On the anniversary of the formal decision to close Newham City Farm, the launch of our petition and to mark what is meant to be the beginning of the co-design phase of the Beckton Parks Master Plan from 1st September, we would like to encourage local residents to attend ward surgeries (it needn't be your own) and ask Councillors what they know about a future Newham City Farm with animals and details of the Beckton Parks Masterplan. If you click on a Councillor's name within the following link, it will tell you when ward surgeries are. Your Councillors (newham.gov.uk) 

We are advised that this is better than writing because many are not responding to emails. 

Another way is to submit a question to Council also via the Newham Council website. The deadline each month is by 12pm TWO Thursdays before the scheduled Council date. Monthly meetings calendar - September 2022 (newham.gov.uk). E.g. the next deadline is 12pm Thursday 8th September for the Full Council on Monday 19th September at 7pm Stratford Old Town Hall.

Questions should be published and answered publicly at Council as well as a written answer being sent to whoever submitted a question.

My last update mentioned our Community Assembly project which was first accepted as meeting the funding criteria but within days rejected by the Council Parks' Department apparently because it was within the scope of the Beckton Parks Master Plan, on a closed Council-owned site and the co-design phase of the BPMP has not yet begun. There is, however, a "conservation improvement" project on the site even though this appears to contradict the claim that no decision has been made on how the whole parks' area will be regenerated in collaboration with the community.

The BPMP collaborative vision has been launched through an exhibiiton and multiple copies of a play book available in Beckton and Custom House libraries. However, when I visited, you would have to know about the BPMP and exhibition already because it was hidden, locked away in a closed upstairs room, difficult to access for those people most impacted by the farm's closure and most relevant to be included in any future plan for the parks, ie. parents of young children in buggies, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, the elderly, people generally who would unlikely to be visiting a library during a sunny, hot summer holiday, including teenagers who visit the library from neighbouring Kingsford School.

Read the play book with some caution. It omits much, contains some inaccuracies and states much which is obvious. There is much evidence apart from this petition that Newham residents overwhelmingly want a community farm with animals to be restored. Follow this link: BecktonParksPlaybookJuly22_lowres (1).pdf

Particularly, it states that the buildings and infrastructure are in disrepair and in need of significant investment to be fit for animals and to welcome visitors but we have photographic evidence and professional expert advice which prove that this is not the case and not a reason to keep it closed. Several of us have been volunteering on the "conservation improvement project" within the site and believe that with a continuation of the will and energy we have shown so far and support from the wider community, we could soon make the site ready for visitors and animals at very little cost.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us on savenewhamcityfarm@gmail.com and we can put you in touch with the relevant Council officer.

Thank you for your continued interest and support for this campaign. We hope that with proactive support, we might achieve the outcome we all want and many of our local people need, perhaps more than we do ourselves.

Kind regards,

Alison McLucas