Derelict Buildings at Warren Farm NR to be secured and made safe
Some good breaking news to share! From Monday 22nd July 2025, the derelict buildings on WarrenFarmNR are going to be secured with hoarding. These long-abandoned buildings have posed serious health and safety risks for many years. We are pleased to inform that action is now being taken to make them safe.
Young people climb on top of the derelict buildings
The derelict buildings are a magnet for anti-social behaviour, including drug and alcohol use, fires, vandalism, dangerous and reckless exploration. Crumbling roofs, structural instability, asbestos, broken glass, needles, and other hazards make the site extremely unsafe, especially for any children and young people who climb and explore them.
Firefighters put out a fire in the derelict buildings, started by vandals.
Last summer, a water pipe on the site was repeatedly broken, flooding parts of the area and creating further hazards. Fires and fly-tipping have been persistent issues, with one particularly large incident cleared by our friends at the community group LAGER Can (Litter Action Group for Ealing Residents) a few years ago. It is certainly the case that the derelict buildings attract destructive behaviours. Littering and fly-tipping sadly encourages more of the same to occur. Thankfully with the hoarding going up this will mean the buildings will no longer be as easily accessible.
Fly-tipping is a persistent issue, with this particularly large incident cleared by our friends at the community group LAGER Can (Litter Action Group for Ealing Residents)
The site has required regular interventions from the police, park rangers, and park guards. On a number of occasions, our team and members of the public have had to call the fire brigade to put out fires in the derelict building area to stop it from spreading, especially on to our meadow during the Summer months where our Skylarks nest. The emergency services have often needed to cut through locked gates to gain access - all of which comes at a significant cost. We are pleased to say a new leaf has been turned and we very much welcome the restriction of access to the derelict buildings.
A water pipe on the site has been repeatedly broken, flooding parts of the area and creating further hazards
Park Guards moving young people down from one of the structurally unsafe buildings
In preparation for the hoarding being installed, we met with an appointed ecologist and contractors, and walked the site to identify the key wildlife habitats, such as Slow-worm areas, known nesting sites and the Bee orchids location among others. With our Warren Farm Nature Reserve team and Brent River Park charity currently working with Ealing Council to finalise Local Nature Reserve designation, the actions being taken to secure the derelict buildings is part of a wider effort to protect and enhance the site for both people and wildlife.
Our Rewilded Brownfield Area needs to remain as an important Buffer Zone between our rewilded meadow where our Skylarks nest and any potential future sports usage on the adjacent Imperial College land. This would safeguard our abundance of common, vulnerable and rare wildlife from any noise, light and plastics pollution. This idea is reflected in our ‘Warren Farm NR Rewilding Hub’ concept by Lill Architects, both enhancing and caring for our wildlife that call this Rewilded Brownfield Area of our site home. Further details can be read and downloaded by clicking here.
Human health and safety is every bit as vital as safeguarding our wildlife and now we are on the path to achieving both of these things! To clarify: no demolition is taking place at this time - especially not during the bird breeding season, just hoarding is being installed to secure the site for health and safety reasons and to deter antisocial behaviour. Demolition will eventually have to take place at some later and more appropriate date in the future, with (ironically) nothing set in stone yet.
Our derelict buildings are iconic in the sense that (as dangerous we all know they are) they are equally loved for some of the graffiti artwork and for the incredible job nature has done to reclaim them. Lest we forget the Thanatus striatus spider, a record first for Middlesex, was discovered by our team mate Julian Oliver here! There is a world on the near horizon where Warren Farm Nature Reserve, and the surrounding Brent River Park Meadows, are going to become official Local Nature Reserves. None of this would have been possible without you, our supporters! It’s been agreed at Ealing Council’s Cabinet (twice!) and it is happening.
The inside of one of the derelict buildings, containing a number of hazards such as broken glass, needles etc.
We will of course keep you posted with any further updates as we progress but for now and always, thank you for continuing to care for Warren Farm NR, our wildlife would thank you too if they could!
Team #WarrenFarmNR