Drapers Field – News Update!

Drapers Field - closed to the public until September 2013

We have manged to get a look at what the Council proposes for Drapers Field.

The Masterplan (above) shows that the all weather pitch will be re-sited and there is inclusion of some beach volleyball play areas. Maybe the Council is thinking of re-applying for the £100,000 lottery money that it had to return last year when they made arrangements to give the site to the Olympic Authority for warehousing space for the Olympics.

Below is a closer look at the planned beach volleyball area:

To enlarge the Masterplann, click on this link – Drapers Field – masterplan

Latest News

The planning application by the Olympic Development Authority (ODA) to use Drapers Field is still to be submitted to Waltham Forest Council’s Planning Committee. News is that it will go to the Planning Committee on 2nd August.

The information regarding how much compensation that the Council will get, through what is known as section 106 and section 111, has still to be finalised. The money received will be used to improve Abbotts Park, Marsh Lane and of course Drapers Field.

The good news is that the money allocated to Drapers Field will be to re-instate the all-weather pitch and introduce new landscaping, access, and community sports facilities. This is good news, as previously there was no mention of the all-weather pitch, or sports facilities being replaced, only that Drapers would be turned into a ‘special park’.

The other not so good news – Councillor Bob Sullivan has been hearing, is that the ODA want to chop down two mature trees so that they can get access to the field by their lorries. He has followed this up and it is being challenged by council officers in the tree department who feel that access can be achieved without chopping down the trees. He will update again when he receives any further news on this.

Leyton High Road/corner of Hainault Road

Artist impression looking towards Bakers Arms

New plans to develop the corner of Leyton High Road and Hainault Road have been sent to the Council. The picture here shows the artist impression of the last plans that were refused by the Council.

The new plans are for the erection of a 3-5 storey building with an office use on the ground floor, and 23 residential units comprising 4×3 bed houses and 19 flats (8×1 bed, 10×2 bed,and 1×3 bed) with associated parking.

NEW redevelopment plans for Lion & Key public house

Lion & Key - 2010

Many of you who have noticed that development work is going on at the Lion & Key pub at the junction of Leyton High Road and Church Road. Last year plans were received by the Council and agreed for the Lion & Key to be turned into a ‘support and living centre’ for adults with learning difficulties. This included 7 x 1 bed flats and 2 x 2 bed flats. The new plans received are the same, but to change the flats into 5 x 1 bed flats and 4 x 2 bed flats. Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan believes the ground floor will be a drop in centre.

As a locally listed building the facade i.e. the front of the building will remain and all the development will take place at the back.

Lion & Key on the right of the picture during reconstruction in the 1890sThe pub is regarded to be the oldest in Leyton and was possibly present in 1300, although the first documentary evidence is a possible record of 1579. It closed in 2009.

The picture at the top is the current Lion and Key building. The one to the right is the current building being built around the end of the 18 hundreds.

It is a pity that losing pubs is becoming a regular occurrence in our area.