The Council has commissioned Kinnear Landscape Architects to develop improvements for Abbotts Park.

There is to be a public consultation in the park on Saturday 25th June between 2 and 5pm.

Council officers and the design team will be there to hear your views on the proposals, which as usual are subject to planning consent and funding.

If you cannot make this meeting, the plans will also be on display in Leyton Library, Leyton High Road, corner of Ruckholt Road on Monday 27th June. A representative from the designers will be present between 4 and 6pm.

This is your opportunity to express your views on this scheme.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mahmood Hussain on Wednnesday 18 May told Waltham Forest’s Planning Committee that the council should refuse the planning application submitted by UKCG to turn the EMD Cinema into a religious assembly hall.

Councillor Hussain, who represents High Street ward which includes the EMD Cinema site, said:

“The key questions can be summarised very simply. Does the proposed development respect the building’s heritage and listed building status? Is the impact on the area and particularly on nearby residents acceptable? Does the proposed development contribute satisfactorily to the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre? On all three counts I believe the answer is no.

“This view is shared by an enormous number of local residents. Our borough has hundreds of places of worship of all types and sizes. But it does not have a single cinema. We have clear evidence that the building is potentially viable as a cinema, arts and entertainment venue.

“This would bring new life to the area and stimulate the local economy – unlike the proposal before you. The proposed changes to the building would destroy much of what is special about this unique building, which is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved cinema buildings in the country.

“Residents would suffer from the absence of a proper noise management scheme and from parking problems generated by cars descending on the area from miles away.

“For the sake of Walthamstow please listen to local people, weigh up the planning merits of the case and refuse the application.”

Speaking after the decision to refuse the planning application Councillor Hussain said he was delighted that the Planning Committee had listened to the arguments put forward by objectors.

“This is good and important news for Walthamstow Town Centre but it is only one step forward. Following two planning refusals and endless discussion I hope UKCG will now abandon their plan. We must allow those who are able to bring the cinema back into use the chance to realise the cinema’s true potential.”

The link below shows the revised proposals

Following concerns raised by John Howard and London Buses the Council has revised their proposals.

THE PLAZA – The road layout has reverted the existing design. It was agreed that the proposals did not allow sufficient space, and access to the public car park and the LT vehicle entrance has been reinstated.

CHURCH LANE – Church Lane now divides into two spurs. One terminates at the emergency barrier while the other leads directly into the car park.

Revised layout Church Lane and The Plaza

Local people and green campaigners reacted with disappointment after a High Court judge refused to overturn Newham Council’s decision to expand London City Airport.

Residents, represented by Friends of Earth’s Justice Centre, took the council to court in November last year after it decided to allow a 50 percent increase in flights. The community Representatives argued that Newham Council failed to consider changes to Government’s policy on climate changes and did not properly consult boroughs and residents in the surrounding areas.

Reacting to the decision, Chair of local campaign group”Fight the Flights” Anne-Marie Griffin said:

“We are desperately disappointed by this judgement. London City Airport already causes major disturbance and pollution for people living locally. The disappointment we feel at this outcome will be shared by thousands of residents across East London who are severely affected by London City Airport’s operations but were not consulted about the expansion.

Speaking about the decision Cllr F Qureshi said: Many people in east and south east London are already facing serious problems with noise and disturbance from air flights. Airport expansion will have a terrible impact on local people’s quality of life, as well as increase air pollution breaches and undermine efforts to tackle climate change.

Liberal Democrats Parliamentary candidate for Leyton & wanstead Cllr Farooq Qureshi, alongside other members of Finance Overview and Scrutiny sub committee went on a tour of the Olympic park, led by a guide from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the organisation responsible for building the Olympic park.

It was fascinating to see the once run down area of the east end of London being transformed into a high quality sports arena, which will be the focus of attention for the whole world.

The visiting group was told that the building program is progressing according to schedule and is on course to complete by 2011 for the rehearsals to begin. Special attention is being focused on all the small details. The ODA have made sure to include even the praying facilities in the Olympic village.

Following the tour of the park, there was an informal reception hosted by ODA in one of their specially built flats that over looks the Olympic park.

Speaking about the post-games plans, Cllr Qureshi said: “I know that a lengthy and thorough assessment was carried out about what legacy the Olympic games will leave behind. I hope that the residents of Leyton & Wanstead will receive their fair share of the benefits by way of a legacy“.

More planes, more noise and more pollution is what is happening in the skies over Leyton and Wanstead.

There is a significant increase in air traffic, both from London Heathrow and London City Airports crossing over Leyton, Leytonstone, Snaresbrook and Wanstead. Jets from Heathrow fly over us at the altitude of less the 10,000  feet and planes from London City Airport roar over us at around 3000 feet.

We have found out that Newham Council have granted permission for an increase in flights from London City Airport(LCA). This would double the number of flights from 76000(current) to 120,000 per year and would also allow the use of larger capacity jets. LCA hopes to expand on that and by 2030 increase the numbers to 176000 a year.

Good for the airport but misery for residents with flight paths crossing our homes.

The low level take off and landing path affects thousands of homes in the most densely populated areas in East and South East London. National Air Traffic System (NATS) are now also looking into adjusting the current flight paths, simply to accommodate all the extra flights from the flight expansion schemes.

 London City Airport is having to independently have its flight path changed to accommodate the increased use of jets, using the residentially situated airport. Jets simply can’t follow the same flight paths as propeller planes have done in the past.

We have learnt that in 2006, The Newham Council consulted our own Waltham Forest council on the planned expansions. BUT Waltham Forest Council failed to respond to the consultations or inform its residents. When we confronted them over the issue, no one knew why they failed to reply to Newham’s consultation.

We are not anti aviation. We simply believe that London City Airport’s perceived need for extra business has to be balanced with the quality of life of our residents.

With all of the above in mind, we, the Liberal Democrats of Leyton and Wanstead constituency have decided to work with “Fight The Flight” to fight the continued expansions.

Leyton and Wanstead Parliamentary candidate Cllr Farooq Qureshi has organised a public meeting about these issues. Representatives of Fight The Flight and London City Airport have been invited to attend.

If you are concerned about the noise and pollution from the increase in air traffic over our homes, then please come to the meeting. Details are as follows.

Friday 2nd October 09

7.00PM

The Quaker Meeting House

Bush Road, Off Greenman Roundabout

Leytonstone

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please write to,

The Planning Department

London Borough of Newham

Town Hall

Barking Road, East Ham

London, E6 2RP

Ref:- 07/01510/var

Please let us know about your views on this issue.