Warren Farm, the unique urban meadow, which has been untouched for over a decade, was voted by Ealing Labour to be used as a site for a substantial new sports facility in the Borough of Ealing, harming the endangered Skylark.

At Ealing Council's Cabinet meeting, Liberal Democrat Councillor Gary Malcolm, Leader of the Opposition, asked questions of the Labour Cabinet members responsible for Parks and Open Spaces.

At the Cabinet meeting the Labour Councillors voted for sporting facilities to be developed on Warren Farm.

Significant community concerns were raised by the Liberal Democrat Official Opposition on Ealing Council and Wildlife experts about the viability of rebuilding and refurbishing pitches for football, netball and cricket alongside endangered species such as bats, skylarks and owls. As well as yarrow pugs, yellow-necked mice, little owls, barn owls, wrynecks, ancient oak trees, rare clovers, slow-worms and toads.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Gary Malcolm, Leader of the Opposition, said: "Liberal Democrats have called for the whole of Warren Farm to be designated as a local Nature Reserve. We are very concerned that the options in the Council report mean that around half of Warren Farm will be lost, meaning a significant loss of biodiversity and publicly accessible open space."

Councillor Athena Zissimos, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment said: "Ealing Council needs to decide between skylarks and cricket and they cannot have both in the same space and they are fooling themselves if they think they can. We will continue to fight to save Warren Farm and the wildlife contained on the land."

There are 15,000 petition signatures in Ealing. That is 15,000 local people who need to stand up and tell the Council they are wrong with their plans to damage Warren farm forever.

In the recent pandemic period, the importance of nature as a soothing influence emerged amongst urban dwellers, who noticed birdsong once more. In Warren Farm a rarely heard trill of skylarks[1] can be heard amongst its 61 acre green space.

The Warren Farm proposal is at odds with Ealing Council's own Climate and Ecological Strategy and is counter-productive given the current Climate Emergency and the council's biodiversity commitments.

Warren Farm Petition Link

[1] The skylark population in Britain has declined by over 50% since 1970. In London, the species is in danger of becoming extinct due, in part, to the large number of visitors that disturb their breeding activities at country parks and on commons. Please keep yourself and your dog away from the long grass and heath here. https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/cy/node/1030