Recent success in protecting Hackney's biodiversity

Two significant achievements merit wider appreciation. First the mad plan to create cricket pitches on the North Marsh meadow (part of a designated nature reserve of London wide importance) has finally been seen off. After numerous meetings and considerable pressure Hackney Marshes User Group and HEN succeeded in defeating John Wade's ambition to extend the existing 50Ha of sports grassland. Cricket on the marshes will be great but why we need 3 full size pitches just at the moment we loose 20Ha of East Marsh to the Olympics is beyond anyone but LBH's Head of Greenspaces. The meadow was recently visited by experts from the London Natural History Society's (http://www.lnhs.org.uk/) botany group and they were very impressed with its diversity of wild flowers and insects. Another success is the shifting of the site for new Spring Hill changing rooms. A planning application had been submitted to build on the site of the old cricket pavilion in the north west corner of the site near the allotments. However that area now hosts a community orchard, several willow coppice stools and a mature privet hedge; all excellent wildlife habitats. Fortunately Kate Mitchell, newly appointed LBH biodiversity officer, visited the site and instantly recognised the importance of the area. Since LBH are better at listening to themselves than others (who had already pointed this out) Kate succeeded in getting the parks dept to withdraw the existing application and reapply to build nearby on the derelict bowling green. Keeping what we've got is not quite as good as getting something new but it beats a lot of what has happened in the past.