Making Room for Wildlife in the Centre of London - Guest blog

Dr. Michael Short is a Southwark resident, living within a few minutes walk of Mayor Boris Johnson's City Hall HQ, in the shadow of Tower Bridge.

Like many Londoners, he cares about his community and the changes being done to it. Changes which all too often, forget what's there already, especially the wildlife and the greenspaces where people and nature mingle, relax and play; crucial for healthy communitties. Dr Short is one of the many Londoners passionate about their local spaces:  

London started around London Bridge about 3,000 years ago. Its renaissance is happening right now with The Shard and all the developments on the south bank between Tower and London Bridges. Associated with it has been an explosion of office space and residential units climbing ever skyward. Every plot of land, no matter how small, is up for grabs as house prices rise. But, it is not so much where have all the people gone? As where do all the people go?

Whilst first Ken Livingstone and then Boris Johnson have written strategic plans to prevent the [development of] concrete jungles with damaged families, in this rush to build more badly needed housing, there has been little thought of green space for the people who will live and work in these new developments, especially in which our children can relax and meet socially in a welcoming environment.

So, my concern is for a small plot of land with a basketball court and adjoining children’s play area. It's just waiting for some grass and a few trees. It had a warehouse empty for eight years and has been cleared for five. It is in Long Lane in Southwark. An area that has received more than its share of high rise apartment blocks recently. In fact there is, or will be, almost a continuous line on the north side. A park here could break up the development on the south side. There is an enclave of terrace houses with small front and back gardens, which attract goldfinches, greenfinches, blue and great tits, robins, wrens, dunnock, blackbirds and wood pigeon facing the site. The whole area then becomes quite big and sustainable. What a little gem!

Dr Short's vision is under threat. It's not an isolated case. All over London there are similar struggles between development and communities. The truth is, both sides of the debate would benefit if nature were included in development proposals from the very start. Green space adds value, improves appearances, reduces hot air temperatures, prevents flash flooding and much, mich more. Green spaces can incorporate community growing spaces or allotments and have been proven to boost mental and physical health of the people that enjoy being in them. Another added benefit is often an improvement in public behaviour.

If you dream of spaces like that in Dr Short's vision, share your thoughts with us [images welcome too], and the following councillors and inviduals involved in the Southwark Long Lane site:

anood.al-samerai@southwark.gov.uk;
darren.merrill@southwark.gov.uk;
adele.morris@southwark.gov.uk;
nick.dolezal@southwark.gov.uk;
kevin.ahern@southwark.gov.uk;
csc@southwark.gov.uk;
robin.crookshank.hilton@southwark.gov.uk;
chris.brown@southwark.gov.uk;
simon@simonhughes.org.uk;