Hackney Marshes Users Group	HomeNatureBlogForumContact
	Issues and Action	'Major Events'Hackney WeekendBackgroundArchive
26 April 2013	Proposals affecting Hackney Marshes and what you can do to influence them

'Major events' proposal

Hackney Council announced in February that it intends to get permission to hold up to three 'major events' on Hackney Marsh every summer for the next 5 years. The council held an 'informal consultation' which ended on 23rd April. We're waiting to see whether they apply to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). 

HMUG opposes this proposal. We support appropriate community-based events on the Marshes. We think that this proposal would bring seriously detrimental change for Hackney Marshes.

If you don't support our position, please read our page about it. We hope we can persuade you. The council's page is here.

If you do support our position, please do some/all of these:

• write to your local councillor(s) (and copy us in). It's still worth doing this
• write to council cabinet member for leisure & parks Jonathan McShane (and copy us in)
• keep in touch with our campaign
• circulate/display our publicity (download to print, or contact us for paper copies)
• be ready to write an an objection when the council applies for planning permission, probably later this year

 Suggested points for writing to councillors:

• The council has offered no serious evidence of 'demand' and in any case should not base its stewardship of the marshes on supposed demand for damaging and exclusive activities.
• The marsh is unsuitable for major events because of the absence of a network of tarmac paths for HGV access, the vulnerability of sports pitches and its importance for biodiversity.
• The council is apparently unable to record accurately damage from major events, or to remedy it promptly, and refuses to acknowledge these problems.
• Closures on the lines of Hackney Weekend for up to 5 weeks of the summer are unacceptably disruptive to existing local users.
• The council claims to be consulting but says it will ignore 'No' replies.
• There is a tailor-made events venue in the QE Olympic Park.

--> More information and arguments here

Other local views

• Save Lea Marshes
• Birkbeck Orient Football Club
• Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League forum

Media & blogs

• Save Lea Marshes group slams Hackney Council for “sham” consultation, Hackney Gazette 24/4/13 (printed 25/4/13 p4)

• Uproar over council’s plans for Hackney Marshes ‘land grab’. Hackney Citizen, 25/3/13
• BBC London News 16/3/13, cricketers show damaged pitches
• Sports team anger over Hackney Marsh ‘cash cow’ plans. Hackney Post, 15/3/13

• Cricketers and footballers laugh at council promises following Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend gig, Hackney Gazette 14/3/13

• Letters from HMUG, Sustainable Hackney, Save Lea Marshes, Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League, Old Streetonians Rugby Football Club, Jenny Jones MLA, and 2 Labour councillors, Hackney Gazette 14/3/13 (page 16 of electronic edition)

• More festivals ‘will destroy sport on Hackney Marshes', Evening standard 8/3/13
• Anger over plan to hold more major events on the marshes, Hackney gazette 7/3/13
• The Trouble With Hackney Marshes, Peter Stean on Londoneer blog, 1/3/13

HMUG's pages are hosted free by Sustainable Hackney. Sustainable Hackney isn't responsible for the content. HMUG is grateful for the solidarity and technical support of the Sustainable Hackney community.

Content copyright Hackney Marshes Users Group 2013. Text may be reproduced free, with acknowledgement, for non-profit purposes. For permission to use photos please contact HMUG.