THIS IS THE MARCH 2024 EDITION OF THE SAVE LEA MARSHES NEWSLETTER.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND IN ADDITION TO NEW LIFE COMING OUT IN FLOWER AND BUD, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION TO BRING TO YOU ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON AND AROUND THE MARSHES…

DEMAND DEMOCRACY!

Last month, we reported that there were plans to build a secure facility for children on the Thames Water Depot site on Lea Bridge Road, hatched by London Councils and backed by the Government. East London Waterworks Park (ELWP) has worked tirelessly over the past five years on its vision for the area – to become a haven for wildlife, with open swimming, community, arts and education spaces – and is not prepared to take this shock imposition lying down. ELWP has made it clear that they are not opposing the need to home children appropriately, but have emphasized that this site simply cannot be the only possible place in Greater London to build such a facility. The recent refusal to answer an FOI request about alternative sites suggests the developers are making false claims when they state it is the only possible option.

Two petitions have been launched to save the park:

• Here’s the petition to sign if you live, work or study in Waltham Forest. If 3,000 valid signatures are received by Waltham Forest Council, then it will trigger a full council debate. If you sign this petition, please ensure that you give an address in Waltham Forest; so that will be your work or study address, if you don’t live in the borough.
• This petition asks the Department of Education, Mayor of London and Waltham Forest Council to reconsider the proposal to build the facility on the Thames Water Depot, and instead support plans for a nature-rich park with wild swimming ponds on the site.

If you live, work or study in Waltham Forest, please sign both petitions. Otherwise, please sign just the second one.

Save Lea Marshes (SLM) consider it implausible that this protected Metropolitan Open Land is the only suitable location to site a secure facility for children and have not seen any evidence to support this assertion. We want to see an end to building on our Metropolitan Open Land and instead the marshes relinked back together. East London Waterworks Park could be a vital link in a wildlife corridor stretching right across Lea Marshes, from Hackney Marshes all the way to Walthamstow Wetlands. Making the park happen would be a true example of levelling up, empowering the community to shape the future.

In addition to signing one or both petitions, do share with your friends, family and contacts.

THE MAYOR OF LONDON’S REWILDING SCHEME

The Mayor of London’s Rewilding Scheme has asked the London Wildlife Trust to act as a delivery partner to take forward some of London’s Rewilding Taskforce’s fund recommendations and also to form a London Rewilding Action Group (LRWAG). This is designed to bring together experts in nature conservation, community engagement and sustainable finance to develop one or more large-scale rewilding pilots to be delivered in London, as well as to conduct a review of the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, known as SINCs, with a view to upgrading them and designating possible new sites. The £1m scheme has also awarded funds to 21 projects. These include the Wildlife Gardeners of Haggerston for their work to link the Old River Lea with the canalised river, specifically for volunteers to work on improving river flow and work to encourage inverterbrates and small mammals. Also successful was a scheme in Walthamstow to create a bee corridor between the Queen’s Road Cemetery in Coppermill Lane and the Lea Valley, where the rare Brown-banded Carder Bee is present (a similar project, not funded by the scheme, is also underway at Hackney’s Millfields Park North site along the new bicycle lane). Here’s more information about the Mayor of London’s Rewilding awards.

WITHIN “SPITS” DISTANCE..

Waltham Forest’s Local Plan includes a new housing development and station on the border of Hackney Marshes. Last week there was a public consultation outside Asda in Leyton Mills with council officers and illustrative boards. Two of us from SLM braved the noise of the surrounding traffic to see if anything had changed in the plans, which include eight new tower blocks. On talking with Council officers we noted that there were some changes, for example a proposed bridge over the river has been removed, along with a pathway, and that after a review from the London Wildlife Trust an area would be designated for wildlife with a viewing platform. However, in our opinion, this does not go far enough to address the major issues: a huge influx of people and vehicles; pressure on the wildlife on Hackney Marshes; and the effects of Climate Change, particularly flooding. All the weather reports point to the need to reduce concrete and increase vegetation, especially in cities, as pointed out by The Guardian article of 20 March 2024, which states, Red alert to world: last year was the hottest on record, says UN; the world has never been closer to breaching the 1.5°C global heating limit. This February has also been the warmest and one of the wettest ever in the UK .

It is a shame, is it not, that whilst Waltham Forest Council, declares that it is working to address the Climate Emergency and supports good initiatives such as the Markhouse to the Marshes Bee Corridor and a 15-minute neighbourhoods policy, it has, on the other hand, not come out to back East London Waterworks Park, and plans to embark on a huge new carbon-intensive development on the border of Hackney and Waltham Forest?

EARTH DAY – WALTHAM FOREST CELEBRATION

On Saturday 20 April 12noon to 2 p.m at Walthamstow Town Square by the Library and Selbourne Mall, local groups and members of the public are invited: to share hopes and fears for the planet; get creative, make your voice heard and talk to local groups making a difference. Open to all, contact earthday.walthamstow@gmail.com if you are a group wanting to get involved. Save Lea Marshes are planning to take part.

COULD YOU BE HACKNEY’S FIRST BIODIVERSITY OFFICER?

In a recent edition of SLM News we featured the new legislation starting in April for councils to have biodiversity officers in place and mentioned that Waltham Forest had recently appointed its first officer. Now Hackney has finally created a post to be based in the Parks and Open Spaces team (SLM would argue that another similar post should be placed in Planning, but at least it’s a start). If you or anyone you know with the relevant experience would be interested in the role, go to: https://recruitment.hackney.gov.uk/vacancy/biodiversity-offier.