Anger over delay to Hyde Park-sized nature reserve

The delay in opening public access to a south London nature reserve the same size as Hyde Park has drawn criticism from campaigners.

Beddington Farmlands, a 120-hectare site near the Beddington industrial estate in Sutton, was supposed to be open for public use by 31 December. It was a pre-requisite for the opening of the a nearby incinerator.

"This is one anniversary nobody is celebrating," said Sutton's Wandle Valley Forum conservation group.

A spokesperson for Valencia Waste Management (VWM), which operates the landfill site where the incinerator is, said they were "making progress".

The Wandle Valley Forum told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the site was "one of the largest environmental opportunities in London".

The forum's chair, Tony Burton, said the "continuing failure" of VWM to carry out the necessary work as well as Sutton Council's "foot-dragging approach to enforcement" was "beyond frustrating".

"Public access to Beddington Farmlands and a secure future for its extraordinary wildlife was the quid pro quo for a massive incinerator being built," he added.

According to the LDRS, the farmlands are often the subject of debate at council meetings, including issues over the ability to deliver biodiversity-friendly acid grassland, which has caused delays to the process.

Some progress has been made on the site, including installing bird hides that are now accessible on a path the public can use, yet the Wandle Valley Forum said it remained incomplete and unsuitable for birds like the at-risk Lapwing, which the nature reserve was supposed to provide a home for.

Sutton's Liberal Democrat council has previously said it would be taking legal enforcement action against VWM.

Councillor Ed Parsley called VWM's inability to deliver within the timeframe and its attitude towards the council "disrespectful and quite cowardly" while Beddington councillor Tim Foster said it was time for enforcement as the "target species, the ecology and the borough, cannot afford more excuses".

A spokesperson for VWM said: "Valencia, as operators of the Farmlands landfill site, continues to work with its technical specialists to progress the planning application to make a number of changes to the restoration scheme to make it more sustainable and viable in the long term to respond to our changing climate.

"The team on site continue to make progress to manage the habitats, and alongside the warden, further access to the site will be delivered in the coming year."

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