Ealing Council's plans to designate Warren Farm Sports Ground as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) have been delayed, pending the finalisation of a land lease agreement with Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the council's Cabinet learned at a meeting on Wednesday, 16 July 2025. The land that Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust will be leasing to the council is located adjacent to Warren Farm Sports Ground.
The application to Natural England for LNR designation has been delayed while negotiations with Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust were ongoing. The Strategic Director will exercise the delegation granted by Cabinet in March 2024 to enter into a lease once vacant possession is in place, which is expected by the end of February 2026.
The delay stems from the need to finalise an agreement that would see Imperial lease its land to the council. The terms are agreed in principle with Imperial College London and also with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who are the beneficial owner, noting that vacant possession of the site cannot be granted before the end of February 2026. The lease is intended to compensate for the loss of sports facilities initially planned for a portion of Warren Farm Sports Ground, balancing the need for nature preservation with the community's desire for accessible sporting amenities.
The Public reports pack Wednesday 16-Jul-2025 17.00 Cabinet.pdf stated that the council has received six proposals from potential lessees to develop and lease the new sporting facilities on the land leased from Imperial, and that one of the six proposals scored well and highest overall. The key criteria used to evaluate the proposals were:
a. Suitability of the proposal
- A design that is sympathetic to the proposed adjacent nature reserve and in keeping with the council's preferred option of grass pitches (4x football and 2x cricket).
- A good offer on community use of facilities
- A clear management plan
b. Deliverability of the proposal
- Experience in delivering similar proposals
- A considered approach to deliverability of the scheme including programme, planning, and resource.
c. Financial offer and financial robustness of the business plan
- Proposed terms of lease the council is looking for the best rental offer for the site's proposed use.
- Robustness and sustainability of operational business plan
With a LNR designation Warren Farm will be a fantastic resource for communities today and one that can be enjoyed by future generations too. This approach will safeguard the existing green space at the former Warren Farm Sports Ground in order to enhance it for nature, rewilding and biodiversity. The detailed negotiations that have been undertaken with Imperial mean that the council can now retain the identified green space in Warren Farm Sports Ground for nature and rewilding.
The Cabinet also discussed a range of other issues, including the adoption of a new Housing Strategy, the procurement of electric vehicle charge points, and the demolition of some buildings on the High Lane Estate. These matters will be covered in separate reports.
