Big wildlife win on LNR designation - 4 meadows approved, 3 left to go!
Ealing Council Leader, Peter Mason has confirmed that four of the seven Brent River Park Meadows in our Brent River & Canal Society and Warren Farm Nature Reserve group Vision are in the process of receiving Local Nature Reserve designation.
In a statement Cllr Mason said:
‘If the scale of re-wilding across the whole of the land can be achieved, it would constitute the largest re-wilding project in suburban London for decades. We have already committed that Blackberry Corner, Jubilee Meadow, Trumpers Field and Fox Meadow will have Local Nature Reserve status, and work to achieve this is already underway.’
This is fantastic news for our Ealing meadow habitats and the wildlife that depends on them. It brings us another step closer to realising the #WarrenFarmNR complete Vision of creating a rewilded Wildlife Corridor and vital Nature Recovery Network.
The four meadows are:
Blackberry Corner
Jubilee Meadow
Trumpers Field
Fox Meadow and Woodland (previously known as St Margaret’s Open Space).
The 4 meadows in the Vision receiving LNR designation
LNR designation for these 4 meadows was approved by full council in 2003 but hasn’t been progressed until now. When our campaign launched, we saw no reason why these meadows could not receive the Local Nature Reserve designation they should have been granted nearly two decades ago. After talks with Ealing Council Leader, Peter Mason, this has now been agreed and we are just waiting for the legal agreements between Natural England and Ealing Council to be finalised and signed. The reason LNR designation is so important is that it offers an extra layer of statutory legal protection, ensuring the site is managed and preserved in perpetuity as a nature reserve.
The green spaces we at times take for granted, face threats in many forms and from some surprising and unexpected organisations. An attempted land grab for part of Fox Meadow by the Charity of William Hobbayne occurred in 2019, when a fence suddenly appeared. After a three-year campaign, local residents, supported by the Brent River & Canal Society, were able to show that the enclosure was unjustified and had the evidence to prove it. A recent twitter thread which gives the full story can be read here. Fox Meadow will now be receiving Local Nature Reserve designation which will safeguard it from future challenges such as this. The lesson here is that every green space matters and it truly takes a community that cares, to protect it from encroachments.
The area that was fenced-off at Fox Meadow
When we look at the state of the planet today, a lot has changed in the last two decades and sadly not for the better. Ours was the first country in the world to declare a Climate Emergency. The UK is ranked as one of the most nature depleted countries in the world ranking 189th out of 218 countries accessed. One in seven of our wildlife species is at risk of extinction and more than half (56%) are in decline. Covid lockdowns have shown us the importance of having access to green spaces for both our physical and mental health. There are only 2% of wildflower meadow habitats left across the UK. As our Red Listed Skylarks would tell you if they could, it is large, open meadow habitats like Warren Farm NR that give them and many other creatures and plants a chance at increasing their perilously low populations. Local Nature Reserve designation will give our meadows improved public access, whilst safeguarding wildlife, at a time when both these things matter more than ever.
This leaves three pieces of land within our Vision yet to receive LNR designation. They are:
Warren Farm – (owned by Ealing Council)
Imperial College London – (privately owned)
Earl of Jersey’s Field – (privately owned)
As we discussed in our last blog post here, responding to a formal question from Cllr Gary Malcolm, Peter Mason committed to the ‘overwhelming majority’ of Warren Farm NR being safeguarded for nature. In a recent twitter thread, he also pointed out that ‘If we could make this happen, not only would it be the largest nature reserve in the borough, but the largest re-wilding project attempted in London for decades.’ What would future generations think, if we did not do everything in our power and lifetime, to make this happen now?
Hay-bailing in Trumpers Field
Peter Mason has always stated that he would like to see a compromise between nature and sports provision on Warren Farm. In our discussions with Ealing Council to date, we have been clear that sports are not part of our Vision and that our 11,000 plus supporters have not signed up for sports, but agree with us that LNR designation is needed to safeguard this amazing green space.
Talks are ongoing with the two private land holders either side of Warren Farm. A Public Consultation is currently underway where you can add your voice for Local Nature Reserve designation here.
Our discussions with Ealing Council and our Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign are ongoing and although there are obviously big steps ahead, every positive action gets us closer to Local Nature Reserve designation for our species-rich urban meadow, Warren Farm NR. Today we can look forward to the traditional designation ceremony for our four meadows where Ealing’s Mayor formally opens the new Local Nature Reserve!
The next step has to be the same designation for Warren Farm Nature Reserve. Thank you for your continued support, together let’s make it happen!
#WarrenFarmNR group