A campaign called 'Save our Stow' (SOS) has been set up by pro-greyhound racing enthusiasts who are supported by some MP's and who are desperate to revive the stadium, the SOS consortium has submitted new plans that would bring back greyhound racing to Walthamstow.

WE MUST NOT LET THIS HAPPEN

The latest news according to the recent BBC article below reveals that the consortium hoping to revive greyhound racing at Walthamstow dog track has submitted alternative plans for the site which include a multiplex cinema. Campaigners are fighting to save the East London stadium which was bought in May by developers planning to build up to 500 homes on the site. The consortium's plans will retain the track, alongside new flats, a bowling alley, sports facilities and a library.

Please see the full BBC news article here and below - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7599766.stm

also an update on the 'Save Our Stow' site here - http://saveourstow.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/new-plans-for-the-stadium/

According to the 'Save Our Stow' site, the consortium will be presenting these new plans to London & Quadrant (L&Q) the current owners of the site in a meeting on 17th September. In our opinion the consortium is trying to make their plans for the site look as appealing as possible not only for their presentation with L&Q but also for Waltham Forest Council so that these plans will be given the go ahead.

What can we do?

We have already in a previous appeal called on all our supporters to write to the housing company's who have bought the stadium in the hope that we can persuade them not to sell the site to the consortium and we hope these companies will take into consideration the correspondence they have received from ourselves and our supporters who kindly took the time to write, that is now their decision, however, we need to do all we can to stop these new plans from going through so we are calling on all our supporters national and international once again to inundate and educate, this time we need to write to all the councillors on the planning committee at Waltham Forest Council who will need to approve any planning permission submitted for the Walthamstow site.

Please note

Whilst it is of course vitally important to educate the councillors about the apalling atrocities involved in greyhound racing we must also face the fact that animal welfare is not taken into consideration when planning applications are submitted, as disgusting as this may be it is sadly the case, so we also need to highlight certain 'planning issues' that the council can relate to, we feel the main 'planning issue' that could be played upon when writing to the councillors is the 'invasion of privacy' and possible 'noise pollution' that could be a concern for local residents living in and around the Walthamstow site if a multiplex cinema and other public facilities were to be built in the vicinity, also the fact that L&Q the current owners of the site are proposing to build up to 500 homes on the site which will provide necessary affordable housing to London residents at a time when so many people are struggling to get on the property ladder, this would be drastically reduced if the stadium were to be saved, would the council really prefer to see local people miss out on affordable housing so that existing residents can enjoy the luxury of unecessary leisure facilities??

Let's do all we can to protect the greyhounds and put a stop now to any possible attempts at re-opening the Walthamstow stadium. Together we helped to stop a greyhound track from opening in Cockermouth UK, we can do it again with Walthamstow!!!

Please spare the time to write to the councillors at the Waltham Forest Council listed below expressing your concerns at your earliest possible convenience, we need to nip this one in the bud!!!

Please copy and paste this video link into your email to the councillors so they can see the true plight of the racing greyhound- Volume up

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAB-PY7XZQ

Also remember you can find lots of info about the dark side of greyhound racing here:

http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk and to http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/facts7.html and http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/facts.html and http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3466712.ece

Please feel free to consult, quote and refer people to them.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP ALL CORRESPONDENCE POLITE

Many, many thanks for your kind and much needed support
Greyhound Crusaders/ SWAP team UK
We all make the difference

Councillors on the Planning Committee of Waltham Forest Council

Councillor Masood Ahmad - cllr.masood.ahmad@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Mohammad Asghar - cllr.mohammad.asghar@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Margaret (Midge) Broadley - cllr.midge.broadley@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Robert Carey - cllr.bob.carey@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Matthew Davis - cllr.matt.davis@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Milton Martin - cllr.milton.martin@walthamforest.gov.uk
Councillor Noel Penstone - cllr.noel.penstone@walthamforest.gov.uk

The following councillors have no listed email addy but if you would like to snail-mail them at the addresses shown, you are more than welcome.

Councillor Alan Siggers,
Waltham Forest Town Hall,
Forest Road,
Walthamstow,
London
E17 4JF

Councillor Robert Wheatley,
Waltham Forest Town Hall,
Forest Road,
Walthamstow,
London
E17 4JF


BBC News article on new plans to save Walthamstow stadium

BBC NEWS
New plans for Walthamstow stadium

A consortium hoping to revive greyhound racing at Walthamstow dog track has submitted alternative plans for the site which include a multiplex cinema.

Campaigners are fighting to save the east London stadium which was bought in May by developers planning to build up to 500 homes on the site.

The consortium's plans will retain the track, alongside new flats, a bowling alley, sports facilities and a library.

Walthamstow dog track closed last month after 75 years of greyhound racing.

On Friday campaigners backing the plans to keep the dog track took part in a demonstration outside Waltham Forest Town Hall.

'Concrete jungle'

Rick Holloway, who is leading the Save our Stow (SOS) consortium bid, said: "As it's such an iconic stadium and landmark of east London we are hoping the council will realise they cannot afford to lose the 'Stow and more leisure facilities for the people... of Waltham Forest council.

"The developers only want to build houses, but the whole of Waltham Forest doesn't have a cinema."

Mr Holloway said the plans had the backing of local MPs and on Friday they received an email asking them to send details of their campaign to the mayor of London.

He also said plans to build up to 500 new homes by owners, London and Quadrant Housing Trust (L&Q), would turn the area into a "concrete jungle".

L&Q said it had agreed to meet the SOS consortium on 17 September "for them to present a more detailed business proposal and to provide evidence that funds are available for any proposed purchase".

Affordable housing

Waltham Forest Council's councillor Terry Wheeler, said: "The council will be working extremely hard to ensure that the listed aspects of the stadium - namely the facade and the kennels - are safeguarded during any future development."

He said the council also wanted to ensure any development was sympathetic to the area and "provides much needed affordable housing".

The stadium was first opened in 1933 by William Chandler, who had started out operating as an illegal street bookmaker.

In addition to its regular fans, it has hosted public figures such as Sir Winston Churchill and actors Lana Turner, Vinnie Jones and Brad Pitt.

The former owners said poor attendances and the advent of high street and internet gambling had made the track "unsustainable".

But the consortium has offered £1m more than the figure paid for the stadium - thought to be between £20m and £30m - to take over the site.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/7599766.stm

Published: 2008/09/05 13:25:14 GMT

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