URGENT COUNCIL CONSULTATION

The council would like residents feedback on plans to site Willowfield school at the top of the Douglas Eyre playing fields.
Visit the Building Schools for the Future consultation here to give them your views.
As usual with council consultations they’ve waited until less than a week before the closing date to send details to residents!

The consultation closes on the 12th of January.

Here’s what this months BSF bullitin says on the subject:

Following the request from the Governing Body further to pursue the possibility of a site at the current Douglas Eyre Playing Field, discussions have been held with the owners (London Playing Fields Foundation), the adjoining housing developers and the Greater London Authority over the constraints within which use of part of the field might be acceptable. A Project Manager has been identified, and the next steps are to commission planning advisers and various other consultancies to support the development of a revised proposal.

LATEST ON THE TOWER BLOCKS
Thank you very much for all your support with the housing campaign Blackhorse Action Group Residents Association (BAG) started this year. We received emails and comments from over 150 residents unhappy with developers plans to build 10 blocks of flats up-to 23 storeys high on the site right behind Blackhorse Road tube station overlooking the Douglas Eyre playing fields.

In the last few months BAG members have raised the residents concerns and have met many councillors and the regeneration officer for Blackhorse Lane. BAG have also maintained correspondence with English Partnerships who own most of the land the tower blocks would be built on.

BAG distributed leaflets at the tube station and through residents doors spelling out the sheer height and density of the plan. English Partnerships developers went on to change their plans twice only to receive negative feedback from the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment each time.

In late October, we tried to organise a meeting with English Partnerships. The response from them was: “All plans are slowing at the moment given the market and local context. We’ll come back to you when it’s a bit clearer what our aspirations for the site are” (English Partnerships)

A few weeks ago in a meeting with Cllr Terry Wheeler (Cabinet Member for Investment and Enterprise) BAG members discovered plans for the blocks of flats were “no longer an option”. Cllr Wheeler stated on the record the 23 storey towers had been scrapped. He went on to say that the most likely option for the site would be a new home for an expanded Willowfield School.

BAG is still waiting for official confirmation on this. At the time of the meeting the council was still in negotiations to acquire the site.

We’ll never know whether it was BAG’s campaigning and the massive response from residents outraged at this inappropriate development that stopped our skyline being overshadowed by vast tower blocks or if it was simply a consequence of the collapse in the housing market. Either way we’d like to thank residents for all their help, and feedback to both us AND the council.

Clearly this is not the end of the story, as the Arcade site at the top of the market enters its sixth year as a boarded up wasteland, its clear that even if the council acquires the site, they may not do the right thing by us as residents. We will renew our argument that any development on BHL2 should have mixed facilities for the local community. So far however we’ve got the strong impression the Council thinks this is very unlikely. So, one battle won but a big fight still looming.

TESCO EXPRESS
Opinion seems divided on plans for a Tesco Express store on the former site of the Essex Arms on Forest Road (2-3 minutes walk from Blackhorse Road tube).

The proposed store would have 9 car parking spaces, secure bays for 14 bikes and would be open between 7am and 11pm. Debate has raged over whether this will decimate local business’s and destroy diversity or whether it’s actually a good use of a derelict site.

LATEST NEWS: Tesco appear to have withdrawn their application for the site (link). Have they changed their mind about the store or are they reapplying? BAG will try and find out more.

EMD CINEMA UPDATE
Liberal Democrat Councillor, James O’Rourke contacted BAG to inform us the council are in talks with UKCG about a new planning application for the building. In 2003, in response to the demands of Walthamstow residents the government denied UCKG permission to convert the building into a church. In the 5 years that have followed nothing has changed at either the EMD or Arcade site. Will the church be given permission despite this clear ruling?

Cllr. O’Rourke, along with an English Heritage representative and the Council’s Conservation Officer visited the cinema recently and found it in a “sorry state”. Councillor O’Rourke commented that he was “encouraged plans are now being made to use the EMD”.

ST. JAMES STREET LIBRARY
A final open air library was held in December outside the former St James Street Library building. Despite being closed without warning or consultation the council has been steadfast in its refusal to reconsider.

Back in October a meeting of the Walthamstow West community council descended into chaos after councillors blocked plans for a feasibility study on reinstating the library, instead opting for a new plan for a scout hut.
Councillors refused to discuss the decision using a microphone so all could hear as requested, and in the end rejected the plan with Cllr James O’Rourke pointing out it was against council procedure. (Read the chair’s reflections on the meeting here.)

And so what was once a valued local library of vital use, in particular to the elderly and the young now has boarded up windows. Instead of educating the community the empty building now contributes to its decline with street drinkers and drug users replacing readers and families on the bench outside.

THE NORTH LONDON WASTE PLAN (NLWP)
Residents Against Pollution are tentatively reporting that plans for an Incinerator at Blackhorse Lane have been scrapped.

RAP’s website states “Though we only have verbal hints at this stage, it looks like Blackhorse Lane is now unlikely to be chosen as a new waste site. We are trying to get something in writing, and we won’t know for sure till the “preferred options” stage of the consultation process is reached in May, when it will be clear whether Blackhorse Lane is still an option.”

WALTHAMSTOW GOD STADIUM
Walthamstow Dog track sits empty as the housing collapse hits its developers (even though they claimed to be altruistically building “affordable homes”). While offers to buy or lease the track back for dog racing – even in the short term – have been blanked by developers, Kingsway International Christian Church were given permission to use the track for a huge New Year’s Eve service. 15,000 people were predicted to attend the event which was broadcast live to 217 countries on the God Channel.

Meanwhile the SaveOurStow campaign continues despite a letter from the new owners L&Q dismissing the views of all those that love the track along with all offers put forward to buy the stadium. No planning application for the site has yet been made. Rumours have emerged of an American consortium who already own dog tracks and have a successful record of developing multi-function commercial sites who intend to start talks with London and Quadrant to acquire the site in the very near future.
Perhaps the sights and sounds of race night may yet return? Although don’t hold your breath.

If you haven’t seen it already BAG found some old Walthamstow Dogs footage from 1937, 1968 and 1986 down the back of the sofa, so we put together a 30 minute video tribute to “The Stow” through the ages.

Watch “The Soul of Walthamstow: 75 years of ‘The Stow’” here.

KICK OUT KIER
Six months after getting the money saving contract to clean Walthamstow’s streets and complaints about the Kier group’s service continue. The Waltham Forest Guardian reports that the “Row continues over borough’s filthy streets” and our “dirty and “neglected” playgrounds”.

There’s even a flickr group for people to send pictures of any rubbish strewn streets.
Kier also hold the contract for a mixed use redevelopment of Walthamstow Tube Station.

OTHER NEWS
Radio 5 Live visited Walthamstow market – Listen to their broadcast here
Hate all the “To-Let” Signs left long after properties have been rented out – Get rid of them here.

BAG WEBSITE
Last but not least for all the latest news and to discuss local issues keep visiting the BAG Blog.

Once again thank you very much to all residents for their support.

Happy New Year!!!

BAG.

• Cut household bills                          • Make new friends
• Environmental benefits                    • Health benefits
• Visits to eco-houses

No one can do everything – but we can all do something!

BAG is currently recruiting for 2 EcoTeams to start Mid-November. There are only 6 more spaces to fill – first come first served.

EcoTeams are free to all residents in the Blackhorse Road area.

What is an Eco Team?
An EcoTeam is a group of 6-8 local people who meet once a month for five months to learn simple yet effective ways of conserving household energy and reducing bills while helping to save the planet. Small changes can make a big difference by living more sustainably.

What is involved?
Meetings are informal, friendly and are organised to be within walking distance of your home. EcoTeam participants meet to discuss choices for shopping, energy, transport and water – and you can try the ideas that appeal to you.
You also monitor how much rubbish & recycling you generate and your domestic use of energy. You’ll receive our information folder filled with tips, facts and internet links to help you and your team members.

How much time will it take?
About 2 hours a month, including the meetings and measurements.

Does it work?
Yes! Past teams have achieved great environmental savings:
Waste – 20%, Gas/heating – 21%, Electricity – 7%, Water – 15%
Household annual average saving of £148

Joining an EcoTeam
If you want to be part of an EcoTeam, just let us know your details and you will be invited along to a short initial meeting. The local team leader will show you a DVD and explain how the EcoTeams initiative works in your area. You then decide if you want to participate. It’s as simple as that and, remember, it’s free.

To join or to find out more
Please email Irina

National website: www.globalactionplan.org.uk
Registered charity number 1026148

To save itself some money, our ever-creative council recently outsourced refuse collection to a company called Kier Street Services, (part of the Kier Group which, no doubt coincidentally, is eyeing up lucrative development work in the borough: see here.)

In a “groundbreaking” departure from good sense, “the unique nature of the contract means that Kier’s performance will be measured by how clean the borough is rather than by how often streets are swept.” [link] [and it's even in a newsletter!] Super!

However, suspicious residents have begun to smell a rat – quite literally in many cases, as they wade to their front doors through a carpet of rotting refuse. How clean is clean? What counts as unacceptable?

In these troubled times, the council might not have enough resources to monitor our streets. Well, phew! Here’s where we can help them, poor loves. Thank goodness for the internet!

When you see a pile of offensive rubbish, take a snap with your camera, your phone, whatever you use, and upload it to this special “Kick Out Kier” gallery of rubbish.

And if your blood’s still boiling when you’ve done that, why not sign the petition?

The results are summarised in a whopper of a PDF file on their site; you can look at it here.

There are several references to the Blackhorse area including this about residents opinion:

A significant number of respondents expressed specific opposition to the use of the Blackhorse Lane area for new waste facilities because of potential negative impacts on residential amenity, health and the local transport network. In addition, the development of waste facilities in this area is seen by some to be incompatible with the current and proposed future regeneration of the area.

For some reason Walthamstow is to be saddled with half the facilities needed to serve all of North London, with Blackhorse Lane as one site. Plans include a hazardous waste-processing facility, an incinerator, and recycling centres. The locations of each type have not yet been decided.

The article (here) highlights residents concerns that they have not been made aware enough or properly consulted on the plans.

If you have objections or opinions, visit the North London Waste Plan site or email feedback@nlwp.net

On a side note, due to slightly unclear wording the article gave some people the impression that the Blackhorse Action Group is somehow associated with the Socialist party.
The “Resident” that posted a comment about the “socialist cell organising and campaigning behind the cover of the Blackhorse Action Group” can rest easy. We are a residents group with a fully open AGM and are not affiliated with the Socialist (or any other) Party.

Any residents who wish to join visit here, or come along to our social on the 17th May at The Douglas Eyre Pavilion.

To find out more, email: wasteandrecycling@blackhorseactiongroup.org.uk

Dear all

In case you haven’t seen the latest copy of WFM, there will be a public workshop at EduAction Conference Centre, Queens Road, E17 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on Monday 28th January about the North London Waste Plan. The purpose of the workshop is to “have your say and find out more” about the North London Waste Plan. Some of you may have seen that Waltham Forest is earmarked for 3 out of 6 waste disposal sites so it should be interesting to go along and find out more about what’s happening with that.

For more info go to www.nlwp.net or to register for a workshop email events@nlwp.net

I’m sure it is no coincidence (!), but the Walthamstow West Community Council meeting is also being held on the same evening – Monday 28th January at 7.15pm at the Chapel End Junior School, Roberts Road, E17 4LS.

thanks,
Cath

We should probably split up and attend both. Email to say which of the two meetings, the Community Council or the NLWP consultation, you’d be able to attend.

We’ve made a .pdf file of the page with the letter, which you can read here.

This is naturally worrying: nobody wants an incinerator in the area. Also, the council has presented the development as a ‘Gateway’ opportunity filled with local amenities, businesses, public spaces, housing and leisure parks – just where (and next to what) would any processing plant go?

Before rushing to the barricades to fight incinerator plans, however, we should remember that it has not been decided what’s going to be put where. According to a comment posted on the Guardian’s article, Archie Onslow of The North London Waste Plan has said that they’re looking into sites for processing/recycling green waste and stuff from the black boxes ie composting / sorting facilities.

The council rushed to assure residents that there will be consultation on the subject. It will start on January 23 and, the council says, “residents will be able to request a copy” (of what, exactly?) by visiting www.nlwp.net or ringing the North London Waste Plan on 020 7974 5916.

The NLWP website has a sort of consultation portal called “Have Your Say” and there is a consultation timetable that promises “formal consultation on issues and options, via [the NLWP] website and public events across the 7 boroughs“. It looks worryingly stage-managed, and it would be nice to know what part our own council will play in all this… As ever, we have to work to make sure that the consultation is genuine and meaningful. Take a look at theNLWP’s consultation guidelines and tell us what you think.

A meeting to discuss policy will be held at the Education Centre on 28th Jan at 6.30pm.

The time scale on this seems long, but you know how time flies: here is the North London Waste Plan’s timetable.

Watch this space!