Lib Dems challenge Ealing Council over Warren Farm commitment

Ealing Liberal Democrats have accused Labour-run Ealing Council that it “might be backtracking” on its commitment to protect the full extent of Warren Farm as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR), after a new report appeared to scale down the size of the site.

The controversy emerged during Ealing Council’s Cabinet meeting last week (15 October 2025) where a line in the Council Plan Performance Report for the first quarter of 2025/26 appeared to show that only 20 hectares of Warren Farm would be designated as a Local Nature Reserve – five fewer than previously agreed.

Councillor Gary Malcolm, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, challenged the figures and said the change contradicted Ealing Council’s own earlier commitments. The council had twice confirmed, in March 2024 and again in July 2025, that the full 25-hectare site would be protected. Maps published on the council’s website also reflected that figure.

When questioned, Ealing Council leader Councillor Peter Mason described the 20-hectare reference as a “typo” but declined to correct the report. Councillor Malcolm said the refusal to amend the official document suggested that Ealing Council “might be backtracking” on what had previously been agreed.

Councillor Malcolm said: “Liberal Democrats working with campaigners for Warren Farm Nature Reserve had a clear guarantee twice from Ealing Council (once in 2024 and more recently in 2025), that the Local Nature Reserve would be 25 hectares in size. The council website published the map showing the 25 hectare area, so anything less is Labour rowing back on their promise. For them to claim it is a typo and now they say they are going back to a figure in 2021 makes no sense. ”

He added: “A change of plan for Warren Farm would mean that many types of flora and fauna like the Skylarks and the plant Copse Bindweed will be harmed. The council needs to stick to what it agreed to in July this year or I would expect many of the 26,000 people who signed the Warren Farm Nature Reserve petition, those who came to the protest (21st February 2023) and big named environmentalists will have something more to say about it.”

Campaigners have long warned that reducing the size of the reserve would have serious ecological consequences. Without a sufficient buffer zone between the planned sports facilities on adjacent Imperial College land and the meadow, wildlife could be disturbed by noise and light. Species such as skylarks, barn owls and bats depend on the open landscape and darkness of the site to thrive, and conservationists say a reduction in protected space would effectively shrink their habitat.

Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Katie Boyles, Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign organiser and chair of the Brent River Park, said: “This size discrepancy was well spotted by the Leader of the Opposition. We are surprised that the Cabinet Progress Report used numbers from what sounds like an out-of-date document and that two different figures (20 and 22 hectares) were quoted in the same paragraph. The full size of Warren Farm Nature Reserve is just shy of 25 hectares.

Ms Boyles added: “It appears that a mix of poor miscommunication and the use of out-dated information has muddied the waters. Why a 2021 document is being referred to at all is a bit odd but here we are. Our talks with the council have been slow, yes, but positive since it was agreed in March 2024 that all of Warren Farm will be given Local Nature Reserve designation. The supporting published documents of which contain maps clearly showing the Warren Farm boundary line and where sports provision will be placed on the neighbouring Imperial College land.

“Cllr Blerina Hashani’s response, standing by the council’s commitment to make all of Warren Farm into a nature reserve, is reassuring. Reducing the size of our Local Nature Reserve by a fifth would have had serious negative consequences for our species-rich meadow. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure our 26,000 plus supporters and stakeholders, that we would, of course, oppose any de-wilding of what is a much loved rewilded site. We remain in constructive dialogue with Ealing Council and are looking forward to celebrating next year when Warren Farm Nature Reserve becomes officially designated.”

Ealing Council has denied any change in its position. A council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “The size of the Local Nature Reserve planned for Warren Farm has not been reduced since 2021. The earlier figure was an estimate based on assumptions at that time. It wasn’t a deliberate reduction, and the council hasn’t stepped back from its original commitment.”

The debate comes more than two years after campaigners, supported by environmentalists and local residents, staged a major protest to secure protection for the rewilded site. With more than 26,000 people signing a petition in favour of full designation, the future of Warren Farm remains one of the most closely watched environmental issues in West London.