Plans to build on Hackney Marshes get green light

An artist’s impression of the new sports pavilion planned for North Marsh. Photograph: Hackney Council

Plans to build a sports pavilion and car park on Hackney Marshes will go ahead despite more than one hundred objections, the government’s planning inspectorate has ruled.

Hackney Council had put forward proposals to replace the current changing block on the North Marsh, which it calls ‘dilapidated’, with a larger, relocated facility. But campaign groups called on the council to build within the footprint of the existing site, rather than on a new and larger patch of land.

Because the proposed site fell on protected ‘Metropolitan Open Land,’ the plans had to be subjected to a public inquiry.

After several weeks’ consideration, planning inspector Susan Doran approved the council’s pavilion plans for North Marsh, calling them “consistent with the use of the Marshes”. Ms Doran said the marsh is “intrinsically connected with the enjoyment of traditional pastimes on the common, reflecting its historical use as a venue for grassroots football, and its use for cricket and other organised team sports”.

Councillor Jonathan McShane, Hackney Council’s cabinet member for health, social care and culture, said: “The decision about the pavilion is fantastic news and brings us a major step closer to realising the full potential of the Marshes as a centre for sport and community activity, accessible to all.”

The planning inspectorate received 109 objections and representations against the works on the common, including from the Save Lea Marshes Group, the Open Spaces Society, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and numerous individuals.

The inquiry reported that a common gripe among the objectors was the council’s failure to take into account the views of those engaging in informal recreation, concentrating rather on organised sports users.

Caroline Day from Save Lea Marshes, a local campaign group, said: “Although we are disappointed that the pavilion will now be built on what is presently green space, we understand that the inspector did take our views into account.

“We maintain that any such facilities could have been designed sustainably, without such extensive car parking and therefore without unnecessary loss of green space.

“We sincerely hope that this will be the last car park constructed on our common land. Any future council plans should involve everyone in a proper consultation to avoid unnecessary community divisions between marsh users.”

But, in a victory for objectors to the building plans, the inspector rejected the council’s application to reinstate a car park on East Marsh. The area was built for the 2012 London Olympic Games and the council had applied to enlarge it.

The inspector ruled the car park would have a “small negative impact” on those using the common for informal recreation. “The proposed car park has a larger footprint than the former car park, which in my view would affect the public’s ability to take air and exercise over the common.”

Councillor Jonathan McShane, cabinet member for health, social care and culture, said the council will return the area on East Marsh to grass to comply with the inspector’s decision.

Caroline Day of Save Lea Marshes said: “We are happy that the correct decision has been reached regarding the unlawfully retained car park at East Marsh and therefore expect Hackney Council to remove it immediately.”