Michael Pilkington and Anna Rebmann from the Friends of Grove Farm Committee want to see Grove Farm in Greenford protected from development by Ealing Council.
Since 2002, Grove Farm has been designated a Local Nature Reserve. Find out more about the concerns Friends of Grove Farm have and how residents can get involved in keeping Grove Farm a protected place for current and future generations.
“The wood and meadows at Grove Farm, Sudbury Hill have been a green space for locals to enjoy for over one hundred years and are an important space for nature. Part of the site is a Local Nature Reserve. Yet, despite this, Ealing Council are planning to remove the status of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) from Grove Farm.
“MOL is a London planning designation which prevents green areas being developed and built on unless very special circumstances exist (Similar to Green Belt).
“This change is being proposed in the new Ealing Local Plan. Ealing Council are running a public consultation where we can push back against this proposal and protect our green space.
“To protect Grove Farm from development, sign our petition: www.change.org/ProtectGroveFarm and if you can please also send your own response to the consultation as this will be used as part of the review process.
“Email your response to: localplan@ealing.gov.uk OR send a letter by post to Steve Barton, Strategic Planning Team, Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, London, W5 2HL.
(Closing date January 25th 2023)
“State in the title – Opposition to removal of Metropolitan Open Land designation from Grove Farm & Ealing Northern MOL2.
“You should focus your response on:
Asking the Council to keep the Metropolitan Open Land designation for MOL2 (Grove Farm) and protect this green space from potential development
Why you value green spaces and want them to be protected
AND if you use Grove Farm describe how, and what it means to you – showing that the green space is frequently used by people for recreation and provides well-being and
mental health benefits will help the council to see its value.
“You can point out that the removal of protection of Metropolitan Open Land is at odds with Ealing Council’s own commitments to maintain, enhance and expand the network of green infrastructure in the borough and improve biodiversity as demonstrated by the council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy 2021-2030 and it’s Biodiversity Action Plan 2022.
“You might want to check what they are proposing on any Green Belt or Metropolitan Open Land near you. the detail is in the Evidence Base documents.
The section with regards Grove Farm being appendix 3b.”
This was first published in North Greenford Residents’ Association (NRGA) magazine January 2023
