Neal’s Lodge
The Council has lost it’s legal appeal on this long running planning application.
The Council has lost it’s legal appeal on this long running planning application.
For those of you that haven’t been following the issue, it centres on what can legally happen in that part of Neal’s Lodge not currently occupied by the The Skylark Café.
The Council initially awarded a contract to a commercially operated private chain of fee paying day care centres. This was appealed last year in a Judicial Review (JR) brought by a private resident, Sandy Muir, on the grounds that the use of common land for a commercial venture which had exclusive use of the premises, fell outside the powers of the Council under the legislation governing the use of the Common. The Council lost the JR with the detailed judgement available here and a more digestible summary in The Times.
The appeal court has now upheld that original judgement. In brief, the court found that the Council should provide and maintain recreational facilities for ‘the public’ whereas the lease to the private nursery would restrict public access and be contrary to the statutory provision under which the Common is held in trust for the use and enjoyment of local inhabitants. The High Court judgement also laid down an important principle that the Common is a public resource that must be managed in the interests of its users, and not as a financial asset for the Council. The 12-page appeal court judgement is here. The focus should now turn to what should happen to the premises
Management Plan Draft Expected around August
As many of you know, Wandsworth Council have commissioned a Management and Maintenance Plan for the Common, for completion by the end of the year.
As many of you know, Wandsworth Council have commissioned a Management and Maintenance Plan for the Common, for completion by the end of the year.
It will be the first formal plan in 40 years so it’s important to be engaged. It will be a blueprint for what happens on the Common for the next 10 years and is especially important given that the contract for maintaining the Common, currently with Enable LC, will be re-tendered next year. The public consultation closed in April with over 900 responses, helped by an active campaign by the MAC. Thanks to all who completed the survey. The MAC's submission to the process can be read here
The consultants writing the plan also held a stakeholder meeting in March. They are now preparing a draft plan to be available in August which will be the focus of further public consultation. We’ll give you further details when we have them.
Male Swan Killed
Very sadly, the Common’s male swan (the cob) was found dead by a member of the public on the morning of May 4 2018.
Very sadly, the Common’s male swan (the cob) was found dead by a member of the public on the morning of May 4 2018. The swan was clearly attacked by something, but whether fox, dog or person remains unclear.
The female swan (the pen) remains on its nest at the time of writing and, despite concerns, Ann Davies, the local Swan Sanctuary rep, says it is perfectly capable of rearing any cygnets alone. Let’s hope there are some and they survive.
Ann also notes the fairly chequered history of swans on Wandsworth Common which seem more vulnerable than in neighbouring locations, for whatever reason. Two cobs have been killed by dogs in the past five years and another by a person.
The Swan Sanctuary will try to respond to any incident involving injured waterfowl – not just swans.
You can contact Ann on 07984 201854 or the Swan Sanctuary emergency number is 01932 240790. In the meantime, help by keeping dogs away from the island. Remember that according to the bye-laws, dogs must be on a lead by the lake and are not allowed in the water.
Walking Wandsworth Common
On April 12 2018, a group of us set off from Wandsworth Common station and spent 3 hours walking across the Common, accompanied by Dom Dalston of Wandsworth Radio’s ‘Walking Wandsworth’.
On April 12 2018, a group of us set off from Wandsworth Common station and spent 3 hours walking across the Common, accompanied by Dom Dalston of Wandsworth Radio’s ‘Walking Wandsworth’.
His programme featuring the walk’s highlights was broadcast on May 6 2018 and is available to listen to or download here. It was a really enjoyable event, with lots of information about the Common’s history and biodiversity, which we hope to repeat.
Windmill Renovation
April saw the Common’s Grade II listed ‘windmill’ being refurbished, after a long campaign by the MAC’s Charles Walton.
April saw the Common’s Grade II listed ‘windmill’ being refurbished, after a long campaign by the MAC’s Charles Walton.
Technically a ‘wind pump’ or ‘smock mill’ it is the only listed building on the common. It was built in 1837 to pump water into an ornamental lake from the adjoining railway cutting. Before the filling of the lake in in 1884, which lost the wind pump its purpose, there were also four sails, long since gone.
Spring Walk
A harbinger of Spring. We were pleased to spot our first blackcap on Peter White’s spring bird walk.
A harbinger of Spring.
We were pleased to spot our first blackcap on Peter White’s spring bird walk. They are one of the first migrants to arrive in the spring.
Key Information
The blackcap is a distinctive greyish warbler, the male has a black cap, and the female a chestnut one. Its delightful fluting song has earned it the name ‘northern nightingale’. Although primarily a summer visitor, birds from Germany and north-east Europe are increasingly spending the winter in the UK.
Swan + Duck Food Bagging
Our latest session involved seven volunteers and replenished stocks after a busy Easter. Well done everyone.
Our latest session involved six volunteers and replenished stocks after a busy May Day bank holiday
Well done everyone. With demand increasing, we filled 650 bags to get us through to the next session in June.
If you’re interested in joining one of our monthly sessions, send an e-mail to friends@wandsworthcommon.org. Sessions typically last 1-2 hours, but you don’t have to stay the whole time. Any time you can spare is welcome. It's also a good way of catching up.
More information
The swan and duck food project was started by the MAC in 2013 as a way of educating the public into what was appropriate to feed to the wildfowl. Bread sinks to the bottom of the lake where it rots, fouling the water and also attracting rats. Steady sales of the candy-striped bags from Skylark are also a useful source of income for the Common, with all profits going to education and enhancement projects, such as the map and this website.