Local campaigners want car park built on different site Pic: ELL

The Planning Inspectorate announced this week that there will be a public enquiry into controversial plans to build a new car park on Hackney Marshes to serve sporting facilities.

Local campaigners were notified by the Planning Inspectorate that the plans need further examination and may not be approved due to their impact on common land.

Caroline Day, of the Save Lea Marshes group, said: “We object to the plans because we know that vital sporting facilities can be provided without constructing a huge unnecessary car park and building on open green space.

“Hackney Council described their previously approved proposals as in the ‘optimal’ location – we ask them to revert to building on the footprint of the present changing rooms“

There will now be the chance for Hackney Council (the planning applicant) to explain its proposals to the Inspectorate, but also for members of the public to explain their objections.

Campaigners ask that anyone interested in preventing the building of the car park to register using details here, so that they can attend the enquiry and explain how the proposals will adversely affect the users of the common land: Hackney Marshes.

Day was positive about the campaign so far and the enquiry: “We believe this is testament to the strength of feeling against building car parks on the marshes and construction on open green space which has been demonstrated in the signatures on the petition and all the people who wrote objections to the Planning Inspectorate.

“Our next step will be to prepare for the public enquiry to make sure the correct decision is made – we, unlike Hackney Council, will not have on hand a team of top lawyers and consultants paid for by Hackney taxpayers.”

Public enquiries are held when the conditions below apply to planning applications:

• a lot of objections have been received in response to the application;
• the issues of the case are particularly complex;
• it appears to be the only way to obtain the information needed to decide the application.

EastLondonLines is awaiting comment from Hackney Council.