London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley, Cllr Thomas Turrell, has written to Chris Hayward, the political leader of the City of London Corporation which governs the Square Mile, to oppose the Corporation's plan to reduce the amount they pay Councils like Bromley to maintain the City's Commons. These include West Wickham Common and Spring Bank.
The letter, which was sent in late February, had the support of Thomas’ fellow Hayes and Coney Hall Councillors Alexa Michael and Josh Coldspring-White, as well as West Wickham Councillors Mark Brock and Hannah Gray.
Across London, the City of London Corporation owns, and is responsible for, a number of open spaces which are not within the Corporation's geographic boundary. These include famous open spaces like Hampstead Heath. In Bromley, the Corporation owns West Wickham Common in Coney Hall and Spring Bank in West Wickham which is on the boundary with Croydon. The Corporation currently pays councils like Bromley a grant to cover the cost of maintaining these open spaces.
However, the media outlet London Centric has reported leaked documents that expose how the Corporation, has been planning to reduce these grants since July 2024. The report claims that the Corporation is looking to set a fundraising target on the land instead and will pay a subsidy for any difference between the target and the maintenance cost. Thomas Turrell AM and fellow Councillors representing Hayes and Coney Hall and West Wickham Wards fear if the fundraising target is not met, it will create a shortfall in the maintenance budget and the land will not be properly maintained.
The London Centric report claims that the fundraising will come from increased private events on the land like festivals. While festivals may be achievable for Hampstead Heath, Thomas has questioned whether West Wickham Common and Spring Bank, which are predominantly woodland, will be able to do the same. Thomas has also raised concerns about the popular open public spaces being closed off for private events.
In his letter, Thomas invites Chris Hayward to visit the sites to see for himself that they are not viable for big fundraising events. He also criticises the lack of public consultation and the secrecy surrounding the plans.
Thomas said:
“These plans will see popular public land closed off, more congestion on the roads, and a reduction in maintenance. The City of London Corporation needs to look again at these plans. Before making any final decision, they must consult with local people who will be most affected. I do not think these plans are feasible and have written to the Chairman of Policy, the de facto Leader of the City of London Corporation to express my concerns. I hope he will accept my invitation to come and visit Wickham Common and Spring Bank, so he can see how much residents cherish these open green spaces.
Denying the community access to these sites and lumbering residents with the noise and congestion that comes with large-scale events is not the proper way to treat local people. I hope that the City of London Corporation will rethink these ill-judged proposals.”
