The vast opportunity to benefit wildlife and provide public access to Beddington Farmlands - one of London's largest and least well known green spaces - has reached a critical point. A planning application has been submitted with new plans for the long promised nature reserve originally set out when the Beddington incinerator was given planning permission. The nature reserve was originally promised by the end of 2023.

A review of the site by new owners, Valencia Waste Management, has concluded that the original plans to create large areas of acid grassland and heath are not sustainable. The intention is to support wildlife with the creation of more wet grassland and other habitats. There will also be tightly managed public access and a new east west route linking Hackbridge to Beddington Lane.

While progress towards a planning application is welcome there are major shortcomings in the plans, including:
- evidence the revised plans are poorer for wildlife than those originally proposed
- limited public access, including a closing time of 2.30pm
- an inferior east-west route to that along Mile Road agreed in the priginal plans
- failure to restore the lost bridge over the railway and link to the new Hackbridge Primary School
- lack of investment in new habitats and better visitor facilities despite the money saved by replacing acid grassland and heath with wet grassland habitats
- heavy reliance on the uncertain and often polluted outfall from Beddington sewage works to water the site and new pressures on flows in the Wandle
- lack of ambition for "Beddington Farmlands plus" including the land west of the railway and physical and ecological links to Beddington Park and Mitcham Common
- no details on long term plans for looking after the site which in the hands of a conservation charity could become as important as the London Wetland Centre.

Wandle Valley Forum has been joined by London Wildlife Trust, CPRE London and Hackbridge and Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group among others in calling for much greater ambition for this flagship site in the Wandle Valley and for London as a whole.

You can read our detailed response to the proposals here.

There is still time to have your say. Submit your views to Sutton Council by commenting on the planning application here - quoting reference DM2024/00199. Sutton Council ask you to register before you can submit comments. The offical deadline is 1 April but it is worth sending views in at any time.