Plans to create a nature reserve at Warren Farm in Southall have moved a step closer after Ealing Council submitted an application for Local Nature Reserve status to Natural England.

If approved, the application — submitted on Monday 9 March 2026 — would see the long-unused former Warren Farm Sports Ground formally protected as a wildlife site.

The land, which has not been actively used for organised sport for around 15 years, has naturally regenerated and now supports a range of wildlife, including nesting skylarks, as well as wildflowers and pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

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The proposed nature reserve would cover around 24.8 hectares, and has been developed with support from the Brent River Park charity, which has campaigned for the site’s protection.

The decision follows years of debate over the future of the former playing fields. Earlier proposals by Ealing Council to redevelop the site for sports facilities drew opposition from residents and conservation groups, who argued that the rewilded meadow had become an important urban wildlife habitat in west London.

Campaigners seeking Local Nature Reserve status for Warren Farm launched a petition in 2021 calling for the land to be protected. More than 26,000 people have since signed it, urging the council to safeguard the rewilded site and formally designate Warren Farm as a nature reserve.

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Councillor Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, said:

"This application is the next step in us securing a much-needed green lung for this part of the borough. The combination of nature reserve and sports facilities will be a huge benefit to Southall and Hanwell. Warren Farm is a key part of our plans to get people closer to nature and we are delighted to be working with the Brent River Park on the delivery of this community driven proposal."

Alongside the nature reserve plans, the council has also reached an agreement for new sports facilities to be created on neighbouring land. The arrangement involves Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who co-own the adjoining site. Proposed facilities are expected to include football and cricket pitches, with the council currently in discussions with a preferred contractor to manage the venue.

Campaigners from Brent River Park welcomed the development, noting that the campaign to secure protection for the site began several years ago.

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Katie Boyles, chair of Brent River Park charity and organiser of the Warren Farm Nature Reserve campaign, said:

"We are delighted to share in the news that Ealing Council has now formally declared the entire 24.8 hectares of Warren Farm Nature Reserve as an official Local Nature Reserve. Our charity launched this campaign back in January 2021. At that time, we were emerging from Covid lockdown, and people were discovering and taking comfort in the wonders of nature and wildlife on their doorstep in the Brent River Park."

"A heartfelt thank-you to our 26,000-plus petition signatories, our volunteers, our local experts and national conservationists who wrote statements of support, and the many national and local groups that have been with us all the way. We would not have achieved this biodiversity boost without you."

"This marks a significant step in Ealing and London’s environmental conservation. All together we have safeguarded the future of Warren Farm Nature Reserve ensuring it remains a place for wildlife and community health for generations to come. Thank you."

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Councillor Blerina Hashani, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said:

"It has long been the council’s vision that we support the widest possible range of leisure and recreation for residents. Southall is a town with substantial health inequalities, and the combination of community sports facilities and nature reserve gives us the best of both worlds."

Partners involved in the neighbouring development also expressed support.

Alice Sewell, investment director at Imperial College London, and Prof Bob Klaber, director of strategy, research and innovation at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said jointly:

"As co-owners of land at Warren Farm, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust are pleased to support plans for a Local Nature Reserve at Warren Farm, alongside new community sports facilities on the adjoining site. We hope this will support people’s health and wellbeing by creating more opportunities for residents to be active and help protect and enhance this important green space for local wildlife."

The future reserve is expected to become part of the wider West London Regional Park, linking green spaces and waterways across the boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow.