Over 50 London Parks and Green Spaces Face 'Serious Risk' from Development

Over 50 London Parks and Green Spaces Face 'Serious Risk' from Development and Commercialisation

A new report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) London has sounded the alarm, revealing that more than 50 parks and green spaces across the capital are under serious threat from development and commercialisation. The charity's findings highlight a growing crisis for London's cherished public greenery, including recreation grounds, sports fields, nature reserves, and even Green Belt land.

Hardest-Hit Boroughs and Legal Loopholes

Boroughs such as Bromley, Greenwich, and Havering are among the worst affected, with each facing the potential loss of four or more green sites. Alice Roberts of CPRE London emphasised the dual challenges currently endangering these spaces. "In the past two years, we’ve faced two new challenges," she stated. "Almost unbelievably, a legal judgement confirmed that councils have unfettered powers to sell parks. Elsewhere, parks are being turned into commercial event spaces. If you think London's parks are protected, think again."

Roberts also pointed to the UK government's 'grey belt' policy, which she argues has removed vital Green Belt protections, allowing landowners to profit from previously safeguarded countryside land. "Second, the UK government has caved in to lobbying to remove Green Belt protection, introducing a ‘grey belt’ policy enabling landowners to cash-in on protected countryside land they bought cheaply years ago, despite widescale availability of brownfield land in London, including a staggering 300,000 homes with planning permission unbuilt," she explained.

CPRE London is calling for urgent legal reforms to prevent councils from treating parks as financial assets. "Councils are the custodians of public rights over parks. The law must be tightened so councils cannot treat them as financial assets to sell or rent when times are tough. We are also calling for an end to damaging ‘grey belt’ policy which is threatening Green Belt farmland," Roberts added.

Case Studies: Enfield's New Town and Wimbledon Park

One prominent example is the proposed New Town in Enfield, which aims to build GP surgeries, schools, parks, and thousands of homes in the industrial village of Crews Hill. While Enfield Council leader Councillor Ergin Erbil hailed it as an "exciting moment" that will address housing crises and improve transport links, local residents and business owners express deep concerns.

Trevor Wyllie, owner of the Enfield Bird Centre, fears for his livelihood after 40 years in the area. "They're going to flatten us," he said. "We've been here 40 years and suddenly now we're to be Station Square. Through no fault of our own, we're going to lose everything. I have nine staff who basically lose their jobs because someone somewhere has had a great idea."

Simon Aylward, who runs a family fencing company, criticised the council's portrayal of the area as derelict. "They painted this place as being a derelict collection of old nurseries and that is true three miles north of here, just in Hertfordshire," he noted. "They've laid dormant for 20, 30 years and that's how Enfield Council portrayed this. But, contrary to that, this place is actually very, very vital. All the businesses along here are successful, we've made it through a lot."

Elsewhere, Wimbledon Park is at the centre of a heated dispute. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has approved plans by the All England Lawn Tennis Club to construct 38 tennis courts and an 8,000-seater stadium on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club site, nearly tripling its size. Despite a High Court ruling that found no legal error in the decision, the Save Wimbledon Park group vows to continue fighting.

Christopher Coombe, director of SWP, warned that the judgement could set a "worrying precedent for the unwanted development of protected green belt and public open spaces around London and across the country." In contrast, Jules Pipe, the GLA's Deputy Mayor for Planning, argued the project will "bring significant benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy, providing increased access to open green space and sport, new parkland and a host of new jobs."

Celebrity Activism and Ongoing Battles

Dame Judi Dench has joined the fray, opposing Enfield Council's decision to grant Tottenham Hotspur Football Club permission to transform Whitewebbs Park into a training facility. The 91-year-old actress warned of "irreplaceable damage," citing the loss of a 450-year-old oak tree and plans to cut down 207 trees. "Staggeringly, ten percent of public land in Britain has been lost since 1979. Whitewebbs Park in Enfield is one of the public parks currently under threat," she said.

CPRE London is supporting the Guardians of Whitewebbs group, which has initiated a judicial review to appeal the council's decision. The charity's at-risk list includes numerous sites across London, underscoring the widespread nature of this issue.

List of At-Risk Parks and Green Spaces

Central London:

Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster

North London:

Broadwater Lake, Barnet
Christchurch Spinney, Barnet
Enfield Green Belt
Hornsey Cricket Club
Manor Park Road green space, Barnet
Morton Road Park, Islington
Oakfields Sport Ground, Redbridge
Peregrine House Open Space, Islington
Whitewebbs Park, Enfield
Wildlife Haven adjacent to Emirates Stadium, Islington

East London:

Agricultural land near Benets Road and Wingletye Lane, Havering
Baldwins Farm, Havering
Barkingside Sports Ground, Redbridge
Crowlands Heath Golf Course, Barking & Dagenham/Havering
Disused playing fields and open land around Banbury Reservoir, Enfield/Waltham Forest border
East London Waterworks Park, Waltham Forest
Green Belt, Havering
Hare and Hounds football ground, Leyton
Leigh Road Sports Ground and sites adjacent to River Roding, Barking & Dagenham
Lodge Farm, Havering
Mudchute Park and Farm, Tower Hamlets
Oakfields Sport Ground, Redbridge
West Ham Park, Newham

South London: