The deputy leader of the Green Party has formally asked the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan what protections he can offer to skylarks in Ealing. 

Zack Polanski, the deputy leader of the Green Party and London Assembly member, has posed the question to Khan as part of Mayor's Question Time of what he can and is trying to do to protect Warren Farm. 

Ealing Council voted on 21st February to build a sports facility on half of Warren Farm in Ealing, the only location in the borough where the endangered skylark have been able to settle. 

The question was: "Campaigners for the retention of the full Warren Farm nature reserve have said that proposed development threatens a breeding ground that supports a quarter of London's breeding skylark population.  

"Skylark populations are in long-term decline, and they need wild space to protect their numbers. 

"What protections do you offer to London's skylark population in your planning and environment policies?" 

Additionally, London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari put concerns forward to Khan about his environmental plan not containing anything to do with Warren Farm. 

Khan responded: "My understanding is that there are a number of sites across London where there are concerns around dewilding of sites that have become rewilded sites. 

"The key thing is that where there are local plans, that they are in accordance with the London Plan and inspectors consider local plans and I am sure they will consider the representations made by the Assembly Member. 

"All we have is one version of events, but what the process is, is that where there is a local plan it goes to an inspector, and if that local plan is not in accordance with the London Plan, the local plan doesn't go through and we make representations to an inspector. 

"So, my team will be looking at this local plan like it does all local plans to see if it is in accordance with the London Plan. 

"If it isn't, we'd make representations and we have done that in other parts of the city where there are Labour councils or other councils. 

"I am sure the same will happen in this case."