HS2 in Old Oak have quietly pushed through planning proposals to begin construction works and 24 hour tunnelling in order to divert the Stamford Brook sewer line across wormwood scrubs - this is one of the last remaining untouched wild green spaces in West London and a hugely diverse ecological conservation area, which is protected under the Metropolitan Open Land act of 1879 - affording it the same protections as the greenbelt. Wormwood scrubs is a designated local nature reserve (LNR) and site of importance for nature conservation (SINC).
To quote HS2's own research: “There is a combination of diverse habitats across Wormwood Scrubs that support a diverse range of native plants, breeding birds and insects, including species not usually found in more formal parks and open spaces. The site also supports a large population of protected common lizards and attracts a wide variety of migrant birds in spring and autumn. There are a number of legally protected animals, plants and fungi resident on the Scrubs.”
HS2 have failed to tell anyone in the local community beyond a neighbourhood volunteer group called the “friends of wormwood scrubs” and the "Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust" which is chaired by LBHF council - local residents are only just hearing about this now, and works are due to begin at the end of November. This is the leaflet that we received last week:
HS2 have refused to release specific details or publish up to date environmental impact surveys of the plans but they will be felling a huge number of mature trees on the west side of the scrubs and destroying designated Nature Reserve habitats home to rare ground nesting birds, protected reptiles, foxes, badgers, bats and many other species; their current site access plans involve:
1. Building a fenced road across Wormwood Scrubs going south to north which will be accessed 24 hours a day by HGVs via the proposed site entrance on Braybrook street; effectively cutting the wildest part of wormwood scrubs in two.
2. Removing the vehicle width restrictions on Wulfstan Street which currently prevent lorries from accessing the Old Oak conservation area (which is protected under article 4 direction) - and thus opening the area to become a rat run for construction traffic - including 24 HOUR A DAY ACCESS BY HGVs on Wulfstan Street & Braybrook Street. They have failed to make these plans public until October 2020 - a month before works are due to commence. There is an alternative site access point onto a concrete area directly off Old Oak Common Lane which HS2 will also be using - if they were to build their access road from this point it would negate the need to destroy the nature reserve in the south west corner OR send construction traffic into the conservation area; but they have excluded this access point from their published proposals and have provided no explanation for why they are intent on using Braybrook Street instead.
3. Felling trees and 'clearing' the protected designated Local Nature Reserve areas. There will be up to 4 years of open cut trenches dug into the northern woodland of the scrubs. Pipe jacking activity, which involves pushing equipment through the ground to create tunnels for the utilities. Due to this being a tunnelling operation, elements of this work will need to take place 24 hours a day. This will cause total devastation to the delicate and valuable ecosystem of the scrubs.
We are only just finding out what’s going on and our local government reps have been preoccupied with covid - no one seems to care about fighting to save this last bit of beautiful untouched wild meadow and woodland situated amidst a sea of high rise developments and ‘urban regeneration’ in this forgotten part of London. It is the largest green space in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and it’s big sky and wild meadows are a rare breath of fresh air for those who know about it.
HS2 have been deliberately obstructive and are currently trying to defer all responsibility for notifying local residents and users of the scrubs to Hammersmith & Fulham council - who seem to have been mostly kept in the dark as despite these plans being proposed in 2016; planning applications were only submitted in April 2020 whilst most of the country was busy dealing with the Covid-crisis & lockdown. Needless today there are no maps or detailed documents available to view on h&f’s or OPDCs planning portal. The HGV & site access routes have been deliberately omitted from their planning applications; even though their proposed route will take them through and require construction works in the conservation area on Braybrook Street. We have collected as many documents we can find on the plans - the area marked for destruction makes up about 1/3rd of the designated nature reserve area.
We’re currently trying to put pressure on local councillors to:
1. Force HS2 to Publish recent (independently conducted) environmental & biodiversity surveys prior to the commencement of ANY work. These surveys need to document in detail the many diverse and protected species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects who rely on this land as the last remaining wild green space in this area of London surrounded by construction sites and concrete developments. As well detailing a plan for rehoming protected species during the work and ensuring the careful reinstating of those species and their breeding habitats upon completion.
2. Force HS2 to change their planned access route to an existing concrete route off old oak common lane instead of Braybrook street - and thus minimising the needless destruction that their access road going south to north through the LNR designations (local nature reserve) will have on the environment and local residents of the Old Oak conservation area.
The window of time to take action is running out as “clearing of vegetation” to make way for their road is due to commence in Late November/Early December. The council have been assigned powers to 'require HS2 to access the site via the preferred route on Old Oak Common lane' provided that the request is submitted with sufficient notice. HS2 seem to be relying on the fact that the council have so far failed to do exert these legal powers to push ahead with building the South-North Road across the scrubs to the proposed access point on Braybrook Street.
Please sign the petition: www.change.org/saveourscrubs
We will sharing more ways you can take action in the next few days but in the mean time, please share your concerns by taking a few moments to contact the following government representatives:
* Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith & Fulham [email protected]
* Stephen Cowan - leader of the council: [email protected]
* Wesley Harcourt, Cabinet member for the Environment [email protected]
* Alexandra Sanderson, Old Oak Councillor & Chair of the wormwood scrubs charitable trust [email protected]
* Philip Dunne, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee [email protected] / [email protected]
