Ruislip Woods nature reserve’s buffer zone: what we know about the Mad Bess Cottage field

The land Hillingdon Council wants to sell at Mad Bess Cottage lies beside Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Mark Morgan of the Ruislip Woods Trust says the field is in the reserve’s buffer zone. The Council has not said whether it is.

Object by 5pm on Thursday 22 October using our form.

There are postcard-type views to be had from the cottage and its surroundings

Mark Morgan asked. The Council didn’t say.

On 28 September Mark Morgan wrote to the Council: “The notice describes the land as public open space but are you aware that it is within the buffer zone for the Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)?”

The Council replied only that it is “aware of the environmental designations and constraints affecting the wider area, including the proximity of Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve” without acknowledging or mentioning the buffer zone,  or the SSSI.

Why a buffer zone matters

The reserve’s own management plan describes the farmland around the woods as a buffer, and says most of it is owned by Hillingdon Council.  A sale would put part of that land in private hands. What that means for the reserve depends on where the buffer lies and what protections go with the land. That is what we are trying to find out.

We have already asked whether any ecological assessment has been carried out. There has been no reply.  We will also ask whether any of the four acres is in the buffer zone and whether Natural England has been consulted.

How to object

If this matters to you, say so.   Our easy to use form has a ready-made reason on the nature reserve and the buffer zone, and you can edit it. If you walk, watch wildlife or volunteer in Ruislip Woods, say that in your own words.

We are not saying the sale would necessarily harm the reserve. We are asking the Council to find out, and tell residents, before it decides.  Has anyone at the Council considered any of this? We have so far seen little evidence that they have.

Read the next Mad Bess Cottage article:

What happens to the byway, the locked gate and the badger hide if Mad Bess Cottage land is sold?