Home East End Howler

East End Howler

Object

Newsletter

Production date

2010 - 2012

Object number

2014.179

Physical Description

East End Howler newsletter, Issue 7

Material

Paper

Dimension

Width: 210mm
Height: 297mm

On display?

No

Inscription

EAST END HOWLER

Issue 7


East London’s FREE Working Class News Sheet

For Community and Solidarity


HANDS OFF WANSTEAD FLATS!


One thing is certain - news that the Metropolitan Police planned to site its Olympic operational centre on Wanstead Flats should never have appeared first on the pages of the Evening Standard in early June. The proposed plans, which involve creating a fenced, high-security compound with buildings, parking areas, stables and even police holding cells for at least three months during 2012, are so close to residential neighbourhoods in Newham and Redbridge that they were always likely to become controversial.





To enable the police to use Wanstead Flats as a base, the City of London Corporation, who manage the land for the benefit of local people, intends to amend an act of parliament that has protected Epping Forest from enclosure for 132 years. The precedent this sets, on top of the disruption, the secrecy and the sense that the Olympics are being used as an excuse for those in power to do whatever they like, has resulted in a storm of protest. But even after years as a community worker in Newham, the strength of feeling has been a surprise even to me.


The Save Wanstead Flats campaign has grown from a public meeting in mid july, which itself came about because a small group of local people saw the Standard article and approached Durning. Hall Community Centre in Forest Gate (where I work) for help. We provided our main hall for free and helped with publicity, but on the evening of the meeting, we have no idea how many would turn up. As we soon discovered, the meeting was packed to capacity, with over 250 people attending and a unanimous message emerging from local residents - there was overwhelming opposition to a police operational base, concerns about the conduct of the City of London Corporation and real anger about the lack of consultation. A steering committee was formed - and more than 20 people signed up to be part of it.


SAVE WANSTEAD FLATS

LOCAL RESIDENTS’ PUBLIC MEETING


Thursday 6th October

7pm at Durning Hall Community Centre

Earlham Grove,

Forest Gate E7 9AB


YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO QUESTION
Representatives invited from the Metropolitan
Police and the City of London Corporation on their plans for Wanstead Flats
In 2012