Harrow Nature Conservation Forum

Pear Wood is not only a haven for nature, it is also a favourite with walkers and joggers from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, and has recently been used by students from the Harrow campus of the University of Westminster as the setting for a short film adaptation of Macbeth - see images on our Flickr site.

Harrow Council offers part of Pear Wood for sale

In 2008 and 2009, we fought an application for a development of ten houses on part of Wood Farm in Stanmore. At that time Harrow Council supported the application, on the argument that only by allowing this development could other areas leased by the developers be returned to public control. These areas included an enclave within Pear Wood called Pear Wood Cottages, a field to the east called Brockley Hill Field, and the majority of Wood Farm. In letters to us and the press, it was made clear that the first two of these were to be joined with Pear Wood Nature Reserve, the last to Stanmore Country Park.

We believe the sketch map above to be accurate but for a precise map see the offer details available for viewing at the Harrow Civic Centre.

The enclave called Pear Wood Cottages is, as far as nature is concerned, already fully integrated with the rest of Pear Wood. The old cottages are in fact one building, now ruined. Its roof has fallen in, ivy climbs up the inside walls and roe deer rest in the abandoned garden. Wrens nest in the old rooms, grass snakes can often be seen basking in sunny patches on the rubble while weasels hunt for mice underneath them.

As far back as 1989, the London Ecology Unit included the Pear Wood Cottages enclave within the area that it declared to be of Metropolitan Importance for nature conservation.

Brockley Hill Field was once used as a dump for building rubble, but since then has been reclaimed by nature. Kestrels and buzzards are often seen hunting there for voles, and it acts as a buffer zone protecting the heart of Pear Wood from disturbance.

The new Harrow Council administration has now reneged on the earlier promises and has put the Pear Wood Cottages enclave up for sale and offered Brockley Hill Field for long term rent. We do not know what new owners would use these sites for, but the omens are not good. The likelihood is that developers would use the "footprint" of the long abandoned cottage to argue that new building should be allowed in this site deep in the heart of this now quiet wood.

We urge the Council to withdraw this offer and honour the promise made in 2008 to add these havens of nature to the Pear Wood nature reserve. All who agree with us should write to Hugh Peart, Director of Legal and Governance Services, PO Box 2, Civic Centre, Harrow HA1 2UH and write to or email their councillor. This is urgent - the selloff is up for decision at the Council Cabinet Meeting on Thursday March 8th and the deadline for objections to Hugh Peart is Friday March 9th. Click here for suggested text that you might use in a letter.

For more images of Pear Wood and the cottage enclave, see our Flickr site.
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