Hammers eye up Blunts Farm site (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Hammers eye up Blunts Farm site

3:48pm Thursday 14th June 2007 in Search By Daniel Barden

Premiership football club West Ham United is allegedly eyeing up the controversial Parsonage Farm golf course land in Theydon Bois as a site for a new training facility.

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has made it clear that a new training ground is priority in the club's future plans and land co-owner Phil Newman told the Guardian: "We are in talks with West Ham. They have visited the site and positive discussions are going on."

The news is the latest twist in the long-running saga over the Abridge Road site since planning permission for an 18-hole golf course was granted to Blunts Farms Estates in April 2002.

Residents were left fuming as lorries shipped tons of soil onto the site for the development, but work ground to a halt last year after Blunts Farm were found to have breached conditions of the planning permission.

Suggestions followed that the site might be used to build 4,500 homes, although nothing materialised and campaigners and local councillors have since raised concerns over the huge derelict water-filled pits, created during excavation work, which have been used as illegal play areas.

District councillor for Theydon Bois Kay Rush stressed it is still early days in the development of the site.

She said: "If they (West Ham) want the site for outdoor sports activities, such as a training pitch with changing rooms and clubhouse, then we could not argue against it as it is permissible within the Greenbelt provision.

"If however, it meant a large football academy with a covered sort of sports area I'm not sure how it would fit. We'll just have to wait and see what is suggested."

She added: "Everybody in the area is looking for a way to solve this great problem. I for one really want to get something started without compromising our position.

"Most people are so fed up they are prepared to look at anything, while others are saying we must stick it out whatever happens. Either way all are very anxious to come to a solution.

"Something we have to avoid is the noise and the lorries coming through Abridge again bringing their landfill material."

West Ham United has declined to comment.