10,000
signatures for Ealing
nature reserve presented to London Assembly
21 September 2021
Press release from the campaigners:
Campaigners
asking for Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status for a series of urban meadows in Ealing,
West London presented their petition to London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon
today. The Warren Farm Nature Reserve petition was launched in January 2021 and
now has 10,700 signatures.
The
plan to designate Warren Farm and its surrounding meadows by the River Brent as
a statutory LNR has been put forward by the Brent River & Canal Society
(BRCS), a charity which campaigned successfully to create the Brent River Park
(BRP) in the 1970s. Since Ealing
Council stopped using Warren Farm as a sports facility, the meadows have
rewilded and now form a unique urban grassland. Species of birds, mammals,
plants, reptiles, amphibians and insects which are rare in London have been
recorded thriving on the land. This proposal would preserve the meadows for
future generations and ensure the protection of its rare and endangered species
such as the Skylark, a red-listed bird facing UK extinction.
The
petition was presented by BRCS Trustee Katie Boyles, young conservationist and
wildlife writer Kabir Kaul and CPRE London’s Head of Green Space Campaigns,
Alice Roberts. Campaigners are asking the Mayor and the London Assembly to
support the granting of LNR status to Warren Farm, as part of the CPRE’s Ten
New Parks for London campaign. Not wishing to use paper unnecessarily, the
campaigners presented the petition on a memory stick, held in the beak of a
model barn owl. The barn owl is one of the endangered species found on Warren
Farm and the Barn Owl Trust is supporting the nature reserve campaign.
Other supporters of the campaign include
prominent environmental campaigners, such as Lord Randall of Uxbridge, forensic
botanist Mark A Spencer, West London Ramblers, Ealing Wildlife Group and London
National Park City.
Alice
Roberts stressed the importance of areas like Warren Farm for London’s green
space and biodiversity:
“London has just half the green space it needs
for a population its size. Yet there are many green spaces in the capital
which, if properly managed, could be used as public amenities while, at the
same time, increasing London’s biodiversity. One such is Warren Farm, a large
area of abandoned former playing fields and land in Ealing. It was at risk of
being given away but now, in cooperation with the local charity the Brent River
& Canal Society, CPRE London is asking for the Mayor’s support to give this
unique rewilded space Local Nature Reserve status. We have named Warren Farm as
one of our Ten New Parks for London and hope that the Mayor will help us to
ensure it is preserved for future generations.”
BRCS Trustee and campaign organiser Katie
Boyles commented:
“We are absolutely
delighted to have achieved over 10,600 signatures on our petition. Lockdown has
opened people’s eyes to the importance of local nature and it is clear from the
huge level of support we are receiving that residents want to see green spaces
like Warren Farm protected.
“We simply
cannot afford to lose this vast wildflower meadow habitat of which there are
less than 2% remaining in the UK. The biodiversity loss would be catastrophic
for London. We have red-listed birds, insects and plant species recorded here
that are facing UK extinction. We are in conversation with Ealing Council
Leader, Peter Mason, and now we are asking for support from the Mayor and
Assembly to make this happen. We want Warren Farm Nature Reserve to set a
precedent for what can be achieved.”
Kabir
Kaul, the young conservationist and wildlife writer who came up with the idea
for the campaign, said:
“It has been
wonderful to be part of this campaign and I have learned so much about this
precious green space in the heart of Ealing as a result. This magnificent
grassland habitat is home to several rare and red-listed species, including
Skylarks: it brings me, and many others, great joy to hear their song in the
borough. The meadow also benefits many other bird species, including Mistle
Thrushes, Red Kites, Rooks, Buzzards, and in September, a migratory Wryneck
visited. If Warren Farm and the surrounding Brent River Park Meadows receive
the designation of a Local Nature Reserve, it will ensure that the site’s
important biodiversity can be protected, and encourage more residents to enjoy
it for years to come.”
Caroline Pidgeon will pass the petition to the Mayor and table a written question calling for his support at the October meeting.
www.WarrenFarmNatureReserve.co.uk
