ZADIE SMITH, best selling author and long-time Brent resident has come out strongly in support of the the campaign to save South Kilburn's Granville rec from development. She said:
South Kilburn has been a building site for more than a decade. The local residents understand and support the need for social housing, but this needs to be balanced with the desire for green space in an economically deprived area. Green space is not and should not be the luxury of rich people. But in Brent, this is increasingly becoming the case. Less than a mile away, where I live, Queens Park is protected, preserved and prettified year in, year out, while the residents of South Kilburn are told they must make a choice between housing and grass. The people who would benefit most from a community garden have their collective green spaces taken away from them. Meanwhile, those of us who live in houses with gardens of their own are further rewarded with a pristine public space. It's not fair and it's not right
A South Kilburn community campaign spearheaded by Granville Community Kitchen, Kilburn Housing Co-op and Princess Road Residents Association is fighting to stop the re-development and hence destruction of Granville Rec, a long-established scarce inner-city green space.
Managed since 2023 by the Granville Community Kitchen (GCK), the Rec is a living, breathing community garden supporting local food growing and gardening with raised vegetable beds, fruit trees, herbs and flowers for wellbeing, physical activity, outdoor learning for children. The food grows abundantly. It helps fill low-cost organic veg bags for local people and provide free healthy meals once a week. The Rec offers everyday social connection in a neighbourhood where green open space has already been systematically reduced.
Brent Council wants to build 16 four-storey houses on the site as part of a 2,500 homes redevelopment. It says that the loss of the Rec would be mitigated by alternative green space elsewhere. This so-called “Urban Park” would consist of two small planted areas with sapling trees separated by a road and parking. In no way can this make up for destroying mature 100+year trees and a much-loved and biodiverse site.
Leslie Barson on behalf of GCK says:
While we recognise the pressing need for genuinely affordable family housing and the commitment to provide 16 social rent townhouses for existing South Kilburn tenants, this cannot justify erasing a thriving, community-led green space which already delivers significant social, health and ecological benefits. We are confident that, within the next phase of regeneration, the 16 homes can be accommodated on a more appropriate site in South Kilburn, allowing the Granville Rec to be retained and safeguarded for the community.
Campaigners highlight how the repeated heat waves over the summer have shown the urgent need to preserve mature trees and vegetation. Cooling green spaces are life-saving especially for people living in overcrowded badly insulated housing without gardens. They point out that Brent is breaching its own climate emergency policies.
Sara Callaway of Kilburn Housing Co-op says:
As a long-standing social housing co-op we cannot accept Brent Council’s insistence on taking away one of the last remaining green spaces in South Kilburn which they claim will provide 14 social housing units. But we will not be guilt-tripped into accepting that the only place these can be built is by destroying Granville Rec. Low income and people of colour often have the least access to green spaces and would suffer the most from the loss of this delightful community garden.
All are welcome to come along to the Rec on 19 September to see the fantastic veg garden and hear about the history of the Rec. Children’s activities and refreshments provided.
For more info: GCK website
https://granvillecommunitykitchen.org.uk/community/save-the-rec/
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