WALTHAMSTOW: Massive Christmas concerts will "cause disruption"

10:09am Wednesday 17th December 2008

By Mhairi Macfarlane

FAMILIES living near Walthamstow Stadium fear their Christmas will be ruined by 8,000 worshippers who have turned it into a temporary church.

A large marquee has been built at the former dog track to host evangelical Christian services by Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) over the festive period.

It does not require planning permission, nor does it require a licence for a temporary installation because it is a religious event.

But the Guardian has been inundated with calls from people living nearby, who say they are worried about noise, extra litter and a desperate shortage of parking spaces.

Parking spots are already difficult to find as the residential ticket scheme was axed after the Stow shut in August.

Naana Andoh, a nurse from Grove Park Road, said she had been forced to park streets away from her front door.

She said: “I cannot park outside my own house and sometimes when I get back from work I have to park outside the area. We don’t really approve - not that we have anything against God. But we are going to have a sad Christmas with this going on.”

Waltham Forest Council has said it will monitor the surrounding area to see if further street cleaning is required, and has urged locals to report any excessive noise.

But some residents say problems are inevitable, if a KICC event in Leyton Marshes, near Lea Bridge Road last year, is anything to go by.

Katy Andrews, of the New Lammas Lands Defence Committee, said: “The noise and disruption to residents of Riverside Close, just 50 yards away but on the Hackney side of the river, was intolerable.

"The Christmas services were noisy parties that went on into the small hours, and fleets of coaches were used to bring worshippers in and out, causing traffic disruption as well as noise for over a week.

“We gained an undertaking from the Regional Park Authority that this would not be repeated."

KICC chief pperations officer James McGlashan said he did not receive any complaints about last year’s event and has been working with several departments at the council to ensure services run smoothly.

He said there will be on-site parking and he is negotiating with owners to get use of the car park opposite the site in Chingford Road.

Mr McGlashan added: “The parking is not all sorted, but we are working on it and hope to minimise the impact on the community.

“I think the concerns are fear of the unknown, but we are a responsible organisation.”

There will be three services at Walthamstow Stadium: Christmas Day from 10am to 1pm, Sunday, December 28 from 10am to 1pm, and on New Year’s Eve from 8pm until after midnight.