Mayor slammed for ‘bunch of tree-huggers’ jibe in football stadium row

Kicking off: Mayor Jules Pipe has enraged local conservation volunteers

A war of words between Hackney’s Mayor Jules Pipe and conservation activists erupted after the mayor dismissed opponents of building on public land for football games as “a bunch of tree-huggers”.

At a council meeting last month the Hackney Mayor welcomed a deputation from Sporting Hackney FC asking for help finding a site for a football stadium. He said he had been in favour of at least fencing off one of the football pitches on Lea Marshes when the council decided to build a new sports pavilion, but the idea was unpopular with some residents.

Mr Pipe said: “There would be a howl of protest by a bunch of tree-huggers who think that all those acres out there, rather than being enjoyed by thousands of young people to play football, they think it should be reserved for a couple of dozen dog-walkers. Because apparently it’s the middle of the countryside!”

Damian Rafferty, chair of Mabley Green Users Group, resigned his membership of the Labour party in protest after reading these remarks in the Citizen and copied the mayor in on his email.

He said the comments showed “contempt” for local conservation volunteers.

Mayor Pipe wrote back to Mr Rafferty saying he was not referring to “volunteers involved in community projects” or “environmentalists in general”, but only those who hold “ideological positions” against this use of Hackney Marshes.

He wrote: “I was perfectly clear that I was expressing my opinion not about a specific group of people, but about what I regard to be uncompromising, ideological positions that are doggedly against any change or upgrade in facilities whatsoever at the marshes – changes that would see more Hackney people, particularly the young, use the marshes for sport and recreation.”

Hackney’s elected mayor, Jules Pipe. Photograph: Hackney Council

The Mayor said that fencing off one of “more than 70 pitches on Hackney Marshes” would mean “the enclosure of a fraction of one percent of the Marshes within Hackney”.

“I do not believe that to be too high a price to pay to give a team of enthusiastic amateur players a home – not to mention act as a catalyst of ambition for young sportspeople across the borough,” said the mayor.

Mr Pipe also apologised to people against “alternative uses” of the Marshes: “I’m sorry if they perceive the epithet I used as unduly derogatory, which was not my intention. Nevertheless, if a brief remark during a council meeting prompts a debate in which the other side is heard for once, then I believe that it will have been justified.”

Mr Rafferty accused the mayor of having a “blinkered view” about use of common land, adding that “painting community groups as enemies of sport is divisive and desperately low politics”.

Mr Rafferty concluded: “I don’t know whether to laugh out loud by the suggestion that a few local volunteers unfairly cower organisations such as Hackney Council itself and are somehow stifling debate. Are you serious? Do you really see yourself as David facing Goliath?

“May I remind you that you are the head of one of London’s biggest councils with huge resources, your own newspaper [Hackney Today] and a press team working to put your views out there, not to mention consultation officers, legal representatives, planning officers and more.

“Your insulting remarks demand an immediate and full apology and not a self-awarded commendation for bravery.”

The current home of Sporting Hackney FC. Photograph: Paul Flannery via Flickr

The mayor wrote back again to say Mr Rafferty’s reply “supports my point”, before saying the two would have to “agree to disagree”.

Speaking to the Citizen, Mr Rafferty said he resigned from Labour “because of the contempt in which volunteers are held by the council and in particular the mayor as exemplified by his comments, and this relentless campaign to monetise the green spaces of Hackney.”

“I didn’t have a strong view of Jules Pipe beforehand. I was incredibly upset.

“Our green spaces are not there to be parcelled off to make a few quid for the council. The council have a duty to protect common land, not chop it up and sell it off.

“I know so many people who feel the same way.”

When asked what the mayor would need to do to change Mr Rafferty’s mind, he said: “If he resigned.”

He said volunteers have been kept busy “fighting idiotic proposals” from the council “instead of making Hackney a greener, better place for everyone to enjoy”.

He added: “Then to have the mayor make his contempt so clear. Who does he think is going out there and volunteering to pick up litter and improve the trees by re-planting? It’s those same people.

“They don’t expect thanks, but they don’t expect contempt either.”

Hackney Council has been approached for comment.

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This article was amended at 18:00 on Monday 15 February 2016. The original article stated a deputation from Sporting Hackney FC called on the council for help in finding a better football ground”. In fact the deputation from Sporting Hackney FC called on the council for help in finding a site for a football stadium. The word “pitch” in the headline was replaced with the word “stadium”. – Ed.