A large derelict site on Hanworth Road in Hounslow, close to Heathrow Airport, has recently become a hotbed of grassroots activity. The land is officially owned by Transport for London, who want to use the site to build a bus garage, yet up until now it has been left to the mercy of the buddleia – a very hardy species, beloved of butterflies, which grows just about anywhere. In this the flower mirrors the character of the activists who now occupy the land and want to open it up for use by the local community.
Working entirely with second-hand materials, they have begun making raised beds for flowers and vegetables (or whatever people choose to donate), have created a football pitch and tennis court and built a surprisingly sturdy art studio and a somewhat less sturdy- looking library tent, with a compost toilet and a beautifully designed ‘Mandala garden’ which greets visitors at the entrance to the site. The project is a work in progress, and all are invited to come along with their ideas and skills to create a vibrant living community. Some of the materials come from the now evicted Kew Bridge Eco-Village.
