CAMPAIGNERS presented the London Assembly a petition to award Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status to urban meadows at Warren Farm, Ealing, on Monday.

The petition now has 10,700 signatures since it was launched in January 2021, which was presented to London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon on 20 September.

Campaigners presented the petition on a memory stick, held in the beak of a model barn owl, to avoid using paper.

Barn owls are one of the endangered species found on Warren Farm and the Barn Owl Trust is supporting the nature reserve campaign.

Brent River & Canal Society (BRCS) initially put forward the plan to designate Warren Farm and its surrounding meadows by the River Brent as a statutory LNR.

This came after the Farm stopped being used by Ealing Council as a sports facility, and the meadows have since rewilded and now have a unique grassland.

Representatives for Warren Farm Nature Reserve said species of birds, mammals, plants, reptiles, amphibians and insects, which are rare in London, have been recorded thriving on the land.

The proposal hopes to 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.

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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.

"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."

The petition was presented by BRCS Trustee Katie Boyles, 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.

Katie Boyles said: "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 want Farm Nature Reserve to set a precedent for what can be achieved."

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