Could You be a ‘SNOW ANGEL’?

Waltham Forest, like many other Councils is planning for the coming winter and want residents to play a vital role in making sure that the borough can cope in the event of severe weather conditions.

Suitable precautions to deal with snow and ice are being put into place, but the Council is hoping that residents will agree to become “Snow Angels” and help clear their vulnerable neighbours’ drives and pathways of snow and ice.

The Snow Angel scheme was piloted last year amongst Council staff who live in the borough and who volunteered to grit and shovel snow from drives, pathways and pavements to keep the borough moving. This proved to be a huge success so now the Council has decided to roll the scheme out to the residents of Waltham Forest.

Volunteers will be provided with the following free equipment:

 1 x 20kg bag of grit

Hi-visibility jacket

Protective gloves

Snow scoop and shovel

If you are interested in becoming a “Snow Angel” please contact Amanda Karrinton on 0208 496 1296 or email on amanda.karrinton@walthamforest.gov.uk by 31st August 2011 and you will be provided with further information.

Drapers Field – The Decision!

Drapers Field - to be shut for 2 years

At the Planning Committee meeting this week approval was granted to the ODA to use Drapers Field for 16 months from this September.

In January 2013 Drapers Field will return to the Council. The application included compensation which will be used under a Section 106 agreement to re-provide an upgraded full-size all weather pitch, plus a turfed junior football pitch. There will also be improvements to the Sport England pavilion. Since the Council has decided to carry out the restoration of Drapers Field themselves, it is reported that the Field should be reopened by September 2013.

A Section 111 agreement covers off-site improvements at Marsh Lane and Abbotts Park.

CHURCH LANE CAR PARK

Also, at the last minute, the multi-utility games area (MUGA) in the Church Lane car park was included. The FOCUS Team believes that this facility should not be unsupervised in the middle of the Shopping Centre, and would be better situated on the field next to the Pastures Centre in Davies Lane, a more central locations for residents in 3 wards, Cann Hall, Cathall and Leytonstone.

What do you think?

We would like to hear from you.

Planning Application – Norlington Road

Walbrook Works - planning application

An application (reference number 2011/0926) has been received by the Council for the redevelopment of land at the Walbrook Works, 66 Norlington Road.

It covers the demolition of the former factory, and the erection of 19 mews houses (5 x 2 bed, 8 x 3 bed and 6 x 4bed). It also includes the conversion of the Franklin Building fronting Norlington Road into 1 x 1 bed flat, studio on the first floor and a B1 grade business unit on the ground floor. The FOCUS Team understands that the proposal provides 21 parking spaces, including a loading bay. The plans have not, as yet, been uploaded on the Council’s website.

Any views on this application should be addressed to:

The Development Manager, Sycamore House, Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 4JF

Drapers Field – further update!

Council's proposal for Drapers Field

We have manged to get a look at what has been planned for Drapers Field.

The Masterplan (above) shows that the all weather pitch will be re-sited and there is inclusion of some beach volleyball play areas. Maybe the Council is thinking of re-applying for the £100,000 lottery money that it had to return last year when they made arrangements to give the site to the Olympic Authority for warehousing space for the Olympics.

Below is a closer look at the planned beach volleyball area:

The beach volleyball area

For a closer look click on this link to the Masterplan:

Drapers Field – masterplan

Drapers Field – update!

Drapers Field - lost to the community for at least 16 months

The planning application by the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) to use Drapers Fieldis is still to be submitted to Waltham Forest Council’s Planning Committee. News is that it will go to the Planning Committee in August. The information regarding how much compensation that the Council will get, through what is known as section 106 and section 111, has still to be finalised.

The money received will be used to improve Abbotts Park, Marsh Lane and of course Drapers Field.

The good news is that the money allocated to Drapers Field will be to re-instate the all-weather pitch and introduce new landscaping, access, and community sports facilities. This is good news, as previously there was no mention of the all-weather pitch, or sports facilities being replaced, only that Drapers would be turned into a ‘special park’.

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan reports that other not so good news  is that the ODA want to chop down two mature trees so that they can get access to the field by their lorries. He has followed this up and it is being challenged by council officers in the tree department who feel that access can be achieved without chopping down the trees. Councillor Sullivan will update again when he receives any further news on this.

Is this one of the worst designed buildings in Leyton?

The Council, in partnership with the Waltham Forest Guardian, is running a design awards scheme for 2011. They are looking to recognise and reward quality design.

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan would like to put forward this building as the worst designed building in Leyton. This is in Ruckholt Road, sandwiched between the iconic Leyton Library and a row of Victorian houses. The design does not relate to any of the nearby architecture, but is just a plain dull block of flats.

Considering its position on a prominent corner, housing the Library and the Old Town Hall, you may wonder how the Council agreed it to be built. Councillor Sullivan can only assume that in their rush to get more flats built, as they have been doing, they allowed this monstrosity to be built without caring about the design and impact on Leyton.

New Plans for 590 – 594 Leyton High Road

Artist impression looking towards Bakers Arms

New plans to develop the corner of Leyton High Road and Hainault Road have been sent to the Council. The picture here shows the artist impression of the last plans that were refused by the Council.

The new plans are for the erection of a 3-5 storey building with an office use on the ground floor, and 23 residential units comprising 4×3 bed houses and 19 flats (8×1 bed, 10×2 bed,and 1×3 bed) with associated parking.

Lord Clyde Pub – outside to stay!

The Lord Clyde Pub is currently being changed to 9 self contained flats (see previous posting). Local residents were concerned that it would be turned into a block of flats. Councillor Bob Sullivan can now put residents concerns to rest, as the outside of the pub will stay and the flats will be built inside.

In an age when we are losing a lot of our old historic buildings to square blocks of flats, it is nice to know that the old Lord Clyde Public House, which has been there for years, will still look the same even though there won’t be any pints pulled there.

Visit to the new Velodrome

Lib Dem Cllr Bob Sullivan visits the new Velodrome

As a member of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, Cllr Bob Sullivan visited the Olympic site to see around the new Velodrome and the works going on at the Eton Manor end of the Olympic Park. Eton Manor is situated in Leyton, in fact it is in Leyton Ward. The Velodrome has been finished and looks fantastic. See the picture above to get some idea of the size and the beauty of a banked cycle track. The banking is really steep. So steep you probably would not be able to stand on it without falling off. Seeing racing on TV does not do justice to the steep banking.

Around the Velodrome and the Eton Manor site they are landscaping the area and building other cycle circuits for BMX, road racing and mountain biking. When it is finished it will accommodate areas, not only for experienced cyclists but also for beginners.

Bob says. ‘I can see that this area and the Olympic Park will become, not just a fantastic venue for cyclists, but for people looking for a pleasant open area for children and families. Particularly as it will be right on our doorstep.’