Council abandons plan to lease community ground to West Ham United

Grass roots football club Bealonians celebrates U-turn on academy which saves their home ground

Redbridge Council says it no longer intends to lease playing fields at Fairlop to West Ham to develop a Youth Academy.

The plan caused controversy last year when it became clear that the move would make a grassroots team, Bealonians FC, homeless.

The Bealonians, which has 600 players in 29 youth teams and 10 adult teams, launched a campaign, supported by CPRE London, against the move. More than 11,000 people signed a protest petition.

This week, Redbridge Council announced a U-turn, saying: ‘We will not be pursuing the decision made at Cabinet on October 19 regarding Oakfield Playing Fields.”

Negotiations were reportedly abandoned “following legal advice’.

Welcoming the decision, CPRE Campaigns manager Alice Roberts questioned how Redbridge Council had ever felt it appropriate to kick out a community sports club in favour of accommodating a football academy which is part of a wealthy business.

‘It is great that Oakfield Sports Ground will now remain a home base for the community clubs which are so important to sports in East London and Essex and to social and community cohesion in the borough of Redbridge.’