Greenwich Council has agreed to meet with campaigners aiming to save the borough’s Olympic legacy equestrian centre in Shooters Hill, which closed last year after its operator withdrew. Despite the council’s refusal to designate the site as an asset of community value—citing unviability and lack of community benefit—the campaigners have been actively preparing bids and securing potential funding to preserve the centre. The site, originally opened in 2013 following the London Olympics and intended for community use, is now at risk of being sold and possibly redeveloped into flats.

Local activists and organizations, including the Woodlands Farm Trust and the British Equestrian Foundation, have criticized the council’s decision as shortsighted and legally deficient, emphasizing the centre’s potential to support community wellbeing, education, and social cohesion. The council’s cabinet member for planning, Majid Rahman, described the upcoming meeting as a chance to better understand the campaigners’ plans, signaling a possible thaw in relations after months of tension and opposition from the council.