Leyton marsh: Olympic Delivery Authority jump the gun

On 18 January, ARUP, on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) wrote to LB of Waltham Forest outlining its response to the objections raised by us and others about the Leyton Marsh planning application. It also made material amendments to the proposed scheme: ODA response to objections & changes to appln. One of the key new documents is the Ecology Report : Ecology report on proposed Olympic devt on Leyton Marsh. The letter also referred to a number of new drawings - but none of these are currently on Waltham Forest's planning portal.

We have written to Waltham Forest stating we believe these changes must trigger the need for the Waltham Forest (not just the ODA) to re-consult (new site notices; writing to all those who have commented already; making the revised material available; giving two to three weeks for people to respond (and delaying the committee date, currently planned for early February, as a consequence).

We are also extremely concerned that, on Friday, the Olympic Delivery Authority sent local residents a leaflet that has potentially undermined and compromised the integrity of the consultation on the application. This follows from earlier concern regarding the pre-application scheme differing from the submitted scheme and the consultation extending over the Christmas period and the newly submitted information that does not clearly present the nature of the changes which have been carried out or the reasons for these changes.

The leaflet misdirects the public and undermines the integrity of the consultation on the planning application. The ODA has no status as ‘Authority’ or in relation to “Planning’ for the Marsh, as the leaflet claims.

Comments on the application may be mistakenly addressed to the ODA, or even the ‘Construction Hotline’ on the advice in the leaflet, rather than Waltham Forest (the planning authority).

We will be sending our full response to Waltham Forest on the revised scheme in the next couple of days and will post here.