Ravenscourt Park Arches

There are as far as we know no immediate threats to our Open Spaces in Hammersmith but we always have to be vigilant. For example, Wormwood Scrubs is within the OPDC area and there are anxieties as to what effects all the development may mean for this Metropolitan Open Land. Similarly Little Wormwood Scrubs (on the other side of Scrubs Lane) could be under threat from a re-arrangement of the West London Railway Line. There are of course always issues to do with Parks maintenance which have to fight for funds against other Council spending.

The Hammersmith Society is affiliated to the Open Spaces Society and they have concerns about open spaces in London generally. I would urge members to support their campaign as below:

As you know the election for the London Mayor takes place in 2016.  The Ramblers are running a campaign ‘Love London, Walk London’, to make London a walking city.  We support their campaign and encourage you to look at their website here for information on how you can contact the parties to influence their manifestos.

In addition to the points raised by the Ramblers, we urge you to ask the parties to adopt a policy to protect London’s parks, commons and other open spaces from abuse for commercial purposes.  You will have seen the story in Open Space autumn 2015 page 10, of the abuse of Clapham Common for a festival, leaving a mudbath.  Not only do temporary and permanent structures on the commons require the minister’s consent under the Greater London Parks and Open Spaces Act 1967 (confirmed by counsel’s opinion), but also commercial use of open spaces is contrary to their enjoyment for recreation by the public.

We shall be in touch in due course to ask you to contact your candidates direct.

With best wishes

Kate

Kate Ashbrook
General Secretary
The Open Spaces Society