Warren Farm campaigners believe the fight to preserve Warren Farm is still alive despite the Overview and Scrutiny Committee voting in favour of the cabinet's resolution. 

On 21st February the Ealing Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, called by Leader of the Opposition Gary Malcolm, voted in favour of building a sports facility at Warren Farm, but with two important caveats. 

The two recommendations suggested by Councillor Paul Driscoll were also unanimously passed, and they state that a wildlife survey will be done of Warren Farm and the adjacent Imperial College London site before any final decision is made and discussions with Imperial should be continued, and these stipulations have given campaigners hope. 

Katie Boyles, Brent River & Canal Society (BRCS) Trustee and Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign organiser, said: "Of course, we are disappointed that the councillors did not reject the development proposal outright, knowing the irreversible environmental damage development would cause to Warren Farm Nature Reserve, but the fact that they called for a full habitat survey of both sites is a move in the right direction.  

"The discussion at the meeting showed that at least some of the councillors have taken on board the evidence offered by our expert witnesses and were keen to find out more.  

"The strength of feeling from our family-friendly demonstration outside no doubt helped to focus their minds too. 

"This is not over yet. Not by a long way. The council leadership will find it difficult to refuse the recommendation of a thorough habitat review and, at that point, we can bring our experts and our extensive evidence to the table in a manner where it will now have to be acknowledged.  

"We are confident that we can ensure the council do not de-wild Warren Farm Nature Reserve, which, as our experts showed during the meeting, is one of London's greatest ecological assets. 

"National and London-wide policy is calling for Biodiversity Net Gain while Ealing Council's development plan would mean Biodiversity Net Loss. This is what any decent, expert led independent habitat survey will show." 

During the scrutiny meeting, councillors heard from several parties, including London Natural History Society botanist Dr Mark A. Spencer, who showed a map of London showing the distribution of endangered plant species. 

The darker the dots, the larger the number of endangered species at that location and it shows Warren Farm as being the darkest dot on the map. 

Campaigners are hopeful that this kind of evidence as part of the habitat review will not be able to be ignored by Ealing Council and will prevent the dewilding.