SUN-BATHING WAR Riotous Scenes on the Banks of the Welsh Harp

Indignation was rife among local residents during the weekend at the proceedings of sun-bathers in a field near 'Sandy Cut', Cool Oak Lane, Kingsbury, and spirited protests by Hendon and Kingsbury householders culminated in violent scenes on Saturday evening and Sunday.

The sun-bathers, who are, for the most part, non-residents in this are, are members of the Sun-Ray Club and the New Life Society.  They sun-bathe on the grass near the edge of the Welsh Harp reservoir in various states of semi-nudity, while notices are chalked in surrounding trees stating, 'Sun-bathing ground. Please keep away.'

On Saturday a number of nude women women bathers were present with the men, and so strong was the objection of a hostile crowd that the followers of this cult were ultimately attacked, and found it necessary to seek police protection.

A resident of Wakeman's Hill Avenue wrote to Kingsbury Council:

Why is nude bathing permitted in the Welsh Harp Reservoir without some enclosure, where sexual maniacs can perform out of view of the more respectable members of the community? On Sunday evening last and myself were walking across from Old Kingsbury Church to Edgware Road, and were half-way over when we came upon a bunch of stark naked men hanging around the water side. Hardly a pleasant sight for a man to have to pass with his wife!

The attack on the sun-bathers commenced on Saturday, when some 40 men and women lay on the grass near the water's edges. Some wore no clothes; others wore slips or bathing drawers, Passers-by tooking objection, particularly on the ground that there were children in the vicinity, and soon a large crowd gathered, excitement growing until jeers and insults gave way to blows but no one appeared to be seriously injured.

Captain H.H. Vincent (secretary of the movement) was attacked by a woman but evaded her blows. There were cries of 'Duck him in the lake!' 'Drive them out of Hendon!' and Mr F.G.Biddle of Bell Lane, Hendon declared that he would 'get the lot of you locked up for indecent behaviour in public.' When the sun-bathers managed to get partially dressed they left the field.

A cartoon comment at the time

 Captain Vincent afterwards stated that the crowd appeared to take objection to one of the women, who wore nothing above the waist.

We put up notices warning people that sun bathing is taking place but they will come and stare at us, and some of them even take photographs. Dress or undress is optional with us. The objectors are ignorant people, with whom it is useless to argue.

The above events took place on 28th and 29th June 1930 and this is an edited account  from the Hendon and Finchley Times. My mother, who died earlier this year, and lived in Church Drive close to the the Welsh Harp, told me that she and her her sister, when children, used to hide in the bushes and spy on the sun bathers. It was their only sex education...

Thanks to Phil Grant for digging up the press coverage. There is an account of  the riots in a beautifully illustrated  new book entitled Welsh Harp Reservoir Through Time by Geoffrey Hewlett. The Welsh Harp has a colourful past including horse and greyhound racing, water skiing, motorboat racing, regattas, rowing competitions between neighbouring boroughs, ice skating and even an escaped bear!


Welsh Harp Reservoir Through Time, Geoffrey Hewlett, Amberley Publishing, £14.99 Available from the Willesden Bookshop

Welsh Harp Development: Developments

Cemetery Plan 1950 (from National Archive)

The Greenhouse site appears to have been ear-marked for a sports ground

Events are moving fast in the camapign against housing development close to the Welsh Harp Space. Tara Brady of the Wembley Observer reports that Cllr Paul Lorber has written to Brois Johnson,London Mayor,asking him to reject the proposals. Lorber said, “Proposals of this nature are just not appropriate in my view for Metropolitan Open Space. Given the level of concern being raised by local people I had no option but to write to Boris and ask him to reject the proposals.”

The Open Space Society has also lodged its objections.Its general secretary Kate Ashbrook said ‘It is outrageous that this wonderful green lung should be desecrated with over 160 houses. This open space is of vital importance, for residents and visitors from further afield. They treasure the Welsh Harp reservoir and its surroundings, for quiet recreation and bird watching. This greenspace is invaluable and irreplaceable.

‘Furthermore, the Capital Ring long-distance path goes along the edge of the reservoir, and would be severely and adversely affected by the development, as would other public paths in the vicinity.

‘We have urged both councils (Brent and Barnet) to reject these damaging applications.’

Meanwhile my query about any covenants etc on the land, elicited a reply from Richard Barrett , Head of Property and Asset Management at Brent Council,  that  referred me to Legal Services for a detailed reponse but went on:

"However I can confirm that I am aware of the recent planning application and that any proposals to develop the land would also require Council approval as freehold owner. The long lease granted to Mr. Scott’s company has a restriction on use which would require the Council’s permission to amend or alter. Until the application is considered and determined by the relevant planning authority any such approach for a change of use would not be entertained."

RSPB OBJECT TO WELSH HARP PLANNING APPLICATION

The RSPB have submitted an objection to the application for outline planning permission for 71 dwellings on the Greenhouse Garden Centre at the Welsh Harp.

The RSPB call for an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) by virtue of the fact that the development is to be carried out in a sensitive area as defined by the Town and Country Planning Regulations 1999.

They consider that the applicant's document, 'Assessment of Implications on Welsh Harp/Brent Reservoir SSSI and SMINC' has failed to consider the potential impacts on  interest features of the SSSI. They say the document presents no evidence quantifying existing levels of recreational pressure or whether there is capacity at the site for additional recreational activity. They say the document gives no detail on the type, scale and timing of mitigation and that therefore the efficacy of mitigation cannot be assessed.

The RSPB conclude they would like to see all their concerns addressed through an EIA and 'pending the outcome of further assessment work and the review of potential mitigation, the RSPB objects to this planning application'.

The full  RSPB response is available HERE

WELSH HARP - BATTLE SHIFTS TO BARNET

The developer who wishes to build houses on the Greenhouse Garden Centre site  in Brent, next to the Welsh Harp Open Space, also wants to build 90 dwellings on the nearby Woodfield Nursery site, Cool Oak Lane, NW9 7NB which he also owns. These are defined as 'large scale dwellings'.

Although the developer has said he wants to build only on one of the sites, redeveloping a garden centre on the other, there is the possibility that both could be built on.The total number of housing units on both sites would be 161.   The Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee, which has councillors sitting on it from both Brent and Barnet, last week decided to oppose both developments.

The Barnet planning application can be found HERE the earliest decision date is November 30th but the target date for decision is January 28th 2010.  You can comment on the application on the above link. So far 10 objections have been received.

Follow THIS LINK for a map of  the area showing the Woodfield site (Red Circle). The glass roofs, plant area and car park of the Greenhouse site can clearly be seen to the left of the Woodfield site. The impact of the development of both sites on the Welsh Harp Open Space and the 'buffer zones' around it would be immense.

PLEA TO BRENT COUNCILLORS ON WELSH HARP JCC

I wrote the following letter to Brent councillors who sit on the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee  ahead of the meeting on November 11th. I wrote in my capacity as the organiser of  Brent School Without Walls which runs environmental education sessions for primary school pupils in Fryent Country Park. I also forwarded the letter to Natural England and the London Wildlife Trust who sit on the JCC.

Dear Brent Councillors,

I am writing to you ahead of this evening's JCC meeting to request that you do all you can to persuade the JCC to adopt a position of opposition to the proposed development of housing on the Greenhouse site. I know that the JCC does not make the final decision but I believe a strong stand on the issue, conveyed to the Planning Committee before their December 16th meeting, could be very influential.



Since the proposal was announced there has been a strong groundswell of local opinion against the plans. Two petitions opposing the development are currently circulating in the area and the 'Comments Book' at the exhibition at the Greenhouse itself contains many heart-felt, passionate pleas for the Welsh Harp to be defended. As local councillors I hope you will rise to that challenge.


As you know the proposed site is adjacent to the SSSI and MSINC and close to the Environmental Education Centre. The environmental report for the developer argues that a buffer zone of trees will be enough to mitigate the impact on the open space. I would strongly claim that this is not the case. The SSSI and MSINC need a much larger buffer zone to protect them. At present the limited opening hours of the garden centre and its large outside selling area, replete with plants, trees and shrubs, provide a buffer. This transition zone between housing and the open space will disappear and noise, traffic and light pollution; and loss of habitat, will have a direct impact on the wild life of the area. In addition the extension of Birchen Grove, across the open space, to provide access to the new estate will be a further loss of green field space. All these developments could have a detrimental impact on the diversity of the grounds of the Environmental Education Centre. Once housing has been developed on the Greenhouse site there will be inevitable pressure on the area between the development and Runbury Circle. This contains the Birchen Grove allotments, where I am an allotment holder, and the Environmental Centre whose work I strongly support.


Brent already has less green space than many other London boroughs and we must defend every inch of it. My mother played around the Welsh Harp as a child in the 1930s, and my brothers and sisters and I did the same in the 1950s when we visited our grandmother in Church Drive. I believe my life long interest in the environment stemmed from that experience and a similar one on Barn Hill. These are two gems of semi-wild areas that we have left in Brent and it is vital that we protect them and they are available to the next generation. London Heritage last year lamented the fact that Brent, unlike other London boroughs, had no official 'heritage champion' and suggested this explained the deterioration in Brent's conservation areas. In the absence of such a champion, councillors and residents should join together to be community heritage champions for the borough.

Martin Francis

WELSH HARP NATURE UNDER THREAT

Fresh from their 'trumph' in getting permission to build the Wembley City Academy on playing fields and adjacent to a SLINC (Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation), Brent Council are now poised to grant permission to build housing close to the the Welsh Harp Reservoir (an SSIS - Site of Special Scientific Interest)  and the Welsh Harp area (an SMINC - Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation).

What is important is that an area of peace, beauty and natural diversity will be threatened by the impact of housing, a new road, increased lighting and noise, and the loss of habitats.

The application has been made by the Greenhouse Garden Centre and is for 71 dwellings and hard-standing and access road on the Greenhouse site and the adjacent disused Woodfield Garden Centre site. The latter site had been ear-marked for possible Greenhouse expansion. 

A display about the proposed development is tucked away unadvertised at the back of the Greenhouse, rather than at the front, but nontheless has attracted many entries in the Comments Book - most of them extremely critical. Among them are heartfelt appeals to save this unique corner of Brent and vows to fight the development as fiercely as previous attempts to build on the land and close down the Education Centre have been fought.

The development will be close to the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre and its extensive grounds, and the Birchen Grove allotments.  In the manner of these things if the planning application is granted it may not be long before both these sites are under threat as the 'gaps' between blocks of housing are filled in. As the sites are owned by Brent Council,  I have a hunch that it may not be long before they will want to cash in on these assets.

This will of course give them an interest in supporting the application.

See the plans and comment on them HERE
Planning Application No. 09/3220 Planning Officer: victoria.mcdonagh@brent.gov.uk  0208937 5337
To be decided no earlier than 12th November 2009