THE FRIENDS OF THE SCRUBS AND THEIR CAMPAIGNS: A history of our campaigns by David Jeffreys

Lester Holloway and the Nineteen Eighties

The creation of the association known as the Friends of the Scrubs was a gradual process.   It probably began in the 1980’s when there were fears that the local council (London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham – “LBHF”) intended to make changes to the Scrubs that would have turned some of it into a more formal park (sounds familiar?).  This idea was vigorously opposed by the regular users of the Scrubs and never materialised.  The next event was the building of the Channel Tunnel railway line under the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 with sidings and “stabling” for Eurostar trains north of the Scrubs alongside existing railway lines.  For several years prior to this there had existed on a strip of railway land along the northern edge of the Scrubs “Scrubs Wood”.  Scrubs Wood was a haven for wildlife including several species of birds, butterflies, foxes and common lizards.  The building of the new lines meant the destruction of Scrubs Wood, something that was again strongly opposed by the dedicated users of the Scrubs.  The Wood was not however within the Scrubs boundary and an energetic campaign to save it, including petitioning Parliament, famously led by a local schoolboy and birdwatcher Lester Holloway, could not prevent the inevitable.

Where Lester did succeed was in gaining a good deal of public sympathy resulting in financial and practical help from LBHF and British Rail in making good (in part at any rate) the loss of Scrubs Wood.   The embankment which runs halfway along the northern boundary from the western end of the Scrubs was built largely from spoil from the excavations on the northern side of the boundary.  It became known as “Lester’s Embankment”.  Fresh woodland, which became known as “Chats’ Paddock” was planted by volunteers who carried to it soil, vegetation and the colony of common lizards that had inhabited Scrubs Wood. 

Threat of Crossrail 2004

An association was formed with a committee and it held meetings but it was not until 2004 that it became in any way formalised.  The impetus came from plans for Crossrail which included at that time a branch line that would have gone south west to Kingston, crossing the Scrubs by means of a tunnel.  The theory was that, once the work was finished, the Scrubs would return to its former glory. Unsurprisingly the prospect of years of huge disruption with large tracts of the Scrubs out of use, followed by more years of hoped-for recovery, horrified Scrubs users.   And so it was that finally in 2005 the Friends of the Scrubs was born as a formal association with a written constitution.  Our income was virtually non-existent and nowhere near the minimum required by the Charity Commission for registration, but our constitution was based on the Commission’s model and we were accepted as a charity by HM Revenue and Customs for tax purposes.  This would have enabled us to accept donations as Gift Aid if there was any forthcoming- which there wasn’t! It was nonetheless useful as confirming our charitable status.  Our only income came from a jumble sale that was held on annual Scrubs Open Days, rather a jolly occasion with children’s amusements, rides in a horse-drawn wagon, the presence of a couple of King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery troopers mounted on their splendid horses, that kind of thing.  Sadly it has long since ceased.  However this part of the story has a happy ending because, even before our constitution was adopted, the idea of the branch line to Kingston was dropped.  Some people thought this was thanks to our efforts but reluctantly we had to disabuse them (sometimes!). 

First Threat to Linford Christie Stadium 2011

The next near-crisis occurred when in 2011 LBHF proposed as part of their Core Strategy (what is now a Local Plan) to remove the Linford Christie Stadium from its designation with the rest of the Scrubs as Metropolitan Open Land (“MOL”).  This would have deprived the stadium of protection from what would be regarded as inappropriate development on MOL. Because LBHF had not notified us, we only became aware of the proposal by chance after the consultation had closed.  Fortunately the inspector holding the examination in public permitted us to make written representations “out of time” and be heard at the examination.  We were most concerned at the prospect of development such as tall residential buildings surrounding the site, even if (as claimed by the council) this would enable them to improve the sports facilities.  We opposed the proposal on detailed planning and other more general grounds and our submission was accepted, allowing the stadium to remain within MOL. This was a milestone in our history because it meant that LBHF had to take some notice of us rather than ignoring us as they had done previously. 

Online Petition to Save the Scrubs 2013

Threat of Viaduct Across the Scrubs 

2013 also saw the origin of the proposals for the development of Old Oak north of the Scrubs as part of what is now the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (“OPDC”).  These proposals were contained in “Old Oak, A Vision For The Future”, a document that prompted an online petition organised by the Friends signed by more than 3,000 people to the effect that the integrity of the Scrubs should be protected.  The catalyst for this development was the Government’s plan for a new high speed railway from London to Birmingham (and later to Manchester and Leeds) “HS2”with a major terminus on Old Oak Common, contained in the High Speed Rail Bill.  Connections to London Airport and central London were essential to the viability of the new terminus, and Transport for London at one time envisaged a connection via a branch of the Overground network which would have run across part of the north of the Scrubs on a viaduct.  The Friends campaigned strongly against this and fortunately were supported by WSCT.  Eventually the proposal was dropped. 

Membership of Charitable Trust Committee 2015

LBHF is the sole trustee of the Scrubs but it wasn’t until 2013 that the council established the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust Committee (“WSCT”) whose sole responsibility was the management of the Scrubs.  It consisted of three councillors assisted by council officers and we achieved another landmark in 2015 when two members of the Friends were co-opted to the Committee.  Although non-voting members they attend all the Committee’s meetings (usually quarterly) and play an active part in their discussions. 

HS2 Bill 2013 - 2017

The HS2 Bill was the subject of lengthy consultation and examination by a House of Commons committee until it became law in 2017.  We petitioned the House on a number of issues, perhaps the most important of which was our opposition to the proposal for a wetland area on the south of the Scrubs as compensation for the loss of habitat on the HS2 route to Birmingham. This would have taken a substantial slice of the Scrubs out of recreational use.  WSCT again supported us and this proposal too was abandoned.  We do stand however to benefit from a revised proposal involving the ecological enhancement of the Scrubs (see below), financed by HS2, which will fufil their compensation obligation.  We also petitioned concerning the re-routing of the Stamford Brook sewer under the Scrubs which has been necessitated by new  infrastructure to support the HS2 terminus. 

OPDC 2015

The OPDC was created in 2015 after some controversy concerning the area that should be included within its boundary.  In the consultation the previous year there had been strong local opposition to the inclusion of the Scrubs for fear of the Scrubs becoming a convenient back garden for the development proposed for Old Oak north of the Scrubs and a handy north-south route.  The setting up of the OPDC had to be debated by the London Assembly and we wrote to the members of the Assembly shortly before the debate explaining our opposition to the inclusion of the Scrubs and pointing out that the Scrubs had its own administrative body in the shape of the WSCT and was protected by the 1879 Scrubs Act and various planning policies.  The Assembly was largely sympathetic to our point of view but was able only to approve or disapprove of the creation of the corporation with its boundary as proposed.  Hence it was approved but the Assembly passed a resolution at the same time recommending that the Mayor should exercise his administrative powers to exclude the Scrubs before the creation of the OPDC became law.  The Mayor ignored this recommendation.  A major anomaly of the boundary is that the Linford Christie Stadium is not within the OPDC planning authority area but the rest of the Scrubs is,  yet both are governed by the WSCT.  

OPDC Review 2016

A review of the OPDC ordered by the new Mayor in 2016 recommended (among other things) that it should investigate the feasibility of redrawing its boundary so as to exclude the Scrubs. The OPDC in turn prepared a report on the implementation of the review’s recommendations which pointed out the difficulties involved, such as the need for legislation and the amendment of Local Plans (all of which had been overcome when the OPDC was set up in the first place).  It is possible that the GLA, to which the  OPDC is responsible, may revisit this issue in the foreseeable future. 

OPDC Local Plan 2016 – present 

The OPDC Draft Local Plan was first published in 2016.  There have been two further Drafts, in 2017 and 2018.  The original programme envisaged the Plan being adopted by Spring 2017 but, at the time of writing, it still has not been.  We have responded in detail to all three consultations and made submissions in person at the                Examination in Public in April 2019.  Our major concerns have related to increased access to the Scrubs from several points, in particular from the proposed station and development north of the Scrubs, and pedestrian and cycle routes in all directions across the Scrubs.  Our theme has been the conservation of the Scrubs as an open space that is “more wild than tamed” a description used by the OPDC itself in various planning documents.  The OPDC have sought direct access to the Scrubs from the station as well as from at least one additional point from the north.  We have consistently opposed access from the station while accepting a single northern access to the east of the station which would cause minimal ecological damage.  The issue of access from the north necessitated by the large numbers of residents and workers envisaged in the Plan has now been thrown into doubt – as has much else of the plan- by the loss of the Car Giant site north of the Canal originally earmarked as land for development.  Another consequence has been the dropping of the proposed London Overground station at Hythe Road (which would have served the Car Giant development) although the station at Old Oak Common Lane still seems to be part of the Plan.  

First Newsletter 2017

In February 2017 we published our first Newsletter.  This has proved very popular  and is now a regular feature.  The older Newsletters are on this website as are David Lindo’s records of a year birdwatching on the Scrubs . We also now have a monthly bird report and frequent updates on the Latest News page.

Linford Christie Stadium Again, 2017 – present 

Linford Christie Stadium again came to be considered by LBHF as a site for development in 2017.  This time it was much more ambitious than in 2011.  LBHF had come to the conclusion that keeping the stadium open and in a reasonable condition was a huge drain on their resources and a remedy had to be found.  The idea of it becoming the new home of Queen’s Park Rangers FC with a 30,000 seater stadium and associated facilities (shops, restaurant, bars etc)  gathered momentum, not least among QPR supporters.  This morphed into an entertainment venue of even greater capacity (45,000) which might also be used for football, the theory being there would still be room for the existing sports users with a running track retained.  

An alternative scheme was to upgrade the existing stadium with the help of a local sponsor.  With the assistance of Kensington Dragons FC, one of the stadium’s users, we commissioned a study by consultants of the viability of these and other scenarios. In the consultations that followed, the Friends campaigned hard with leaflets and in the media against the stadium concept and for the upgrade.  We emphasised the need for local community involvement in whatever emerged from the proposals.     The results in June 2019 of a survey conducted by LBHF were strongly in favour of the stadium/venue option, which was not surprising because the catchment area was much wider than the immediate vicinity of the stadium and must have included many QPR supporters.   Those living locally as well as Scrubs users were strongly against.

Linford Christie Stadium Challenge 

LBHF wishes to have more consultation on specific plans before reaching any decision.  Should they choose the stadium/venue there will be formidable planning and legal hurdles for them to overcome, given that the Scrubs (which includes the stadium) is MOL and is protected from development by the Wormwood Scrubs Act 1879 and other legislation.  We see this is our big – possibly our biggest yet – challenge in the foreseeable future and intend to meet it with as much force (legal, political and through the media) as we can muster. 

Registration as CIO 2019

With this last subject in mind, in December 2019, we were registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”).  This means we are recognised in all respects as a charity without the minimum income requirement.  We hope this will enable us to carry greater weight in potential battles ahead and make it easier to fund raise.

Ecological Enhancement of Scrubs 2020 - 

Less worrying but still the cause for some concern have been the proposals concerning the ecological enhancement of the Scrubs financed by HS2 (see above). This process too has taken a long time since it first emerged during the passage of the HS2 Bill and what was originally fairly straightforward has most recently (March 2020) become a more elaborate plan and the subject of consultation by Land Use Consultants on behalf of LBHF.  While there are several ideas in it which we support there are others which we consider inconsistent with the “more wild than tamed” ethos of the Scrubs and we have responded accordingly.  We canvassed the views of our membership for the purposes of the Friends’ response and encouraged members to respond individually.  One concern is the amount of money being spent on consultants as opposed to the work on the ground.

DJ                                                                                            April 2020