Journalist Leana Pooley describes how local residents and enthusiastic volunteers are working to save a much-loved pocket park – through the power of a good party!
Two years ago, a thin, grassy, brambly scrap of land beside a busy Ealing road was overflowing with enthusiastic volunteer gardeners. Over the course of several autumn days, 10,000 bulbs were planted, overgrowth was hacked back, and paths were mown.
Those of us who live nearby discovered that the work was overseen by Abundance London, an admirable community organisation with charitable aims, which transforms unloved public spaces into pleasure grounds full of flowers, fruit, trees and art.
The long, thin piece of land has a history of precarious moments. It was named Beaconsfield Gardens after the 1970s Beaconsfield housing estate which lies on the other side of the road. Before the red-brick estate was built, the Victorian buildings – mostly terraced houses on either side of the road – were demolished, and the straight road was curved to give the Beaconsfield Estate a car park. This narrowed Beaconsfield Gardens to a wide green road verge. Only 100 yards to the south is Acton Green Common, part of the historic Green in 1642; inevitably the land of Beaconsfield Gardens would have been trampled by the Parliamentarians as they pursued the Royalists northwards.
Since its transformation in 2022, however, Beaconsfield Gardens has bloomed. Early spring sees golden daffodils, blue scylla and forget me knots. In summer the long grasses wave with wildflowers such as ox-eye daisies and purple knapweed. For local residents walking down to do their shopping in Chiswick High Road, it has been a pleasure to step away from the pavement and meander down mown pathways instead.
This spring, however, we received a jolt. A nearby resident noticed a man spraying lines onto the ground of the Gardens. When asked what he was doing, he replied that he was a surveyor marking out a possible site for a tall telecoms aerial and its ugly accompanying metal cabinets.
This was alarming. Planning rules for 5G masts in England, as of April 2022, state that new ground-based mobile masts are permitted without planning permission at heights of up to 30m, or up to 25m in protected areas such as conservation areas and national parks. Regardless of whether planning permission is required, however, operators must obtain agreement from the landowner to build mobile masts on private land, and must notify local planning authorities.
A phone call to a planning officer at Ealing Council revealed that an operator had previously made an application for approval for an aerial on Beaconsfield Gardens, but had been rebuffed. The verdict was that the tall aerial and cabinets would be an eyesore, and out of keeping with the attractive green landscape. The planning officer – who described Beaconsfield Gardens as one of Ealing’s ‘pocket parks’ – said he thought it unlikely that a similar future application would be approved.
However, local residents and Abundance London were not convinced. They felt that the Gardens might still be at risk and decided that a major celebration of the Gardens would alert more people to their existence. Flyers were delivered throughout the neighbouring streets, with promises of free tea and cake and children’s face painting. On a sunny Saturday in March, when the Gardens were cheerful with daffodils, crowds of people turned up; tables loaded with cakes had been laid along the paths and neighbours chatted happily with each other. Throngs of dogs wagged tails at knee-height. Ealing’s MP Rupa Hug came along, as well as Councillor Hitesh Tailor, Mayor of Ealing.
Memories were aired. We heard that, many years ago, a working pony had spent its leisure hours tethered in the Gardens grazing grass. Elderly residents talked about the surrounding neighbourhood of south Acton being called Soapsud Island, the place where West London’s washing was done. In 1900 there were more than 600 laundries in the streets nearby, most of them owned and managed by women – an army of Amazons – who employed other women. The area is no longer a working-class neighbourhood – many residents claim they live in Chiswick rather than Acton – but the shells of laundries remain as rectangular brick buildings slotted into the Victorian terracing.
Afterwards, it was agreed that the day’s celebration of the Gardens had been very successful. Not only had many people walked into the gardens for the first time but they had made friends, basked in the spring sunshine and vowed to return again. All we can hope is that Beaconsfield Gardens will continue to flourish and enjoy the strengthened protection that Abundance London, vigilant neighbours and publicity can provide.
Beaconsfield Gardens is not currently on the Inventory. Inclusion helps protect sites from future development. If you are interested in researching this or any other space for our Inventory, please get in touch at office@londongardenstrust.org
