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Warren Farm

Overview

Warren Farm is a large open access field in West Ealing that has an area of 24.8 Hectares (61 acres) and is in Metropolitan Open Land designated as Community Open Space in the Local Plan Policies Map, and is within the Brent River Park. The playing fields comprise a large open space giving the ‘feeling’ of the countryside

Location

Warren Farm is located to the east of Windmill Lane, to the south of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Three Bridges and to the west of the Grand Union Canal, close to the confluence with the River Brent and the English Heritage Scheduled Monument the Hanwell Flight.

History

The land was sold to London County Council for use as playing fields by the Countess of Jersey in 1925 in her role as Executor of her husband’s estate (presumably to meet death duties). The area not under the footprint of the existing buildings and car park (1,847 m2) is greenfield, and designated by English Heritage as a site of interest for archaeology, specifically Bronze and Iron Age workings. Aerial photographs of the area suggest the remnants of settlement or funerary activity on the site, and finds of flint tools and prehistoric pottery have been recovered from the immediate vicinity

The land is adjacent to the Brent River/Grand Union Canal, a scheduled heritage asset and important green corridor for wildlife

o  Until recently, the fields have been accessible to all from the north side ie Olde Hanwell, as well as from the south ie Norwood Green/Southall side

§ Access has been gained ‘as of right’ for more than the designated 20 years for use by the general public in lawful sports and leisure activities

§ A long-established model aircraft flying club has used the land as they need considerable space, which is currently offered, safely, on this site

o  Ancient public rights of way across the land which used to cross to the original farm buildings and onwards to Windmill Lane, were diverted by order of a Justice of the Peace in 1930, presumably to prevent people walking across the pitches when matches were in play

§ The diverted public footpath runs around the perimeter of the north east boundary of the site to Windmill Lane

§ This is a narrow, rutted, unlit, poorly managed footpath; if this is the access for Olde Hanwell to the site, then certainly the site will no longer be accessible by many people from the Hanwell side of the facility, especially not by PE classes on foot  from Olde Hanwell

Current sports facilities

o  The existing changing room building has been neglected and is in disrepair due to successive administrations’ failure to maintain. The Council claims that the changing rooms have been ‘condemned’, and there are reports of asbestos use in the structure

o  Currently there are 16 pitches of varying sizes, several full-size, spread over the site available to the community to book for clubs, schools and tournaments, and to use on an ad hoc basis for informal matches

§ Distances between football pitches allow for simultaneous play,  and for cricket to be played in one area at the same time as football

§ Numbers of pitches allow for pitches to be left to recover in between usage

§ These pitches are the best in the Borough, with no matches cancelled due to water logging in the last decade

o  Currently there are also six cricket wickets and 8 outdoor tennis/netball/basketball courts

o  In addition there are athletics field event facilities such as long jump, high jump and shot put areas; all open to the community

Current finances

·        It is estimated that the current market value of Warren Farm would be £31.5 million (if designated for industrial use), or £66 million (if designated for residential use). This calculation is based on average land values across Croydon and Enfield (comparable to, but possibly lower than, the value of land in Ealing) which is £2.1 million/Ha (for industrial use), and £4.4 million/Ha (for residential use)

·        Income generated from pitch fees (according to 2010/2011 figures) was £58K, annual costs were currently £78K in maintenance of the pitches, plus £4,000 in business rates, plus £17K in utilities. Hence, given that the business rates go back to the Council, the Council’s net outlay in the 2010/2011 financial year was £37K

Brent River Park: Nature Conservation

·        According to the Ealing Council’s Local Plan Policies Map (February 2013) the entire Warren Farm site is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation

·        The adjacent River Brent and Grand Union Canal acts as a wildlife corridor for species such as kingfishers, woodpeckers, Little Owls and bats

·        Several species of bats, including Daubenton’s bat and pipistrelles, inhabit the area, and there are protected bat caves in the Wharncliffe Viaduct. Bats feed at night on insects in the dark corridor bounding the river and canal, including Warren Farm.

·        The site adjoins Jubilee Meadow and Blackberry Corner, designated as a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation

·        There is a corridor along the southern boundary of Warren Farm which is also designated as a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation

Access and transport

·        Currently no bus routes service this site. The proximity of the Scheduled Listed Monument of Three Bridges (listed as Windmill Bridge) between the Uxbridge Road and the site prevents a bus route being considered.

·        Access to this site is, and will remain, by coach, private vehicle, cycle or on foot

Council-Approved Future Situation

·        Planning Committee approved a Planning  Application (ref P/2012/5124) for the land to be developed by a commercial organisation (QPR) on Wednesday 24 April 2013

Proposed sports facilities for commercial organisation

o  Two thirds of the land will be designated for the commercial organisation to develop:

§ a first team training and academy facility, incorporating:

·        a two-storey 13M/42’7”, plus basement, training centre building,

·        a three-storey 12.9M/42’4” multi -functional operations building,

·        an 15.75M/ 51’8” high indoor  sports hall building (equivalent to a 5-6 storey residential block) [height ref Committee briefing notes 24 April 2013]

·        a single storey 7.6M/24’11” maintenance building adjacent to Jubilee Meadow/Blackberry Corner, a site of interest for Nature Conservation

·        a single storey plant building with 16M/52’6” emissions stack approximately equidistant from the River Brent and Windmill Lane

·        Ten exclusive,  pitches surrounded by opaque security-fenced including

o  three