resign and go work for Nike Jules old boy, then you can get the money you want and leave the COMMON land alone,
see that word there buddy, it means for all not just some money grabbing twerp who thinks that his position is for his benefit and not the benefit of those who look to him for guidance and care in his leadership of this council,
you should either get it together and do your job or just leave and leave the people of this wonderful borough alone
Will that be the same Liberal Democrats that supported the Tory government who reduced the money given to councils…There would not be such a need to try to squeeze money out of every inch of the borough if the grants were still in place rather than the cuts your party enabled.
I’m not a fan of Mr Pipe, but I’m even less of a fan of the Lib Dems.
I love living by the River Lea and the Lea Valley. However, for the council and LVRP it is a cash cow. They seem to believe that every inch of land must to generate revenue. It is continually being parcelled up, fenced off and we are made to pay to access it during set times.
Living in London is expensive. There is very little free public space and most of us do not have gardens. It is rare for people to be able to enjoy the outdoors and nature. I am concerned that soon the Lea Valley will just be a giant leisure park, an urban Disney World- and the local people will have lost their common land, their green lung, where once they could stroll, walk dogs, picnic, read a book, sunbathe and play in peace..and be mindful in a busy City.
If Hackney Council and LVRP cannot see the value of this…then we are in a sorry state.
It is continually being parcelled up, fenced off and we are made to pay to access it during set times.
I must have missed this somewhere along the line, could you tell me what you are referring to please?
I’m not really against it though, budget cuts have created the problem and I’m happy to loose access to a bit of land for the odd weekend to keep libraries, but maybe that’s just me….
The Marshes are a sanctuary that must be preserved. The constant assault by London councils is disturbing.
It is a precious gem that must be preserved for future generations and cherished and cared for now. Any improvements must be in the care for the space, for the natural environment that thrives here as it is a unique space in this often ghastly city.
Suitable sites for lit football pitches are plentiful – only a fool would suggest that this is on of them and that the people that care for this are some sort of sentimental fools. How many nature reserves do other London Boroughs have to boast?
Hi Steve, there were certainly plenty of mistakes made during the coalition, but one only has to look at what the Tories are doing now to see just how much was kept at bay by Lib Dems in government. I also cannot believe that the cuts outlines in Labour’s manifesto in 2010 – on a similar scale to those implemented – would not have hit local government equally hard.
What we have here is not an example of penny-pinching to make up for funding cuts in any case. A football stadium is not a threatened and vital service and there is no suggestion this would bring in much if any income – indeed it could well end up being a drain on council coffers.
It’s a shame that this row has detracted from the original purpose of Sporting Hackney’s deputation which was to point out the lack of football facilities of a certain standard anywhere in the borough and to ask the council to look into the possibility of correcting that. We weren’t asking the council to build a ground on East Marsh, but to help us find a suitable site somewhere in the borough.
Hackney Marshes are a fantastic resource for non-league football and long may they remain so, but Hackney is virtually unique in not having a small community football ground where talented young players can play for their local team at a higher standard than is currently possible on any of the Marshes pitches, as good as they are. Football Association rules dictate that to play at a higher level than Sporting Hackney’s current position, you need a ground, not just a pitch.
What’s more, such a facility would not just encourage and nurture local players, but could be a real catalyst for all kinds of sport-related eduction, health and social development opportunities that would benefit the wider community.
We were, of course, delighted to hear the Mayor’s enthusiastic support for our proposal, and agree with him that, for many reasons, a corner of the East Marsh could be the ideal location. But there may well be others.
More importantly, we think such a modest facility – wherever it’s built – could be created in a way that is in sympathy with open space, not at its expense. We totally support environmental groups in opposing commercial development on the Marshes and were active in resisting its use for the Radio1 Weekend and other events.
Hopefully, if and when the idea of Hackney’s community football ground becomes a real possibility we can work with Damian and others so that all our interests and concerns are met. In the end, we are on the same side.
Matt Brown and Ben Watson
Sporting Hackney FC
http://www.sportinghackney.co.uk
@sportinghackney
Matt and Ben
I’m sorry that the mayor’s remarks have distracted from something you had every right to ask for – increased support for amateur football.
There are many brownfield (and meantime and even some Olympic) sites that could be used in Hackney without infringing on the open spaces that we all share – Sunday league footballers, ‘tree huggers’, picnicking families, star crossed couples and dog walkers alike.
It has become a knee jerk reaction of the mayor and Cllr McShane to look first and exclusively at the common land in the east of the borough as a limitless resource to plunder. Moreover it has become a pernicious strategy of these public servants and the council press office to write off objections to building on common land as being anti-sport.
Anything that encourages more people to go out and play sport or otherwise enjoy our green spaces has my deep approval. Should a proposal come forward that furthers the sport for all agenda – without damaging green spaces, you can be assured of my enthusiastic support.
All the best, Damian
Jules Pipe’s lack of understanding of the importance of green space in Hackney (and elsewhere, for that matter) is unbelievable. I almost don’t know where to start. Firstly, his terminology describing the plethora of local people who care passionately about Hackney Marshes as “tree-huggers” is clichéd, lazy, outdated, flippant and downright derogatory, reminiscent of tabloid, gutter journalism to which the same adjectives can be applied.
He clearly doesn’t understand the importance of open, green spaces for biodiversity (ever heard of climate change, Mayor Pipe?), fresh, clean air, for people’s enjoyment and mental health, as wildlife corridors, as protection against floods…I could go on.
Also, his sarcastic comments relating to Hackney “being in the middle of the countryside” certainly show his ignorance. For your information, Mr Pipe, Hackney Marshes are designated as Metropolitan Open Land, demonstrating how important it is that they remain so, and their importance to this inner-city area.
Pipe has since responded to letters from another local resident (and Chair of Mabley Green User Group) in relation to this matter, stating that all that would be required for a football “facility” on East Marsh “would consist principally of fencing off one of the football pitches, the creation of minimal terracing and some lighting”. As usual, it is the same old story – ‘only a bit of fencing here, lighting there, built structure somewhere else’ – and of course it would then need a car park. And then a few years down the line a bit of an expansion, and a bigger car park, and so on and so on. This is the reason there’s very little open space in London left. And it is also the reason that some of us “tree-huggers” are campaigning against threat after threat, to keep our green spaces open and free for all to use.
Instead of being proud of Hackney’s green spaces and celebrating the fact that, for instance, we have far more green space than neighbouring Islington, Pipe really shows his true colours by suggesting we build on them.
I have every sympathy with SHFC wanting a football stadium specifically if this is a requirement to play football at FA league level – I am not anti-sport – but the Council needs to use a bit more imagination than to automatically go for the ‘easiest’ option of Hackney Marshes – how about partnering with another borough and sharing a ground – how about the old Leyton FC ground on Lea Bridge Road behind the Hare and Hounds pub? Would a combined Hackney and Leyton club have a better chance of survival in this current climate than a single-borough club? Just a thought…