West Ham Training Ground Little Heath - on the move?

"According to campaign group Save Oakfield Society (SoS), Redbridge Council is in negotiations that could see part of the field used as West Ham’s training grounds."
Ilford Recorder

Now why would Redbridge be interested in this space and what about the School and the Tennis Club at Little Heath?

West Ham United - Little Heath

Could there be a conspiracy? or is it simply because they want to make the proposed development at Billet Road even bigger?

Billet Road Masterplan .. currently

The white area bottom left is West Ham ground, the school and the tennis courts.

Local plan will be out soon, no planning applications in yet .. who will be proved right when they appear .. and why all the secrecy???

Fears ‘orange’ water has contaminated land near school and farm

Orange water runs through Willow Farm on Billet Road and near a special needs school on Hainault Road. (Ilford Recorder)

The environment Agency is investigating the water course although the likely reason for this is the contaminated landfill which was an unlicensed tip in the 1970's.

"In November 2019 the owner, Sunshine Island Properties Ltd, an entity registered in the British Virgin Islands, built fences around the land and dug a large hole in one corner.
It followed a hearing at Romford County Court in which Sunshine re-asserted its claim to the site over a group of local businessmen.
When approached by the Recorder the company did not comment.
Redbridge Council said the works carried out were “routine ground works” and investigations would be carried out at the same time."

Proposals for 1,100 new homes in Little Heath spark traffic fears - Billet Road

The last Redbridge local plan included opportunity site at Billet Road (Site99) for a Secondary school and 800 + new homes. What will the next Draft Local Plan say - due out soon?

The roads here can't cope with current traffic and that is before the development at Marks Gate with additional 291 homes and further 'regeneration' in the pipeline.

Ilford Recorder

Chris Gannaway, a member of the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association’s executive committee prepared a report in response to the plans. He said: “It is going to be horrendous for traffic the area. In my opinion, of all the sites listed in the Local Plan this is the worst. There is no way the current infrastructure can deal with it.

“We’re 2.5km from the nearest station, so people can’t walk, and the bus service is dire because the traffic in the area is so bad.”

Even in lockdown the situation was no different.

No new schools needed in Redbridge - so are new homes needed?

Ilford recorder report on the Schools' Funding Forum meeting: "Council says plans for two new schools should stop"

The reasons given are:

Birth Rate down "Live births in Redbridge increased until 2015 and then started to decline. Between 2017 and 2019, there was a 4.5% decrease in the live birth rate within the borough and when it becomes available, we expect that data for 2020 and on into the next few years will see the trend of falling birth rates continue.
Migration " the impact of outward migration" people leaving and less people moving from inner to outer London. They are moving out of London altogether. "Migration from other parts of the world is virtually non-existent"

Begs the question if less families / children means less schools then why are more new homes needed?

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