The future for Long Lane Pasture?
By John Lawrence. As published on The Archer, June 2005
A vision for the future of a long-neglected open space could see it turned into a wildlife haven for the enjoyment of local people.
Long Lane Pasture, which occupies a two-hectare site just north of the North Circular Road, could become a true green space once again and reopened to the public.
The site is currently overrun by brambles and rough grass but is kept in some order by volunteers from the Long Lane Pasture Action Group.
The same group is seeking to gain a 99-year lease for the land from Barnet Council and has already engaged the services of internationally renowned wildlife landscape designer Julie Toll to shape its ambitious plans.
Julie was praised for her work in designing a wildlife garden in the grounds of 10 Downing Street.
Her plans for the pasture include creating a pond and a border of plants to attract butterflies. There would be seating areas and level paths for exploring, although the aim would be to keep it as close to nature as possible.
A forgotten resource
A public meeting was held on 28 April at the Sea Cadets Hall in Long Lane to present the site plans to residents and around 35 people attended. Many fully supported the proposal although some expressed concerns about security should the pasture be opened to the public.
Group spokesperson Ann Brown said she was 80% confident of gaining a lease on the land although there were still a lot of hoops to go through.
She said, “It would be wonderful if we could restore this land to public use again. We would like to see people return here to fly kites or to have picnics. It's a lovely local resource which has been forgotten for oo long.”
Barnet Council has indicated that it is prepared to hand over the site to the voluntary group but a final decision is not expected to be made until later this year at the earliest.
The action group is calling on Finchley residents to show their support for the wildlife plan by registering as a friend of the pasture. This can be done by contacting Ann Brown on [REDACTED].