A green campaign group has urged parties battling for votes in the local elections to protect the borough’s parks.
Neil Sinden, director of London’s branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said green spaces across the capital are under threat from developers, commercial events and pollution.
“We’re extremely concerned about the pressures facing green spaces,” Mr Sinden said. “London is a space for nature not just business, bustle and buildings.”
The CPRE urged candidates of all political parties – hunting for votes before elections on May 3 – to make sure parks remain “beautiful and tranquil”.
Tony Leach of charity Parks for London – which wants councils to be legally bound to protect such spaces – said: “This is a hot topic because local government can’t afford to use council tax to run services they aren’t legally obliged to.”
He said councils looking to sell off parks were on a slippery slope with outer London boroughs more likely to sell land to developers because they have more of it.
He said: “Parks are between the pincers with councils struggling with budget cuts and land needed for building.”
Over the past two years none of the borough’s parks or open spaces were lost to development although a youth club is due to be built in Parsloes Park in Ivyhouse Road, Dagenham, the council said.
It generates about £100,000 a year through its parks. Later this year it will see if there is interest from the private sector to hold events in larger parks.
The council argues brownfield development sites – including Barking Riverside – will have public green spaces.
Barking Conservative Party London-wide Assembly Member Andrew Boff said volunteers are needed to protect green spaces.
He added: “There are no good reasons to get rid of green spaces. Such places are more valuable here than in Norfolk or Essex.”
Mr Boff explained it was too easy to “sell out” parks to make money through events.
“Events which shut off parks to people unless they pay should not happen. Parks are there for all the people of the borough,” he said.
He said one of his party’s priorities is to encourage the building of homes with gardens.
He said: “We’re not enthusiastic about one and two bedroom flats threatened by the Labour Party.”
“Unlike Labour who are building on every green space, such as gardens in Wood Lane, opposite the Civic Centre and in Church Elm Lane, we pledge to protect the Eastbrookend Country Park which is under threat from the Labour council’s ‘high density’ housing plan.”
Campaigner Pat Harding, who fought for a war memorial at Eastbrookend Cemetery, said: “There isn’t much green space left. What chance do we have if we have people in power who don’t understand the value of the green belt?”
But council leader Cllr Darren Rodwell hit back, saying: “We have pledged not to build on protected green spaces. The Tories are scaremongering because they have no real policies in the borough, the same as UKIP before.
“We are responsible for building homes for families in a way that works for the whole borough. We are proposing to build on brownfield sites.”
He added parks have always had paid for as well as free facilities. “We’ve always said how important our green spaces are. We came up with the proposal to put the A13 under the borough. We’re looking to get funding to deliver a much greener borough.”
Liberal Democrat local party secretary Sheree Miller said some events help bring people together, but parks should not be turned into “a venue”. She added a balance had to be found between turning off lights in parks to cut light pollution and increasing the risk of anti-social behaviour.
A Green Party spokesman vowed to “prioritise parks” and insisted developments be built on brownfield land only.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here