Wildlife Circus

Queen’s Wood, Highgate, annual fungus foray, London Natural History Society. The London Natural History Society’s annual Fungus Foray is one of its most popular autumn events, bringing together members, mycologists, and  newcomers to explore thediversity of fungi found in London’s parks, woodlands, and open spaces. Led by experienced field specialists, the foray offers participants the chance to learn how to identify mushrooms, brackets, and other fungi while gaining insight into their ecology, lifecycles, and importance in urban habitats. The walk typically includes hands-on examination of specimens, discussion of notable  finds, and guidance on responsible collecting and recording. Beyond discovery, the event contributes valuable observations to the Society’s longstanding biological recording efforts, helping build a richer picture of the city’s natural heritage.                                 ...

  Docks along the Mersey    My friend Marg has sent the letter below to her M.P. and whilst it it refers to the River Mersey, the names within our river catchment could just as easily be substituted (Thames, Hogsmill, Wandle, Queens Promenade, Teddington Lock etc.). Lack of preparation and rising water levels in the Thames, are becoming an increasingly urgent concern, yet preparation has lagged behind the pace of change. More frequent and intense rainfall, higher tides, and climate-driven sea-level rise are putting additional pressure on aging flood-defence systems.  “From 2035, sea level rise and changes to the Thames Barrier operation will result in higher water levels in the River Thames. In areas between Richmond and Sunbury, these increases could range from over one metre to as little as a few centimetres during frequent flood events that we expect to see most winters. Sea level rise will progressively increase flood levels in West London throughout the rest of ...

Application Summary 25/02562/FUL | Demolition of existing gasholders and associated above ground structures and buildings. Phased redevelopment of site to provide 8 to 16 storey 5nos blocks with 586 residential units and ancillary residential facilities (C3 Use Class), together with associated works to the existing accesses and internal vehicular routes, new pedestrian and cycle routes, the provision of new publicly accessible open space, amenity space, hard and soft landscaping, cycle and car parking, works to the brook embankment, re-siting of some gas infrastructure, ground works and plant and associated works. Cross boundary application with LB Merton: Development within Merton comprises works to existing vehicle access onto West Barnes Lane, including hard and soft landscaping and new public realm and associated ground works, to provide pedestrian and cycle route with access for emergency vehicles only, new pedestrian/cycle access routes to Marina Avenue and Sir Joseph Hood Memori...

  This application should be withdrawn until some of the issues are properly dealt with. This pertains to the incompatibility with the London Plan and the access to open space. Our unrestricted access to 'open space' as detailed in the original Barton Wilmore document, has recently been withdrawn on the 'authority' of the police. The perception was that it encouraged 'anti-social', behaviour. This has been compounded recently by a sign on the cemetery gates stating that dogs are prohibited. This means that on occasion when the cemetery is open, say for the school run, dogs cannot be brought into the cemetery and families with pupils going to King Athelstan or Hollyfield will have to perambulate via the main road. It was said at the time that this would happen and full access was only initiated by the council until planning permission was granted. We are deficient in access to open space and this application should reflect t his by reducing the density of the sch...

  Badgers mark their territories by pooing into a scrape in the soil. Sometimes their ‘poos' can be soft and other times quite 'well formed'. The photograph is taken from a series of latrines around a development site in Chessington. Badgers are not mentioned in the ecology reports for the proposed development. Badgers and development do not sit well together. A development can curtail the access a badger has to resources and safe trackways that may have been used for generations. Developments that do not consider Badgers, can push animals into roads, where they can cause accidents.  Over the years, I have written several posts regarding Badgers and development, mainly around Kingston Hill including the Golf Courses coombe-wood-lawn-tennis- . This included two sites owned/developed by Kingston Council, -although the Council were not the applicant for the licence to close the sett - failure to accomodate badger movement, appears to have pushed these animals into subop...

Outline plans for the full redevelopment begain in 2022, with detailed planning applications coming forward for each phase. Completion of the first phase of the regeneration (452 new homes) has been much delayed. Some newly planted trees and the distinctive Piper road Cherry tree are dead or dying and sewage surcharges from manholes have ended up disappearing down two of the storm drains (to the Hogsmill river a mere 200m away).                                                One of the more 'friendly' videos of the sewage surcharges                                            If we want to see some improvements in these poor standards, it is important to comment on the above application. In the second phase of the development, a detailed planning application for...

 GLA Assembly member former chair Dear Andrew, You may remember we corresponded & subsequently met with you in 2021, re: local environmental degradation, including green space provision in the plans for the  regeneration of the Cambridge Road Estate, loss of footpaths etc. in advance of the planning application. One of the issues was increasing the population in an Area of Deficiency of access to open space. The attached map of AoD, was drawn by Greenspace Information for Greater London and the purple is the Area of Deficiency.  Kingston Council had an Independent Assessment of Open Space provision in Norbiton Ward stating that it was below the qualitative standard of 1.11ha of public parkland per 1,000 population (Atkins). This was before the population was to rise considerably when  the number of residences > double. Knowing this, the developers consultants, Barton Wilmore, stated that Kingston Cemetery was to be the new Open Space, and was in fact a Park. F...

  I took these photos in August during the 'Covid Years', before reports of developing this 50 acre site hit the headlines. It seemed unlikely that a development on such a scale could go ahead, without access from KT9 1DW, as it would be unrealistic to use the existing narrow access roads. At the time, I had discussions with the Tree Officer, about the different levels created when the lorryloads of spoil/hoggin were brought to the site (planning application 13/10228/FUL & subsequent CEMP 14/10126 requiring the creation of habitat, including woodland). It would be interesting to know how much of the latter - 'here today, gone tomorrow mitigation'- will remain in the new scheme. The oak trees on site are magnificient and a natural asset to the borough. But we know that the developers have said that this site is 'compromised', 'serving no green belt purpose due to its proximity to the A3', and as the focus of many anti-social behavioural issues, should...