Owl and Hedgehog Feature in New 'Garden of Resistance'

Save Gunnersbury Park Campaign renews its guerrilla activities

The new garden highlights alleged disappearance of wildlife from the park

July 16, 2024

A second ‘Garden of Resistance’ has appeared in Gunnersbury Park put in place by residents annoyed at what they believe is over-commercialisation of the space.

This time the garden features an owl, a swan, a hedgehog and a squirrel to highlight the Save Gunnersbury Park campaign’s claim that excessive noise from live music events is forcing out wildlife, something that the park's management categorically deny.

The group, which was launched this April, says it does not want to see and total ban on events in the park but adds, “Our overriding aim is to significantly reduce the scale and of events, the associated noise, wildlife harm, excessive restrictions to public access and associated disruption and anti-social behaviour.

“We demand a level and nature of activity that fully considers the impact on the Park’s neighbours, regular users and wildlife, and a revised, democratic governance structure that establishes trust and buy-in.”

It wants to see a revocation of the park’s event licence which allows large scale events and instead have ‘genuine’ representation of and engagement with the local community and regular park users, in the Park’s commercial strategy. In addition, it is calling for greater transparency including public access to the CIC’s accounts.

Group is against what it believes is the commercial exploitation of the park

The current licence permits a number of large-scale rock, pop and dance music events throughout the summer months, most of these in partnership with Melvin Benn’s Festival Republic Group.

This year has seen a RnB festival and a party organised by the Soho House Group, with tickets priced at £285, which have required large sections of the park to be fenced off and heavy vehicles using the grassed areas. The programme of events for the summer is just getting started with more major events ahead. For the whole of the season the park will be occupied for events for 31 days.

Next on the list are open air cinema screenings this weekend then a series of major concerts to be attended by up to 30,000 people promoted by Festival Republic Company, an arm of USA Music Promoter Live Nation, and September’s Drum n Bass / Dance Festival ‘Waterworks’ which has been the source of a large number of complaints when held previously.

The campaign claims that ‘excessive’ noise from these events is, not only causing annoyance and loss of sleep to neighbours of the park, but also has reduced wildlife within the park. It alleges that there has been a significant reduction in the number of birds, including swans around the pond at the northern end of the park.

Campaigners say absence of birdlife by the pond is due to impact of events

Swans, bats, hedgehogs and owls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981butt, according to campaigners, are no longer seen in the park during summer months when events are on.

The campaign says, “While the Park is not first and foremost a nature reserve, due consideration should be given to the deleterious impact of Summer long programming of loud, bright, heavily attended events on the Park’s previously thriving and diverse wildlife including protected species.”

Soil acidity measures are also rising according to measurements taken by the group on the Old Cricket Pitch which it says is the result of the compression of the grassed areas by heavy vehicles.

Damaged to grassed areas of the park caused by heavy vehicles

Campaigners wrote to both Ealing and Hounslow Councils this January with a series of complaints about the management of the part. Hounslow Council has rejected calls for a public enquiry.

Save Gunnersbury Park believes that the granting of the licence to the CIC by the councils may well contravene the Rothschild covenant and in any case that the current governance structure is flawed.

A spokesman for the group said, ‘We are building a wide and expert coalition of campaigners from across London all facing similar challenges at the hands of local authorities who seem to think Parks are event spaces rather than treasured peaceful havens for stressed City dwellers. We will do whatever it takes to stem the tide in the interests of the well-being of London’s citizen’s and its diminishing and degraded green space.”

A spokesperson for the management of Gunnersbury Park said, "We categorically state that the allegations about the reduction of wildlife, particularly around the pond, and increased soil acidity due to heavy vehicles are unfounded and not supported by any evidence.

"In fact, the area where the campaign's unauthorised 'Garden of Resistance 2' was displayed was specifically created to protect a large bumblebee colony from interference, which has now been disturbed due to this unauthorised action. We urge residents to avoid erecting any such structures or littering the area with unauthorised notices and stickers, as restoring these areas places a strain on our limited resources and incurs additional costs.

"As a charity, our projected running costs for the year are £2.7 million, and we aim to raise £1.35 million through income generation from commercial activities, alongside grants, donations, and management fees from both councils. Furthermore, we face a legacy of £20-30 million in repairs and maintenance issues that need addressing. The funds generated from events are crucial for keeping the estate operational and fulfilling our charitable objectives. We emphasise that there is no corporate greed or commercial gain involved; every penny raised is reinvested into running the park, maintaining the free museum, and supporting education and community programmes.

"We invite residents and local stakeholders to share their feedback and provide any supportive evidence via our public forums. Information on upcoming public meetings can be found on our website: Public Meetings | Gunnersbury (visitgunnersbury.org)."