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WALTHAM FOREST: Olympic campsites planned for 'college and Ive Farm'

3:24pm Monday 6th February 2012 in Waltham Forest News By Daniel Binns

Ive Farm in Leyton Ive Farm in Leyton

A COMPANY has claimed to have struck a deal to run temporary Olympic campsites at Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow and Ive Farm in Leyton.

The 'London Camping Company' is already taking bookings for both sites on its website, and says both locations will have on-site catering.

A "60 metre bar marquee" is also promised along with a pledge that "our site in Waltham Forest will supply free wifi, computer room to send and read emails, a 140 seater cinema, gymnasium, outdoor games area to play table tennis chess and football, Sky TV throughout the complex, library, barbecue area on a nightly basis, and more."

It is not clear which of the two Waltham Forest sites this refers to.

Bookings are being accepted for between July 20 and August 15. A one-night stay for one person will cost £40 plus £8 booking fee, according to the website www.londoncampingcompany.com

Ive Farm, a derelict athletics track, was controversially left out of council plans last year to rennovate playing fields in the borough using Olympic money.

Council leader Cllr Chris Robbins said at the time that the limited funding would be "best used" at sites such as Marsh Lane and Abbotts Park, also in Leyton.

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The apparent revelation from the London Camping Company comes just weeks after the council controversially signed a deal for the temporary closure of Low Hall Sports Ground in Walthamstow for the use of a 5,000 capacity campsite during the Olympics.

Denis Geary, director of contractors Big Events Company (BEC), told the Guardian he was unable to start promoting the venture until the council had made an official announcement first.

The council said the Low Hall deal and another unspecified contract would help pay for its 'Big 6' series of events to celebrate the Olympics, which could end up costing more than £1.5million.

When asked about other campsites, the council previously said it was considering a "range of options" but refused to confirm rumours that Ive Farm or Marsh Lane, both in Leyton, were possible locations.

The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council, the London Camping Company and Sir George Monoux College.

Are you a local resident near the college or Ive Farm? What do you think? Contact reporter Daniel Binns on 0779 547 6625 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk

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Comments(14)

Nairn says...
4:02pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Hmmm....this 'company' does not seem to exist according to Companies House

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mdj says...
4:23pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Not another one! Affordable accommodation for budget visitors is a fine idea (not that £40 to sleep under canvas is such a bargain), but surely there must be reputable , established operators out there who are set up to do the job? We've had 7 years to get ready for this, after all. Will the Council really be naive enough to sign deals with fly-by-night companies, whose promises to clear up will mean nothing if they clear off first? Or is there something other than naivety going on here? Will this be another deal based on a nebulous 'profit share' for the Council? Have they not noticed that, wherever profit shares are part of a deal, the deal mysteriously never returns a profit, on paper at least?

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Nairn says...
4:30pm Mon 6 Feb 12

mjd

all very suspicious as, as I say above, the London Camping Company does not legally exist, so goodness only knows who the council has contracted with this time

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Nairn says...
4:31pm Mon 6 Feb 12

mjd

all very suspicious as, as I say above, the London Camping Company does not legally exist, so goodness only knows who the council has contracted with this time

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mdj says...
4:40pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Nairn is right; an attractive website, but no presence at Companies House.

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Mr Omneo says...
4:50pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Well, as you'd expect it's another 'recently sprung' outfit.

London Camping company is a trading name of NWL Events Ltd (Company #07735185) which was registered on 10 August 2011.

Their director is also director of "Touch of Class Marquees Ltd" (incorporated in 2009 with assets of just under £52k as at 2010.

Strikes me as just the sort of company LBWF would do business with...le sigh!

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mdj says...
5:06pm Mon 6 Feb 12

I just spoke to the director: he was perfectly forthcoming; his photos show his marquees in use at recent local events, mostly weddings. The deal isn't finalised yet, so perhaps it's unfortunate the website is already up and running.It sounds like a much more down-to-earth operation, though it does surprise a bit that large, nationwide campsite operators don't seem to have been in the running. If the money raised brings Ive Farm back to life for local people, it will be a good result.

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Mr Brittas says...
5:54pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Is this not the camp site LBWF refused to comment on last week at the Low Hall meeting, which seems to be a total farce as the company is already seemingly taking bookings and allowing deposits Conspicous absence of comments by local councillors again. If this was in the private sector people would have been sacked by now for deliberately misleading shareholders

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Helen, Walthamstow says...
7:02pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Personally, I'm even more concerned that there appears to be a plan for the college grounds. It defies imagination. There is nothing "derelict" there.

Is this company legit? And if so, why is it advertising before the residents have even heard about a proposal?

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EastEndLass says...
11:25am Tue 7 Feb 12

If these sites are good for Waltham Forest because they will bring business into the area, what is the point of them having such extensive on-site facilities?

Surely George Monoux College is right next to the Pool & Track which has a gym, is a short bus ride from at least one library, is a short walk from many pubs and shops etc etc

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EastEndLass says...
11:29am Tue 7 Feb 12

Although at least *they* know we don't have a cinema, so are bringing their own...

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garym says...
1:30pm Tue 7 Feb 12

Surely Monoux management would have had to ask for permission?

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leyton_man says...
3:40pm Tue 7 Feb 12

What are the chances that the people behind the newly set up company to look after these sites have links to the council?

With seven years to prepare for the games, this council is rushing around for the scraps off the table when it had all this time to set things in place that could have benefited the people they are supposed to represent, as well as the olympic visitors.

But no, what we have is sub-standard campsites shoehorned into unsuitable areas to be run by people without previous experience.

This borough has been a safe labour stronghold for years and allowed to rot for years. I only hope residents will now realise it is time for someone new in the big chair.

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KeyKey says...
6:12pm Wed 8 Feb 12

I cant believe they are considering Ive Farm for a campsite - I know a few elderly people down Ive Farm, how are they going to cope with the noise, mess and general level of people who will be coming and going at all time of day.

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