CONTROVERSIAL plans to close a playing field and turn it into a storage area for the Olympics were approved at a meeting last night.

The council's planning committee rubber stamped the proposals to shut off Drapers Field in Leyton between September 2011 and December 2012 to make way for the temporary complex.

Concerns have been raised about the loss of the sports facilities at the site during the Olympic year, as well as potential disruption and noise.

But the council says a £5.5million compensation deal for the refurbishment and construction of new sports facilities in the borough makes the closure worthwhile in the long run.

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