A community group in East London has been left disappointed after new proposals for a secure children’s facility on metropolitan open land derailed plans for a new park and natural swimming ponds.
East London Water Works Park is a community group, run by volunteers, aspire to turn the 5.68-hectare Thames Depot site on Lea Bridge Road in Waltham Forest into a new park and free wild swimming area.
Chair of the group, Abigail Woodman, 48, explained the project spun out from a different community group, Save Lea Marshes, which focuses on saving metropolitan open land from development.
Image copyright: East London Water Park
After a planning application for two free schools put forth by the Department for Education, the current landowners, on the site was rejected by Waltham Forest Borough Council, Save Lea Marshes held a public meeting in 2019 to discuss what it would like to see on the land, from which East London Water Park was born.
The group prides itself on inclusivity, with Woodman saying: “Everybody is welcome to get involved with the project, and we active reach out to groups that are unrepresented in projects like this to get them involved as much as possible.
“From the community, for the community, by the community.”
Since the ideas conception the group has ran two fundraisers, the first was conducted in 2021, and generated just over £30,000 which was used to pay for feasibility studies, and inclusivity work in the community.
The second, much larger fundraiser, received over £500,000 in donations from 5,000 individuals, and ran between June 2022 and February 2023.
While running the fundraiser, Abigail says the group was told by central government that LocatED, the arms length company that manages land for the Department For Education, was looking to dispose of the site as they couldn’t find an educational use for it, and the group was working with LocatED on potentially acquiring the land.
Woodman said: “We thought they were going to be getting rid of it, and we wanted to put ourselves in poll position to be ready to make an offer for the site.”
However, on January 18 the group received an email detailing different plans for the site, a secure children’s facility, and that the sale would no longer be going forward.
Woodman said: “It’s hugely disappointing.”
Currently the group is waiting to see if the planning application goes through Waltham Borough Council, but are also trying to understand why the Thames Water Depot site was chosen, and is considered the only appropriate site in London.
Image copyright: East London Water Park
Abigail expressed she appreciates the need for such facilities, and wants vulnerable children to be looked after, however does do not believe this is the only appropriate site available, but this is the only site the type of space East London Water Works Park can be constructed on.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The DfE and LocatED followed official guidance for disposing of public land by first establishing whether there was an education or public sector need for the site.
“An educational need was identified after consulting with other government departments and public sector bodies and are now proposing to build a secure children’s home on the site.
“LocatED has previously communicated to the community group that this site is not for sale, and they will be updated accordingly should this position change.”
If the park is not built on the land, the group has ambitions to become a grant-making charity, and use the money they have raised for other causes, although they have no specific plans yet as this project has been their sole focus.
Featured image credit: East London Water Park
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