The battle to reopen Newham City Farm which was closed by the council last year goes on.

The campaign to save the farm organised a protest on 8February where supporters gathered again outside East Ham town hall where council leaders were meeting.

The protesters reminded members of the Newham Council Cabinet meeting inside that their anger expressed in previous protests during the latter half of 2021 remains and demonstrations will continue.

“We are protesting because the council closed our community farm that was an invaluable educational community hub that had been open for 45 years”, said Jenny Mwangura, Chair of the Save Newham City Farm campaign.

“It provided so much for the community and met many community needs, such as education, those with special educational needs, and those with health needs,” she added.

The protest took place five months after Newham council unanimously agreed to close the farm in September despite a petition calling for the farm to be re-opened gaining nearly 50,000 signatures.

Councillor James Asser, Cabinet lead for the environment, highways and sustainable transport, apologised for the decision, but stressed that the farm was no longer fit for purpose and that consultation regarding the farm’s future will be open to the public and local communities.

The farm’s future has been included under the Beckton Parks Masterplan, a project set up by the Council to engage with local communities on the future of the green spaces in the wards of Beckton and Custom House.

According to the council website, the results of the consultation will be released later in the year.

Councillor Quintin Peppiatt, who has resigned from the Labour Party in February, was a long-time supporter of the farm and challenged the council’s decision to close the farm.

“Getting people into ecology is very important nowadays, and the farm was a crucial way of educating people. The farm benefitted all members of the community.”

Newham Council has reaffirmed that the Beckton Parks Masterplan is open to all Newham residents and those who wish to have a say regarding the future of green spaces in the area, and have stated that they are committed to keeping the farm site a ‘publicly accessible open space’.

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