ODA bidding to construct wind turbine on Hackney Marshes

THE Olympic Delivery Authority is trying to build a wind turbine, more than 20 metres taller than Big Ben, on Hackney Marshes, the home of grass roots football.

ICONIC IMAGES: Hackney Marshes iconic football pitches could soon feature a wind turbine, courtesy of the ODA

The 120m structure, which would come complete with an 80m exclusion zone, would be erected on the East Marsh, and would restrict access to the park area for the public.

The turbine, as part of the environmental legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, would mirror a similar construction set to be built on Eton Manor in the neighbouring borough of Waltham Forest.

The East Marsh is already set to be transformed into a car park for the Olympic Park in May 2011, and will not be returned to its previous state for two years.

While the environment features highly in London 2012 organisers' legacy ideals, sport participation is also high in the agenda with Locog chairman Lord Sebastian Coe stating, "we have a unique opportunity that we must not squander to increase participation in sport, at community and grass roots levels as well as elite levels; from the school playground to the winner's podium."

But the proposed turbine has not gone down well among marsh users, who frequent the 88 full-size football pitches in the area.

And Jonnie Walker, chairman of the Hackney & Leyton League believes the ODA are taking a mile having been given an inch and slammed the FA for their lack of support.

"The ODA are just steam-rollering us," said Walker. "They've told us they won't touch our pitches but that it reality is not the case.

"They're taking liberties and imposing on what is supposed to be a nice area for outdoor sport.

"We went to the FA but they were no help. They're trying to do too much for grassroots football all across the board and their ending up doing nothing.

"Everyone who uses the East Marsh is going to have to squeeze into the South Marsh and in reality that's going to be very difficult to do.

"We we're told we wouldn't lose any pitches but we've forced to move onto rugby pitches. I've seen the sketches and reality they just won't work.

"There's a public consultation but let's be honest it's going to go ahead, regardless of what people think. We've resigned ourselves to that.

"The whole point of the Olympic legacy was grassroots sport, but the Olympics is elitist and it's just not for amateurs anymore."  

PARKLIFE: Hackney Marshes has the biggest concentration of football pitches in Europe - but some will be lost because of London 2012 developments

The iconic pitches of Hackney Marshes played host to the 1997 Nike television advertisement featuring Premier League stars such as Eric Cantona, Robbie Fowler, David Seaman and Ian Wright and also featured in the video for Blur's Parklife.

The Marshes were also where a number of London-born professional footballers, such as Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole and Paul Elliott began their fledging careers.

And ex-Chelsea defender Elliott has warned against the potential damage the loss of Hackney Marshes pitches could have on amateur sport.

"I think you have got to retain the roots of places like this," said Elliott, who was born in Lewisham. 

"I understand evolving and change but you have still got to retain your roots.

"If you look at my era Paul Walsh, Tony Cascarino, Andy Townsend, Ian Wright, David Rocastle, Michael Thomas and Paul Davis all played there. It would be a massive shame if you were to lose that."

While the turbine has not gone down well among amateur footballers, it has been welcomed by Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe while the council believes the two wind turbines together could generate enough green electricity to power all of Hackney's street lights at night and all the main council buildings by day.

"This would bring a substantial cut in Hackney's carbon emissions, helping to make Hackney one of the greenest boroughs in London," said Mayor Pipe.

And Lord Coe insisted no concrete decision on the proposed turbine has been made.

"It's all as a part of discussion within the project and these things are always part of on-going deliberation," he added.

A public consultation is currently running until December 14 to gauge the views of residents before further action is taken.