Hello Everyone,
You might be aware of the City of London’s proposals to progressively move all their open space funding and management to the existing Charities that were set up for these sites.
West Ham Park (along with Epping Forest) was one of the first sites to move to the new funding structure, from 1st April 2025.
As the Friends of West Ham Park, we have significant concerns about the implications of these actions, which the City has never fully communicated.
In particular, the potential threat of arranging major paid for events in open spaces to raise money, but restricting access for the local community, as well as the impact on wildlife and the open spaces’ landscape value. In the longer term it is possible existing staff would transfer to the charities, and we do not know what would then happen if the charity could raise enough funds to cover its costs at any point.
We, along with a number of other Friends Groups and CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England – a major open spaces campaigning body), are writing formally to the City seeking clarification and consultation with Friends Groups.
We wish to raise with the City –
- Does the City intend to exploit the open spaces commercially in order to make them less reliant on City of London funding and resources? We also understand that the Corporation intends to loosen the association between the City of London and the open spaces by changing their governance arrangements.
- Each open space would need to become more commercial and focus on fundraising to deliver its responsibilities as a charity, particularly by creating commercial events to contribute to the funding of the open space.
- Many of these events would be likely to be inappropriate or controversial in restricting public access to the open space while they are being set up, taken down, in progress, and in addition may cause damage to the site, further impacting the public’s ability to enjoy the site.
- Our understanding is that this is an agreed policy position, already imposed in some open spaces, and which will be further and progressively implemented, but in respect of which the City has yet to make any formal announcement, nor indeed to consult with open space users and community groups.
We believe this alleged approach to the future delivery of the responsibilities the Corporation has been entrusted with, for the management of its open spaces, is unacceptable and detrimental to both the health of the open spaces and of all users.
It also appears to actively ignore any views that open space users might have, and any opinions/concerns on future access to the facilities they enjoy, and with which the City is entrusted, as well as its wider stakeholder interests in London.
We therefore wish to understand –
- whether the assertions made in the media are accurate and
- when the City intends to communicate and discuss its proposals with users, and its wider stakeholders within London.
We will keep members informed of what response we receive form the City of London. In the meantime if you have any comments please let us know [email protected].
Many thanks,
Charlotte.
Chair, Friends of West Ham Park.