The Council has launched a 12-week consultation on the future of Linford Christie Stadium at the edge of Wormwood Scrubs here. The present stadium is dilapidated but heavily used by Thames Valley Harriers athletics club and other local groups. the options offered are:

• Do nothing – but the council says it is not viable;
• Improve existing facilities, probably in partnership with a sponsor, such as Imperial;
• A major redevelopment with up to 45.000 seats, accommodating a sports and entertainment venue as well as athletics tracks.

Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre (photo: © David Hawgood)

This will be a highly charged debate with competing demands. On the one hand, H&F Council like all other councils is facing a severely squeezed budget. On the other, Wormwood Scrubs is a green lung for west London with a special character that has been described as “more wild than tamed” . Placing a 45,000 seat sport and entertainment venue at its very edge will bring huge numbers of people to a place which is used and valued for quiet recreation, low-key amateur sports, dog-walking and bird watching, and its designated Local Nature Reserve areas. 

The Hammersmith Society’s response to the consultation is here: 

Hammersmith Society – consultation response.pdf

The huge influx of visitor numbers and parking would impact severely on patients and visitors at Hammersmith Hospital and the event noise would disturb the severely ill. The future of the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre which provides riding and equine therapy for children with disabilities and special needs would be in question.  In the background is QPR which has been searching for a new site for some time and could be in discussion as an occupant, and locals are well aware of the impact of QPR on match day. All this is on top of the  additional footfall from the planned 24,000 homes immediately to the north of the Scrubs, on OPDC land. The consultation closes on 12 June.