Horsenden West meadows will not be the site of a techno music festival which is looking at locations in Ealing for its 2022 two-day event.

News that Junction 2 festival could be held on the nature reserve in north Ealing received a strong reaction from residents with over 1,400 people signing a petition in 24 hours against the idea.

An Ealing Council spokesperson has said the decision was taken after consulting with local groups, and while the organisers are interested in finding an alternative location in Ealing, at this early stage it appears there are currently no suitable options available.

Boston Manor Park hosted the festival in 2020 and festicket, an event ticketing site, have currently put this location down for June 2022 too.

Sean McCormack of Ealing Wildlife Group said: "Ealing Wildlife Group are delighted the Council have decided to withdraw the proposal to host this music festival at Horsenden West meadows, a site of major ecological importance containing many rare, protected and threatened species.

"We are all for parks and green spaces serving the interests of everyone in the community but there has to be a balance.

"In this case this event would have caused far too much harm to precious ecosystems that have taken decades to establish. 

There's been a lot of hard work done by volunteers and community groups like LAGER Can, Friends of Horsenden Hill and our own efforts too to protect and enhance these habitats that show how much this incredible nature reserve means to people.

"We were also pleased to see how much wildflowers, harvest mice, barn owls, butterflies, badgers and bats are important to the local community.

"All in all a sensible decision. And we reiterated to the Council in our discussions that we are here to help advise on wildlife and biodiversity issues if they need us to.†

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "Before any decisions are taken to allow events in our parks and open spaces we always consider the potential impact on our environment and the concerns of local residents and organisations.

"After consultation with local groups and carefully considering the potential impact on our wildlife, the council believes that Horsenden Hill is not a suitable location for this particular event.

"Proposals to hold events in Ealing's open spaces will always be subject to consultation and we know that not every open space will be suitable for every event proposed.

"Ealing Council is committed to ensuring that we strike the right balance between maintaining biodiversity and keeping our green spaces open for all to enjoy.

"Ealing Council is proud of our record of hosting great events in our parks including Melas and carnivals, open air cinema, concerts and some larger festivals where we think the location is suitable."