Drapers Field – THE PLOT THICKENS

The all-weather pitch

Last year the Council was awarded £100,000 from the Virgin London Marathon Charitable Trust for the creation of an urban beach sports venue in Drapers Field.  In January this year the Council issued its Waltham Forest Core Strategy document http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/ldf-preferred-options-summary-document.pdf see page 8.

This document outlined the Council’s vision for the future – see this extract: 

Preferred Options Core Strategy January 2010

Cllr Bob Sullivan fighting to save Drapers Field3.11 Our residents have convenient access to some of the best sporting and leisure facilities in the world, thanks to the legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. People are fit, healthy and enjoy life. As a result of the success of the 2012 Olympics, Waltham Forest now forms part of a centre for national sporting excellence. The Drapers Field Urban Beach now acts as the UK’s main centre for beach volleyball–having hosted the hugely successful 2025 Beach Volleyball World Cup.

What has happened to the £100,000 and what has happened to the planned visionary beach volley ball area on Drapers Field?  A niche sport that could put Leyton on the map. The Council having agreed last year to defend its sports pitches and leisure areas is in fact going to give it over to the Olympic Authority to tarmac over and use it to store provisions or, if the rumour is correct, turn it into a car park. 

So much for the ethos of the Olympics in encouraging youngsters to participate in sports. If you would like to help in our campaign to keep Drapers Field, then please sign our on-line petition at:   http://ourcampaign.org.uk/DrapersField

3 thoughts on “Drapers Field – THE PLOT THICKENS

  1. […] Dem Leader Bob Sullivan’s probing questions have uncovered the fact that the council has missed out on £100,000 granted by the London Marathon […]

  2. garrymoore says:

    hi to all bobsullivan.mycouncillor.org.ukers this is my first post and thought i would say hello to you all –
    speak soon
    g moore

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