Sign this if you care about the environment and saving Roding Meadows in East London from bullying developers. 

There is a family of foxes in the last remaining meadow bordering the River Roding (the re-wilded sports field that was previously used by Wanstead High School) as well as voles and hedgehogs. Parents take their children to the River Roding to fish for minnows on the edge of Wanstead Park and you can spend the summer spotting wildlife from ducks and geese to woodpeckers, kestrel, buzzards, egrets, moths, butterflies, bugs and bats. Rare birds such as the red-listed Green Finch have been spotted in this field, as well as a kingfisher down by the river. In short, the Redbridge end of Wantead Park and Roding Meadows represents a little slice of London Magic. 

You can imagine the shock and disgust as workmen arrived in the old Kearley and Tonge field in the last week of August 2023 with chain saws and a digger, destroying years of growth of trees and thickets. This area is considered of great interest for biodiversity in the local area, yet without planning permission or any consultation with residents or locals whatsoever, habitats have been destroyed and decades old trees hacked down.

This was reported to the council, including the head of the council, and these men had been temporarily stopped. It is still, however, highly concerning that this land is being overlooked as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in the local area. 

A planning application for this land to be turned into a crazy golf/pitch and putt centre with a road, car park and restaurant has been submitted - application number 2391/24. This will change the landscape of the meadow, destroying habitats as well as impacting local light pollution, noise, nuisance, traffic and parking.

Local people have an opportunity to challenge the plan to have a tourist attraction on the Roding Meadow, bringing hundreds of people and a huge amount of extra traffic to the already congested Redbridge roundabout. 

This unnecessary project will be damaging to the local ecosystem (this is also a flood plain and Green Belt land). The space, which is currently used by joggers, dog walkers, nature photographers, ramblers, families and wildlife enthusiasts, is an area of interest for local conservation groups. Allowed to re-wild for three years, the meadow has an abundance of insects, moths and butterflies, which attracts rare birds and bats.

Councils talk a good game about environmental issues, but in essence, it seems we struggle to get away from the idea that all land should be used to generate profit. If we are serious about climate science and managing the environment at a local level, wild spaces need to be protected and left to be just that. Please sign this petition to stop this development and influence the council to protect this valuable wild space on your doorstep. #rewildingRedbridge