This beloved London green space could receive a new 30 year lease deal

an image of a sheep — (Image credit: Mudchute)

London has a lot of lovely green spaces, from the giant likes of Hyde Park and Victoria Park to the little pockets of nature like the Wetlands Centre to the leafy grounds of Hampstead's stunning Heath. And if there’s one thing Londoners are good at – apart from running to the nearest pub garden as soon as it gets over 12 degrees – is preserving those spaces. Now, there’s even more good news as Tower Hamlets Council is set to approve a new proposal.

The proposal would grant a new 30 year lease for Mudchute Park and Farm – one of London’s largest and most cherished urban green spaces. If approved, the agreement would provide proper long term security for the 32 acre site keeping it preserved until 2055.

The space is a vital community asset for the area, welcoming around 250,000 visitors each year, offering rare slice of countryside in the city. The area does plenty of good too, providing award-winning conservation work, a local nature reserve, and outdoor education for more than 10,000 local children annually. They offer volunteering opportunities, year round childcare, and its door are always open for free public access year round.

Deer including stags are photographed in Richmond park at sunrise on a winters morning in south west London on February 3, 2019 - England saw the coldest night of the winter so far as temperatures tumbled across the UK.

This opportunity wasn’t a spontaneous affair, coming after significant public engagement (read: outrage) with a record-breaking petition which amassed over 6,000 signatures – the largest in the borough’s history, proving just how important the space is.

Sue Mortimer, Chair of the Mudchute Association Board of Trustees, said:

“We are grateful to see this 30 year lease proposal progressing to Cabinet and for the recognition of Mudchute’s enormous value to the community. The strength of public support—thousands of signatures, donations and messages—has shown how deeply loved this space is.

“A longterm lease would give us the foundation we need to protect our animals, our green space, and our education programmes for the next generation."

London’s Tate has announced its mega 2027 programme – with huge exhibitions from Monet and Hockney

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.