Revised plans for the future of Warren Farm promise to harmonize nature preservation with community sports development. The 20-hectare site will become a local nature reserve, complemented by the construction of a new sports ground on adjacent land.

These proposed changes will be considered a meeting of Ealing Council’s cabinet next Wednesday. If approved, the council will proceed with an agreement with Imperial College, pending surveys and contractual agreements, to acquire a parcel of land north of Warren Farm for the development of new sports facilities.

Following this, the whole of the rewilded Warren Farm site will be officially designated as a nature reserve by the council. This designation not only safeguards the area for flourishing wildlife but also ensures the preservation of natural habitats.

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In addition to its environmental benefits, the project aims to revitalize community sports amenities for residents of Southall and Hanwell. This includes the provision of updated sports pitches, modernized changing rooms, and the construction of a new pavilion, fostering increased community engagement and recreational opportunities.

Ealing Council leader Peter Mason said: "Ever since the start of our plans to deliver both sports and rewilding at Warren Farm, we’ve worked to try and secure the best of both worlds."

"So, we’re over the moon to have agreed with Imperial College that the new sports pitches can go on their land to the north of Warren Farm. It means that all of the land that people know as Warren Farm today, can continue to be rewilded."

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"It means we can finally move forward to getting rid of the old, dilapidated buildings and get on with delivering a community sports facility that Southall and Hanwell can be proud of."

"We will continue to work in partnership with local residents and campaigners to deliver a bold, community led plan to safeguard Warren Farm’s open and biodiverse future."

Save Warren Farm Nature Reserve Campaign

"Ever since the start of our plans … we’ve worked to try and secure the best of both worlds?"

So why have campaigners been battling against Ealing Council’s initial plan for years?
Why couldn’t this plan be put to Imperial College in the first place?
Why was the 2018 ecology consultants’ report hidden and later stated to be out of date?
Why was a Freedom of Information (FOI) request needed to release its contents?

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When local residents don’t accept statements like "It’s a done deal" and insist on holding elected official to account, plans can change. Then the Council insist it was their plan all along.

Note: The Warren Farm Nature Reserve Campaign & petition was launched on 5th January 2021.

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: "We want Warren Farm to become an official nature reserve so that it will not only be a fabulous place for communities today, but also well into the future."

"Rewilding and greening parts of the borough are a key part of our climate emergency strategy and Warren Farm’s combination of green space, trees and wildlife habitats is ideal to help us to achieve our bold vision of net zero carbon emissions by 2030."

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Councillor Polly Knewstub, the council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: "Once the borough’s largest sports ground, Warren Farm was left unused for 14 years while its future was discussed, and the green areas were reclaimed by nature."

"It was overdue a plan to make the most of what this land offers us, and this new deal with Imperial College gives us the chance to do just that."

Plans are expected to be discussed at the next meeting of the council’s cabinet on 6 March before they are formally agreed.