Katie Boyles, Brent River & Canal Society (BRCS) trustee and Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign organiser writes of her concern that Ealing Council is doing nothing about derelict buildings and dangerous debris at Warren Farm that are a health and safety risk to children and other members of the public who visit and play there. Ms Boyes says they have been asking Ealing Council to knock them down for many years or secure them but nothing has happened.
“We have been asking Ealing Council for years to knock down the derelict buildings or at the very minimum to secure them. They are a major health and safety risk and it is frankly a miracle that a serious injury or worse has not already occurred here. Children come and play in them with the walls crumbling, asbestos, unstable roofs & now added pouring water since January. Needles have also been found in the derelict buildings and lots of broken beer bottles.
“The fire brigade get called regularly during the Spring and Summer holidays with fires being started. The gates at Windmill Lane often have to be cut open to allow the fire trucks in, which the council have to then pay to have the gates repaired. That’s not the fire brigades fault, it’s Ealing Council’s responsibility to secure or remove the buildings so as to stop wasting the fire brigades time visiting a site that is a constant fire risk.
“In 2017 part of the site was used by Ealing Council to store the new plastic bins that were being distributed to residents. The bins were set on fire, twice, with micro-plastics polluting our rewilded meadow. In May 2020 there was a huge fly-tipping incident. The largest of many. Broken windows, old sofa’s, building material, plastics were everywhere.
“Without the incredible support we received from the volunteer litter-picking group LAGER Can, neither of these polluting events were addressed by Ealing Council, despite our numerous requests asking them to clean up and protect our vulnerable wildlife and visitors. It took our community fed up of asking and taking action, for the council to finally help.
“The Brent River & Canal Society and Warren Farm Nature Reserve group recently offered to apply for funding to have the derelict buildings removed, but we were rejected. The only action we have seen the council take here was when in March they cut down all the plants and trees that had overtaken the buildings for a misleading publicity photo and video giving the results of the public consultation, which were overwhelmingly in favour of keeping our rewilded meadow as a nature reserve. Honestly, it’s as shameful as it is upsetting knowing just how dangerous these derelict buildings are.”
EALING.NEWS asked Ealing Council for a comment.
 trustee and Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign organiser writes of her concern that Ealing Council is doing nothing about derelict buildings and dangerous debris at Warren Farm that are health and safety risk to children and other members of the public who visit and play there. Ms Boyes says they have been asking Ealing Council to knock them down for many years or secure them but nothing has happened. ){kind=link}