Warren the Barn Owl Delivers 10,700 Petition to City Hall
Warren Farm NR campaigners present the petition at City Hall. L to R: Katie Boyles, Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, Warren the Barn Owl (with petition), Kabir Kaul, Alice Roberts. Photo by Paul Clarke Photography www.paulclarke.com
The petition asking for Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status for Warren Farm and surrounding Brent River Park Meadows has been presented to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Campaigners delivered the petition, with over 10,700 signatures, to London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon on September 21st.
Not wishing to use paper unnecessarily, the campaigners presented the petition on a memory stick, held in the beak of Warren the Barn Owl. The Barn Owl Trust is supporting the nature reserve campaign and the barn owl, a Schedule 1 species, is one of many rare, vulnerable and endangered species recorded thriving on the urban meadow.
The petition was presented by Brent River & Canal Society (BRCS) Trustee Katie Boyles, 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.
Caroline then took Warren the Barn Owl with the petition, to the Mayor’s office later that week. She tabled a formal question to the Mayor, asking for his support, at Mayor’s Question Time in October. The question reads:
“Will you support the campaign to designate Warren Farm and its surrounding meadows by the River Brent as a statutory Local Nature Reserve?”
The Mayor is expected to respond within the coming weeks.
Caroline Pidgeon delivers the petition to the Mayor’s office.
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 10,700 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 conservationist and wildlife writer who inspired the idea for the campaign and in which BRCS Trustee Phil Belman wrote the complete vision, 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 grass-land 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 and Kabir with Warren the Barn Owl outside City Hall. Photo by Paul Clarke Photography www.paulclarke.com
Watch this green space for more updates to come…