Hounslow Council has begun action to remove an unauthorised encampment on Clitherow’s Island within Boston Manor Park and restore the public’s right to access the land.
Until today, it had been fenced off without permission.
The encampment, which has been in place for a number of years, has led to increasing concerns about public nuisance, antisocial behaviour, sanitary conditions, environmental damage and the long-term condition of this area of the park. The island has become largely inaccessible to the wider community as a result.
Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Public Realm at Hounslow Council, said:
Today, the locked gates that once prevented the public from accessing this beautiful corner of Boston Manor Park have come down. We are opening Clitherow’s Island up once more and giving it back to the people of our borough.
Boston Manor Park is one of Hounslow’s most loved green spaces, and it is right that it should be enjoyed by everyone.
We look forward to returning full access to this area of natural beauty, to clearing out years of detritus, and to planting a new community orchard for everyone to access.
Councillor Amy Croft, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Enforcement and Recycling, added:
This has been a long-standing and complex issue. We have taken a careful and considered approach, but it had become clear that action was urgently needed.
Our priority is to address the impact on residents, protect the environment, and ensure that access to this valuable public space can be fully restored for the benefit of the whole community.
Once the area has been cleared, the Council will begin nature recovery work to reinstate the island’s ecological value with the aim of planting a new community orchard. This will focus on improving biodiversity, repairing damage to the landscape and returning the area to a safe and accessible condition.
