Zadie Smith: South Kilburn residents face an unfair choice between housing and grass in contrast to their Queens Park neighbours

 

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/

 

Friends of Gladstone Park statement on plans for the Gladstone Centre

 The proposed Centre

 

The Gladstone Centre

 

There has been much discussion about plans for the development of the Gladstone Centre, which is still in Pre-planning stage.

Some people are for the new development, and some are against it. 

 

The Friends of Gladstone Park was formed to represent the views of all users of the park.

 

Therefore, following a vote, of the eligible trustees of the Friends of Gladstone Park, on the ongoing plans for the new Gladstone Centre development, we find that at this point we are neutral (neither for nor against). 

 

Below is a detailed statement of our position. 

 

 

There will be a public consultation in the future, at which everyone will be able to have their say. When the date is announced we will post it here.

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The Gladstone Centre

Statement 5 August 2026

 

Friends of Gladstone Park (FoGP) has been concerned about the Gladstone Centre for many years and have made requests on behalf of the community, to Brent Council to repair or rebuild it.

 

FoGP campaigned to get the centre reopened after it was closed during COVID. It became clear it needed considerable investment just to patch it up. Redevelopment or demolition were the realistic options. Brent Council was not willing to take it on. FoGP suggested a sports centre, but Brent Council was not in favour, citing other options nearby.

 

FoGP held public meetings and events where park users were asked what they would like to see happen to the building. These were the most common requests and FoGP maintains these goals for the new centre:

A community space of the same size as before
The community part of the building to have an independent entrance - and management.
Is available to the public every day including evenings and weekends
There is a cafe that is accessible to all
There are toilets that are reasonably accessible for park users
The visual aesthetics of the building must fit in with the environment
The size of the building to be confined to the existing footprint and never allowed to go above the treeline (at today’s height)
The building must be aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with a park environment.

FoGP again approached the council with our requests, but it was clear that the Council would not solely fund a community centre. The only concrete option that arose was the proposal from Willesden Green Surgery (WGS) to redevelop the building as their new surgery.

 

With no real alternatives on the table, FoGP felt the best course of action was to engage constructively with WGS and Brent Council, and to try to ensure that the design allowed for the requirements the community had asked for – as per the list above.

 

FoGP requested that the new building be built on the same footprint* as the existing centre and would ideally be only two storeys high. We understood that the Kilburn Cosmos Rugby Club, who have rented part of the Gladstone Centre building for many years, would be offered an alternative space in the Sports Pavilion, and the Pavilion café would be relocated into the new building.

 

*Friends of Gladstone Park Trustees, in line with the wishes of the park users, do not condone or support any reduction of open space in the park itself.

 

Plans have evolved, but FoGP has never wavered from pursuing the objectives that the park users originally requested. FoGP is conscious that we represent ALL park users and there are people for and against the development. At this stage the development is at the pre-planning stage and will need to go before the Planning Committee at Brent Council for approval. This will be in public so anyone who wishes to can have their say.

 

The Friends of Gladstone Park Trustees feel it is right to step back and let due process take its course.

 

FoGP is an apolitical group and Trustees who happen to be councillors do not have voting rights on matters related to Brent Council.

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Who are and what is the Friends of Gladstone Park (FoGP?

 

· FoGP is a group of ordinary local residents who care about the park and volunteered to act as a conduit between the park users and Brent Council.

The mission statement is to Protect, Preserve and Promote Gladstone Park

· The group has grown in 12 years from 6 to 13 in number, meeting once every few months

FoGP is an apolitical group and trustees who happen to be councillors do not have voting rights on matters related to Brent Council.

· To let people know the FoGP existed for everyone, public meetings, walks, talks and litter-picks are held during the summer months.

 

· The Gardening Group of volunteer gardeners was formed to maintain the Walled Garden, shortly followed by the Woodland Copse group. It was at that point Friends of Gladstone Park became a charity and the original regular volunteers became trustees. This meant we could accept donations for plants, seeds, compost, tools – and obtain public liability insurance. We have virtually no admin costs as everyone gives their time free of charge.

FoGP communicates regularly with the Parks Department at Brent Council. (It is worth noting that while Gladstone Park is one of the larger parks in the Borough, Brent has over 85 parks and open green spaces, and FoGP is just one of the groups who fiercely protect their local park.)
FoGP successfully campaigned for the public toilet near the Walled Garden and will continue to campaign for more toilets in the park
FoGP continues to lobby the council and campaign against motor bikes and other motorised vehicles
FoGP continues to campaign against littering in the park, support litter picking, lobby for more bins and other initiatives to combat the problem
FoGP continues to plant and maintain the Walled Garden and the Rose garden
FoGP continues to protect and maintain the Woodland Copse which is now a designated Local Nature Reserve
FoGP supported the campaign for the refurbishment of the lower children’s playground
FoGP continues to lobby the council to maintain the pond
FoGP continues to lobby for drinking fountains in the park
FoGP continues to lobby against commercialisation of the park
 
Gladstone Park is a beloved and necessary open space in a busy city, for families, walkers, runners, dog owners, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, bird watchers, pond watchers. Our aim is to protect it.
 
FoGP represents ALL users of Gladstone Park

Save Granville Rec Community Open Day with activities Saturday April 18th Noon - 4pm

 

The Granville Rec last summer

 12-4pm Saturday 18 April 2026  Community Open Day, Granville Road, NW6 5RA

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 of Granville Rec, a long-established inner-city green space. Managed since 2023 by the Granville Community Kitchen (GCK), the Rec is a living, working community garden supporting local food production through raised vegetable beds and fruit trees, gardening for wellbeing, physical activity, outdoor learning for children and students.  It offers everyday social connection in a neighbourhood where open space has already been systematically reduced. 

 

Brent Council plans  to build 14 four storey houses on the site as part of a 2500 home redevelopment of the area. It says that the loss of the Rec would be mitigated by alternative green space elsewhere. But its plans for an “Urban Park” consists of three  small areas of planting separated by a road and newly planted trees, and does not provide ecological continuity or compensate for the loss of a mature, 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. Replacing such a space is a major loss that deserves genuine co-design with the people who use it daily. 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.

Residents are also concerned that some of those most affected, including residents of Princess Road , part of which overlooks the Rec, were never consulted about the Council’s plans. 

What’s happening on 18 April Open Day 

• Updates and discussion about the future of the garden
• Guided garden walk
• Bug hunt and biodiversity exploration
• Sharing of garden-grown vegetables
• Hands-on gardening activities
• Banner making for the Save the Rec campaign

Join us for National Day of Action to Save Green Spaces across the country as well as Saving the Rec!

 

STOP PRESS: Campaigners will be at the Election Hustings on Thursday 23 April to ask all local candidates to commit to saving the Rec. 

6.30 - 8pm Marian Community Centre, Stafford Road, NW6 5RS

Ecologically diverse front gardens - what we need and how we might get there

 

 

As a child living in Kingsbury in the 1950s I was fond of the suburban front gardens of Crundale Avenue and Valley Drive - full of shrubs, flowers and the occasional specimen tree. Now many of those have been converted into parking lots..

The CPRE Front Gardens Network seeks to  stop the decline of the front garden and the biodiversity they encouraged. In a September online meeting Rosie Whicheloe, in an Independent Ecologiss capacity,  gave a stimulating  presentation on how to reverse, enhance or preserve front gardens. It began by demonstrating how the front gardens between Fryent Country Park and the Welsh Harp could be mapped as a project starting point.

Thanks to the CPRE, Front Gardens Network and Rosie for permission to post the video here. 

The London Front Gardens Network promotes de-paving and re-greening of front gardens by enabling people working in this area to exchange information and ideas, amplify the voices of individuals, and promote joint working where it can increase impact. Ultimately the aim is to re-establish important wildlife habitat; reduce river pollution and flooding caused by excessive rainwater run-off; reduce the urban heat island effect caused by paved surfaces; and make streets more pleasant to encourage walking and to promote wellbeing.

 

Suburban street in Jack Rosenthal's 'Ptang, yang, Kipperbang' (1982)

 

The UK’s disappearing gardens Most recently, in October, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) published The State of Gardening, along with first-time mapping of the UK’s domestic, public and private gardens which finds that: “Just 0.15% of domestic garden is artificial lawn but this still accounts for 7.5million m2 while artificial grass across all cultivated green space stands at 18million m2 - more than six times the size of the City of London.” “More than a third (35%) of domestic gardens comprises lawn, with 25.8% under trees and 11% as flower beds.” “42% of domestic garden space is paved over (55% of front garden space and 36% of back garden space)”  As we know, the loss of gardens adds to rising flood risk and health-harm from higher temperatures i.e. not just in official ‘heatwaves’, and reduces the role of gardens, soils and plants in supporting wild species, storing carbon, and capturing some air pollutants.   For more, see pages 12 and 13 of the report:    The RHS is calling for: Policymakers to guarantee “Space to Grow” in all housing and urban planning, so every household has access to a garden. Homeowners to consider robust planting and permeable paving for front garden driveways to help mitigate flood risk and promote the cooling potential of gardens as well as support biodiversity. Local councils to ensure diversity in tree planting, prioritising those species that will respond best to climate change. Developers to design gardens with water channelling, capture and storage facilities to help future proof them.

 

 

Is your Buddleja ('Butterfly Bush') suffering an aphid attack? if so the RHS would like to hear from you.

 

There is an outbreak of aphids in Buddleja bushes in the UK and they appear to have come to Wembley. The above are in Saltcroft Close. The RHS is researching into the outbreak and would like you to make a short report, with photographs if possible, if you have an infected bush. See below:

 

Symptoms of aphids on buddleja

• Crinkled, puckered and curled leaves that can look diseased
• Pale or yellow patches
• Aphid colonies may be found on the underside of leaves
• Shed skins indicate that aphids were previously present

Have you seen aphids or aphid damage on buddleja plants?

As part of our scientific research, we would like to know where buddleja aphid damage has been seen. If you’ve seen symptoms on buddleja plants, please take photos of the upper and lower sides of the leaves to submit to our survey. Please submit your records via our aphids on buddleja survey here (expected time to complete survey = two minutes).

If you have active aphid colonies, we may follow up to see if you can send us a sample to further help with our research on this relatively new find.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted records so far. Discover other sightings you can report to help our research here.

Background and research

In 2023, the RHS Gardening Advice Service received 58 reports of buddleja plants showing unusual symptoms. Samples of leaves were sent to the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) for to be tested for viruses, but none were detected, meaning the symptoms were most likely caused by damage from aphids feeding on the leaves.

In 2024, 67 reports were received, with aphids being found on the plants in most cases. RHS entomologists worked with aphid experts at the Rothamsted Insect Survey to obtain a tentative identification of melon-cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) from a sample of buddleja at RHS Wisley.

Melon-cotton aphid is a generalist, which means it’s able to feed on many plant types, but it has mostly been limited to glasshouses in the UK. Due to the spike in reports over the last two years, our scientists are calling for sightings to be submitted. Reporting any sightings of aphids on buddleja will help us better understand its distribution and make further identifications.

 

How to manage aphids on buddleja

Although the leaf symptoms can look alarming, aphids are unlikely to have a significant impact on your buddleja’s health and vigour, so can often be tolerated.

If you see aphids on the plant, advice on how to manage them can be found here.

Appeal for volunteers to help clear vegetation - Welsh Harp Centre, Birchen Grove, March 8th 10am-2pm

 

Welsh Harp Education Centre Vegetation Management

Saturday 8^th March, 10am – 2pm

 

Come and volunteer at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre for vegetation clearance. Help us clear along the fence line where brambles and shrubs are taking over and pushing the fence. This will greatly benefit the biodiversity of our site and the allotment holders on the other side. Dramatic and satisfying results guaranteed!

 

Stay for an hour or the whole event, but please come from the beginning so we can kit you out with wellington safety boots, gloves and tools. Tea, coffee and a warm room provided, bring your lunch if you like.

 

How to Book:

Sign up for this event on Plinth here

·        Register or login on Plinth to book ticket/s.

·        To book multiple tickets, book your first one, then add a person.

·        No need to print your ticket, we have your details once you book.

·        If you need to cancel your booking, log into Plinth, go to My Account, My Bookings and cancel.

 

Location:

Meet at Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (Google Maps link)

Birchen Grove, NW9 8RY. Follow the signs towards the Birchen Grove Garden Centre.

The postcode covers a large area so please use the Google Maps link (not Apple Maps) or the What3Words link below.

What3Words location: ///woof.charm.visits

 

Any Questions?

Deb Frankiewicz

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Email: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk

Ph: 07711 701 694

 

Further info:

·        We will be walking on uneven ground and you may have to bend and duck under branches.

·        Places are limited and booking is essential, please cancel your Plinth booking if you can no longer attend.

·        Please wear comfortable outdoor clothing in layers and a spare pair of socks if it’s cold for wellington safety boots. Please bring a waterproof jacket if it is forecast to rain. 

·        All tools and gardening gloves provided.

 

Debra Frankiewicz

Environmental Educator, Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre