Enforcement delays are threatening Gorne Wood in Lewisham

Local campaigners are working to save Gorne Wood and create a new nature reserve with this fragment of ancient woodland.

But delays to enforcement are threatening the site and we have written to Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham Council, to set out our concerns. Gorne Wood – Letter to Lewisham Council May 24

• How can you help – please visit the Gorne Wood website to find out how you can help.

The council issued an enforcement notice some time ago requiring the landowners to secure the site, repair the scout hut and tidy the land. Since the landowners did not comply, the council then issue a Court Summons which resulted in a hearing in February 2023. We understand the Council decided to drop the case after the landowner promised to carry out the enforcement requirements, however the landowner failed to do anything by the deadline of May 2023. It is now nearly a year since that deadline passed and the Council has not sought to take any legal action against the landowner.

Local residents have explained that, in the meantime, the fire brigade and police have been called several times with youths having fires outside the scout hut; and that recently the situation escalated when around 10-12 young teenagers broke into the scout hut and started a fire inside the collapsing hut putting themselves at huge risk from the fire and the dangerous structure. Two fire brigade teams came and put the fire out early thanks to residents calling emergency services really quickly.

We have therefore written to the Mayor of Lewisham asking her to explain what is causing the delay in taking enforcement action and say when the council will proceed? This is clearly putting the woods, wildlife and even life at risk.

• Residents are aware that the landowner, Dr Anwar Ansari, has previously neglected a listed water tower he owns elsewhere, resulting in that council issuing a substantial fine, so they are understandably worried about his intentions in relation to Gorne Wood.

The Gorne Wood campaign is part of our Ten New Parks for London project. Two of the new parks would be in Lewisham – Gorne Wood and Grove Park Nature Reserve (the ‘Railway Children Park’). We recently wrote to Lewisham about Grove Park and the destruction there. We were grateful to receive reassurances from the council that action is being taken there. We are concerned, however, that both campaigns are struggling to make progress, despite having clear community benefits.

In our letter to the Lewisham Mayor relating to Gorne Wood, we have also asked for clarifications in relation to two other issues.

• Lewisham council has indicated it cannot act on issuing a Compulsory Purchase Order (which they have committed to doing) until Metropolitan Open Land designation is established via the Local Plan process. We have requested an explanation.
• We also understand the council has indicated there are ‘financial constraints’ even though funds have been raised to purchase the land. We have therefore asked what these financial constraints are specifically, how much money is needed to move things forward and what solutions there might be.