Gunnersbury Triangle To Be 'Asset Of Community Value'

Providing protection against over-development at the nature reserve

Gunnersbury Triangle Nature reserve planned development

Gunnersbury Triangle is to be classed as an Asset of Community Value by both Ealing and Hounslow councils (who each own sections of the land).

The successful application by Southfields Lib Dem Councillor Gary Malcolm means if either Council wishes to sell the land or buildings then the community has the first refusal option to take over the asset. However, it does not stop the proposed development of nine flats and a visitor centre on the Bollo Lane site.

Southfield Councillor Gary Malcolm said: "I was gob smacked recently when the Labour-run Ealing Council decided to allow a five-storey set of flats to be built adjacent to the Gunnersbury Triangle. Getting Gunnersbury Triangle classed as an Asset of Community Value should help protect it from future developments or being sold.”

Ealing Council gave the go-ahead for nine flats and a visitor centre to be built at the Gunnersbury Triangle nature reserve at the planning committee meeting in January.

The Green Party, and some local residents' groups opposed the plan and said the Bollo Lane nature reserve should be protected from residential development.

One local opponent told Chiswickw4.com that the reserve was a unique Metropolitan Open Land site and said they would fight to have the decision overturned. Land designated as MOL is intended to be protected as an area of landscape, recreation, nature conservation or scientific interest.Any alterations to the boundary of MOL have to be made by boroughs through the DPD ("Development Plan Document") process, in consultation with the Mayor and adjoining authorities. However, it is not known if this campaign will go ahead.

Hounslow Council owns the land and proposes to develop it through its Lampton 360 company. The Gunnersbury Triangle is situated in Bollo Lane, which comes under the borough of Ealing for planning purposes.

The London Wildlife Trust backs the plan, on the grounds that it would not be able to fund a visitor centre itself, but others including the Acton Green Resident's Association (AGRA) and the local branch of the Green Party, oppose having residential development so close to the reserve. You can read the full list of comments on Ealing Council's Planning pages, for and against the proposed development.

Located just across the road from Chiswick Park Underground Station on Bollo Lane, Gunnersbury Triangle opened to the public in 1985, having been saved from development by local campaigners, supported by LWT and the former Greater London Council. It is now a statutory Local Nature Reserve. Owned by London Borough of Hounslow and managed by LWT, the reserve is cared for by a small onsite Trust staff team and a dedicated group of volunteers.

Work is due to start in the first half of 2019.

March 18, 2019