Campaigners in Brent are fighting plans to replace the Granville Recreation Ground community garden with 16 social rent homes, arguing that the loss of the site's old-growth greenery would be devastating and that the proposed replacement park would 'sanitise' the area.
The garden, located on Granville Road, was rebuilt in 2023 after being a disused and dilapidated playground. It is included in the Hereford House and Exeter Court development, part of the South Kilburn Regeneration project, which is due to start in 2027.
A community garden built by local effort
The space originally opened in 2009 when Granville New Homes were built, with the recreation ground intended to replace what had been lost. However, there was no money to manage it, and it became overgrown until Granville Community Kitchen stepped in.
Four schools now use the site to learn about growing and reconnect with nature, including St Marylebone CE Bridge School, a special educational needs school.
Leslie Barson, Co-Founder of Granville Community Kitchen, set up the current site. She said: "In a regeneration area and in such an urban area, it was a dense urban area before; now they are doubling or trebling the population in this small area of London, so building smaller flats with lower ceilings, as since the 60s the size of habitable space has dropped."
Why the green space matters
Barson stressed the importance of the garden in the context of the climate emergency and high-density living. "This small old-growth green space has become even more important in this climate emergency, so of course we need green spaces," she said.
"In this particular setting, green spaces are particularly vital, as people are living on top of each other; coming here, you have elders coming and sitting, you have people coming in and sitting, eating some of the veg but also learning skills and people sharing skills as well. This space brings people together and supports them on so many different levels all at once almost."
Speaking about the proposed urban space, she added: "What they are proposing is just laughable as a replacement for this space. The old-growth, it can't be replaced; it's not just sanitised, it's just wrong."
Barson clarified that the group is not opposed to building new homes, but opposes the loss of green spaces that serve existing and incoming communities.
Growers and council respond
Alfie Stanford, 30, a grower at the rec, said: "A green space is so beneficial to people's wellbeing; any green space is nice, but as a person it's so important not just to have a space that you can be in, but you can actually engage in and react with, and to instil in you a sense that you are someone that is capable of engaging with your environment."
He added: "People come and engage as much as they want; they can come up with their own ideas and do things they can't do in a public park. It's very difficult to have access to spaces like that. The new space won't be able to replace this one, the old growth, and the new space won't account at all for the food we grow here or how people engage with it."
Construction has yet to start on the development. Ballymore Group is set to be the new single-delivery partner for the South Kilburn Regeneration programme.
A Brent Council spokesperson said: "The approved plans for this site will provide 16 urgently needed four and five-bedroom social rent homes for existing South Kilburn tenants, as well as a new, larger Granville Urban Park of around 2,500 square metres."
"The new park will include extensive tree and ground planting, play and picnic areas and public seating, creating a permanent and accessible green space for the wider community. The new Single Delivery Partner for the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme will work closely with the Council to review and refine existing designs, with further opportunities for residents and community groups to feed into the development of the proposals."
Campaigners at the garden say they will continue to campaign to spare the site from redevelopment, which they deem "irreplaceable".
