The Friends of the Scrubs
A UK registered charity whose mission is to cherish and protect Wormwood Scrubs Open Space, a unique 75 hectare green space in the heart of London.
We pledge to keep it:
“more wild than tamed”
Urgent announcement from
Friends of the Scrubs
Ecological Masterplan for Wormwood Scrubs - please take action to support us!
Dear Friends,
The Masterplan has been long in the making, and the final version is sadly not what we’d hoped, despite our considerable contribution to all the discussions. It is now the subject of a planning application made by Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust (WSCT) to Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) who are the planning authority for the Scrubs excluding Linford Christie Stadium.
We are making available here our explanation of our objections to this application, and our request to you to take action quickly to support this view.
We are publishing is what we are writing to the OPDC and thirdly, what we are writing to the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust. All these documents are being uploaded in the Latest News section of the website.
Firstly, here is our formal response to the planning application for those works requiring planning approval in connection with the Masterplan. You will see that we are objecting to:
The location of the pond and the resulting need for a borehole
The provision of excessive hard standing adjacent to the pond
The provision of excessive paths, and the risks of cycles etc., on all the proposed paths
The design and location of swales blocking the pedestrian route from LCS to the playing fields.
The total lack of consultation on this plan, which is different from those previously consulted on, though ignoring the many comments made by FOWWS and individual Friends.
Please write to OPDC in support of any of these points, or any others you wish to make.
Alternatively leave a comment or objection on the planning portal website (click here for how to do this)
All the documents say responses should be sent by April 19th, but if you cannot achieve this, it doesn’t really matter, so please do send your views anyway, as they have to be considered if they arrive before the application comes to the planning committee, which will not be until well into May at the earliest.
It’s most effective if you use your own words, even if you copy some of ours, rather than us providing a standard letter. You can also just write and say you support the whole of what we have written.
PLEASE WRITE!
Your comments should go to
planningpolicy@opdc.london.gov.uk
laura.white@opdc.london.gov.uk.
You can send copies to any Councillors or MPs or others you wish to inform.
To see and study the full application, you can go to
https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/opdc/application-details/10329
Click on the sparrowhawk photo to go straight to the planning portal. You may have to register first, but then click on Documents to see the plans and details – the Design and Access Statements, parts 1 to 4 give a summary of all the proposals, including plans and other drawings.
Secondly, we have written to Cllr Alex Sanderson, WSCT Manager Osama El-Amin, and WSCT Development Manager Vicky Abel with our comments on the rest of the Masterplan which does NOT need formal planning consent, but is planned for implementation.
You will see that we* think there are too many hedges, cutting the meadow area into unsatisfactory small sections and taking risks with safety issues, particularly for women walking alone; too many ‘biodiversity features’ scattered like confetti; and some signs seem to have become extremely large. We make some other points too, as you can see.
Here also, we’d very much like you to add your voices; one email to them all would work well, (click here to send) to these email addresses (see below): you can also write to other Councillors you may know.
Alexandra.Sanderson@lbhf.gov.uk
Osama.El-Amin@lbhf.gov.uk
Victoria.Abel@lbhf.gov.uk
To go straight to the planning portal to read the full planning application and leave your comments/objections, click on the sparrowhawk photo below. To download and read the FOWWS responses click on the butterfly below. To read our letters to OPCD and WSCT click on the blue buttons.
Please write to help keep the Scrubs
MORE WILD THAN TAMED!
Scrubs Watch!
Seen something interesting? About to head out for a stroll on the Scrubs? Join our observation programme to record biodiversity of the Scrubs!
Choose Take Action from top menu to learn how you can help or click the button below to download your record sheet.
Scrubs calendar: What’s happening on the Scrubs?
Check the calendar for upcoming walks, talks and other events. Use the < and > arrows to see other months. Click on the diary items for more details.
The Scrubs Dog Show is back! Save the date!
More details coming soon
28 July 2024
If you see something worrying on the Scrubs…
Here is the contact number for the North Wards team at LET (the LBHF Law Enforcement Team) which residents may use to report unwanted behaviour:
0208 753 1100 and select option 3
Also please email oldoakcollegepark_northwards@lbhf.gov.uk and also LETnorthwards@lbhf.gov.uk
OR use the H&F Report It app - download to your smartphone from the app store or Google Play.
We are assured that it will soon include a “miscellaneous” category which will allow you to report cases of illegal dog walking (e.g. more than 4 dogs per human and/or 2 humans walking together with 4 dogs each)
PLEASE OBSERVE THE SIGNS REQUESTING DOGS TO BE ON LEAD IN CERTAIN AREAS
The LET team want to know about any issues they should be dealing with, including anti-social behaviour of all kinds, including putting out poison for dogs (also eaten by foxes and potentially by children if it looks like sweets), camping, fly-tipping, etc, and also if people, professional walkers or otherwise, have too many dogs (the limit is 4 per person). Photos can also be sent to the email address to support any information.
As a reminder, anything urgent - call 999.
Who are the Friends of the Scrubs?
Wormwood Scrubs is owned and managed by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which is the sole trustee. The borough manages the Scrubs via the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust (WSCT). The WSCT is the Council’s management committee which runs the Scrubs. It is not, despite its name, a separate trust as such, but a part of the Council’s trusteeship.
We are The Friends of Wormwood Scrubs, a charitable organisation and independent lobbying group. Two of our trustees (committee members) sit on the WSCT committee in an advisory capacity. That means they do not have a vote on decisions but they are very vocal in representing the Scrubs community!
The WSCT meetings are held in public and can be watched online - see details on the WSCT web page by clicking this button:
We work with WSCT and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, but we also hold them to account in the decisions they make, and ensure they are acted upon. We invite membership from all users of the Scrubs, so that we can present the views of the community in these discussions.
To become a Friend of the Scrubs, click on the Join the Friends button, and fill out the form giving your name and email address. We’ll add you to our mailing list and you’ll be kept up to date with campaigns, activities and opportunities to join in.
