OPPONENTS against controversial plans to use a beauty spot as a temporary police headquarters during the Olympics have organised an unusual way of voicing their concerns.

The Save Wanstead Flats campaign has organised a 'Mass Community Picnic' on the flats, in the exact spot where the Metropolitan Police is planning on constructing its muster briefing and deployment centre during the Games.

A number of people and community groups have expressed concerns that the use of the flats in this way, which would require an amendment to the Epping Forest Act 1878, which prohibits building on and the enclosure of the land.

Beate Hohmann, of Montague Road in Leyton, lives near the flats and runs the campaign.

Mrs Hohmann also objected to the fact that a forthcoming meeting on the plans, to be held in Wanstead on Monday (August 16), was only for a select group of representatives from interest groups and not open to the wider public.

She also expressed concerns that a change in the law could lead to a dangerous precedent being set for building on the flats in years to come.

Mrs Hohmann said: “We are going to tell them that we are not happy about this consultation process.

“There are hundreds of residents very upset about what it going on.

“If there is a change in the law, then how can we be sure that it's going to be protected in the future?”

The picnic will take place on Sunday, September 5 from 1pm. For more information visit www.savewansteadflats.org.uk.

Representatives of interest groups, including Save Wanstead Flats and Friends of Wanstead Park, will attend the meeting at the Cherry Tree Café in Woodbine Place, Wanstead, at 6:30pm on Monday, August 16.

Members of the public are invited to a series of exhibitions of the plans at the same venue on Wednesday, August 25, from 4pm to 8pm, and on Saturday, September 4, from 10am to 4pm.

To view the police's plans and a map showing the site of the propose headquarters, visit www.wanstead-mbdc.org.uk.