5 June 2007
Heath celebrates new land handover
A ceremony to celebrate the handover of a new parcel of land to
Hampstead Heath will take place on Wednesday 6 June 2007.
The one hectare of land will be officially transferred to the
City of London Corporation, which runs the North London open space,
to be included as part of the Heath, along with a one-off payment
of £50,000 from Brooking Properties Ltd for ongoing maintenance of
the land.
The addition will provide an important buffer between Kenwood
and the adjacent Athlone House development.
The western part of the additional land will be managed as a
conservation area and has been landscaped with indigenous planting.
It is hoped it will become a haven for wildlife and an important
bird nesting area.
The southern parcel of land, upon which the handover ceremony
will take place, will be open for public access. A new hedgerow has
been planted and volunteers from
Heath
Hands have undertaken a number of projects in this area,
including cutting back bramble and opening up new glades.
Alderman Bob Hall, Chairman of Hampstead Heath Management
Committee at the City of London, said: “I am delighted to
officially open this new tract of land for Hampstead Heath. It is
important to protect the Heath’s position as an urban retreat and
so we are grateful to Brooking Properties Ltd for giving us this
land which will preserve the views from Kenwood whilst also acting
as a buffer to Athlone House.”
Ends
Notes to editors
- In October 2003 Dwyer Investments Ltd submitted a detailed
planning application in respect of its property, the former
hospital site known as Athlone House, Highgate Lane. The City of
London Corporation objected to various issues in the application as
part of the planning consultation undertaken by Camden
Council.
- The City and the Athlone House Working Party, together with
Camden, sought to negotiate with Dwyers to seek changes to the
application. As part of this, the transfer of one hectare of
unencumbered, freehold land was agreed.
- The transferred land will not include the area currently
occupied by Harry Hallowes. The City and developers Dwyers had an
existing agreement with Mr Hallowes that he would be permitted to
remain on his pocket of land, undisturbed, for as long as he wanted
to be there. While this agreement continues, Mr Hallowes has
subsequently been awarded a title to his land.
Further information about Hampstead Heath
About the City of London Corporation:
The City of London provides local government services for the
Square Mile, the financial and commercial heart of Britain, and is
committed to maintaining and enhancing the status of the business
City as the world's leading international financial and business
centre through its policies and services. Its responsibilities also
extend far beyond the City boundaries and include management of the
Barbican Centre, Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, 10,000
acres of open space including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest,
three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port
Health Authority.
Press enquiries:
Lesley Mair, 020 7332 1754 or 07785 528 453 or
email