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When we say ‘Wormwood Scrubs’, what comes to mind is probably the prison, which over the years has held notorious prisoners like Ian Brady, Charles Bronson and even Pete Doherty. But what if we told you that the Victorian jailhouse shares its namesake with one of London’s biggest open green spaces, and it’s about to undergo a massive transformation?
Wormwood Scrubs, a massive grassy plain in Hammersmith and Fulham, is to get a £3 million makeover, focusing on improving biodiversity and drainage, including the creation of a Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme (SUDs). Hammersmith and Fulham Council wants to add new ponds, meadows, trees and grasslands to the 190-acre site which houses the prison on its southern edge.
The council was funded £3.8 million for the project by HS2, and is currently seeking a supplier to carry out the works. In a written tender, the council said it intended to ‘enhance biodiversity on the Scrubs and at the same time improve drainage across the site to better manage surface water and improve access’.
The Scrubs meadow was recently given protected status as a Local Nature Reserve. The Scrubs project was funded as an agreement between the local council and HS2 to ensure ecological improvements were made to the area following major HS2 construction nearby at Old Oak Common.
The tender is expected to run for 10 years up to 2036, which will include maintenance of the new park. When it begins, the council expects work to take place for six to eight months.
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