Some long term and lifelong residents believe the Corporation of London has viewed West Ham Park as serving the needs of its city garden squares and parks by providing cheap utility space for storing equipment, machinery, wood chippings, and greenhouses. Local people know that this is not the charitable purpose for which the Park was donated to us (see Newham Voices September 2021).

The park is held on trust for us, not for the benefit of the City. The Corporation claims it is a brownfield site and therefore not protected from development. However, the park is not a brownfield site according to Newham Council who keep the Register of such sites. Furthermore the park, including the greenhouse area, is a Grade 11 Listed Landscape and therefore protected. Brownfield sites are not going to be afforded the protection of Historic England and a Grade 11 Listing.

Quakers have a longstanding reputation for integrity and it is very sad that the generosity of the Gurney family in selling the land at a modest cost to benefit local people should be ignored.

Will Wanstead Flats open space now become Wanstead Flats, a housing estate, as a way of funding the upkeep of the rest of the space? And if not, why not? Is it because there is a pocket of affluent homeowners living very close to the Flats? House prices can be lower on the south side of Romford Road.

The Corporation has published a statement about the Finsbury Circus Gardens project. “We are keen to respond to the increased demand for public green spaces following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we want to ensure Finsbury Circus Gardens fulfils this demand for local workers, visitors and residents”.

The less prosperous workers, visitors and residents of Newham also require more public green spaces and ask the Corporation to acknowledge that we have the same needs.

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