This site is owned by the government
Campaigners have voiced dismay over plans to build a safe children’s home on a water supply facility.
London City Council wants to build the capital’s first home for vulnerable children on part of the Thames Water Station on Lea Bridge Road in Waltham Forest.
But campaigners wanted to turn the site into a park with a swimming pond and forest school.
The London Council announced that the first consultation will be held on Thursday.
Authorities plan to use funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to build safe children’s homes on government-owned land.
The facility will house 24 highly vulnerable children with complex needs and up to four children who do not require a safe environment.
This service, which is in short supply nationally, does not exist in London and children currently have to travel quite a distance from the city.
But Abigail Woodman, from the East London Water Works Parks movement, said the site would feature wild swimming, forest school spaces, arts and science buildings, and dryland and wetland habitats for wildlife. He said there would be great benefits if it became a community park.
Abigail Woodman says the site should become a new volunteer-run park for the community.
The charity’s analysis predicted economic, social, tourism and environmental benefits of £18.5m.
Mr Woodman told BBC London: “Local people have been working on this project for a really long time. We’ve been talking to central government, the landowners, and they’ve made sure we’re putting these plans together. I knew it,” he said.
“We were aware that Waltham Forest City and Hackney City Council were planning to submit a planning application for a safe facility for children at some point this year which really surprised us.”
The charity is calling for an urgent meeting with the Pan London Safe Children’s Home Programme.
Meanwhile, London Council, which represents the capital’s boroughs, said the site had been identified as the only suitable site for the facility and no planning application had yet been submitted.
A spokesperson said: “London boroughs are bringing forward proposals to provide much-needed safe children’s homes that provide specialist care to some of London’s most vulnerable children. We don’t have this kind of facility.”
They will ensure that if a planning application is submitted, details of other sites considered will be included, and that the DfE will consider the education department or public sector alternative to the site it manages before considering a commercial proposal. He added that there is an obligation to consider the uses.
image source, East London Waterworks Park
Local authorities place children in secure children’s homes if they cannot ensure their safety in other types of care.
We provide a safe environment where children receive the specialized care, education and support they need.
The first public consultation on safe housing is scheduled to be held at the Lee Valley Ice Center on February 7th.