23 March 2021
Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust have been working with residents and users to protect and improve the ecology on Wormwood Scrubs while maintaining its open nature and appeal to all users.
Over the past few weeks, volunteers have been working with the council to make repairs to the pre-existing hedging alongside the south and eastern parts of the ecologically-significant meadow area of the Scrubs to try to reduce footfall in the sensitive areas while the Scrubs is seeing increased numbers of visitors due to the lockdown.
Volunteers have also built a temporary 'dead hedge' around the west edge of the meadow and placed sticks as boundary markers on the north and south area, most of which is very low and serves to guide walkers around the meadow. This will stay in place until July 2021 to enable wildlife ejected by HS2, to recuperate and nest.
It will also give the meadow time to repair and the long grass an opportunity to grow back. There is no prohibition on walking through this area but we ask everyone to try to go round it.
The meadow area, particularly the eastern end between the cross-path and the model aircraft field, is significant as a site where ground-nesting birds such as meadow pipits have historically nested. This is unusual in a site so close to central London with habitats which can be disturbed easily by footfall.
Cllr Alex Sanderson, Chair of the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust said: "I am delighted that users of the Scrubs have come together to agree with us ,a plan to safeguard this precious area in the coming months and we will work to ensure that this does not restrict the ability of people to enjoy the Scrubs. We will continue to collaborate with residents and users as we develop the Masterplan to enhance the ecology and amenity of the Scrubs in future."
Emma Ranson, a long time, regular user of Wormwood Scrubs, commented: "I appreciate the Council recognising what the volunteers have done to protect the meadow during the coming months. More importantly, in these difficult times, it has given a community a sense of being able to give something back, to a place treasured by so many."
Stephen Waley-Cohen, Chair of the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs, said: "Wormwood Scrubs is a very special place with its own unusual ecology I am pleased we have been able to agree on this way forward in connection with the temporary fence and this guidance to users to try to avoid the meadow. We remain committed to ensuring that the Scrubs remains more wild than tamed and that all users can continue to enjoy it."