A rare opportunity to plant within the M25

In a time when urban expansion often takes priority over green spaces, it’s not every day local council chooses nature over profit. Yet, in the heart of Ealing, within the boundaries of the M25, an extraordinary project is taking root – literally.

Thanks to a grant from ITF, local community group Letting Grow are planting 5,000 trees on an old golf course.

“This is a really unique opportunity – to plant trees within the M25,” says Sam Pearce, UK Programmes Manager at ITF. “It’s a really cool space because it is council-owned land that was once a golf course. Amazingly, instead of selling the land, putting up houses and making loads of money, the council kept it as an open space. That’s really impressive, especially as councils are under so much pressure these days.”

A multi-year mission

This project is spearheaded by local partners Letting Grow, who we worked with last year on a much smaller community woodland. “This is a much more ambitious project. It’s a multi-year effort,” explains Sam. “These 5,000 trees are just the start. They are looking to plant 10,000 next year.”

The planting site itself is part of a chain of green space that runs through Ealing following the River Brent, linking a network of open spaces. It’s a vital wildlife corridor and it when it’s all planted it will be a great for wildlife as well as people.

The golf course only closed last year, its carefully manicured fairways still bear the marks of its former use. However, fast forward ten years, and this landscape will be unrecognisable. When these trees have really taken root it will be a diverse area with more bird life, pollinator friendly and also much more wild.

“It’s a huge green space at the moment with some nice trees, but no woodland patches. So once the trees are grown, you will also be able to walk through the woods. It will be great to see the larger areas of tree cover and blocks of trees.”

BBC London visited the planting day

Energy and passion

Some of the ITF team joined the project for a planting day with Letting Grow. With the help of volunteers from UPS and Ealing Borough Council they planted 500 trees and discovered lots of golf balls hiding in the grass.

“Letting Grow are a brilliant partner to work with they are really full of energy and passion for our environment,” says Sam. “It’s inspiring and exciting.

“At ITF, we often work with a lot of retired people because they have the time to dedicate to restoration and community projects. But Letting Grow is made up of people in their 20s and 30s, and it’s great to see a younger crowd getting involved in greening up their local area.”

One of the most inspiring aspects of Letting Grow’s wok is their engagement with young people. They work with disadvantaged kids and schoolchildren to connect them with nature and engage them with our natural world.

“There were a couple of kids on the day who weren’t fitting in at school and Letting Grow has taken them under their wing, providing them with a space to do something constructive outside of the classroom – where they feel more at home and have something to give. They looked like they were having a great time.”

Courageous conservation

It takes courage and long-term vision to prioritise environmental restoration over immediate financial gain. This project is a testament to what can be achieved when passion meets action.

 “Hats off to the council for being brave and having the long-term vision for the space, and to Letting Grow for doing the planting.”