Wanstead Flats - See You in Court Home Secretary

It was reported earlier in the week that MPs have voted to temporarily amend the Epping Forest Act, in order to allow the Metropolitan Police to leap a legal hurdle standing in the way of its plans for a base on Wanstead Flats during the Olympics. This, in all honesty, was no great surprise. The House of Lords must next debate the Legislative Reform Order and they too will nod it through. The prospect that parliamentarians would stand in the way of the Olympic juggernaut was always remote.

A number of local reporters have been in contact asking whether this is the end of the battle by residents against the Met's plans. So, to clarify, this is the current position. I can state categorically that there will be a judicial review once the House of Lords has voted, that papers are currently in preparation and that one resident has agreed to act as Claimant, with the Save Wanstead Flats Campaign appearing in the proceedings as an Interested Party. Anyone wanting to get in contact with the Claimant can contact me in the usual ways.

This is what was promised back in October 2010 - and we weren't joking.