Tolworth Court Farm, Kingston’s largest nature reserve, will be rewilded as part of the Wetland Restoration Project after Kingston Council rubber-stamped the application.
The plans have been in progress since 2024, when the council secured £500,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Rewild London Fund.
Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action and Sustainable Transport, said: “We are delighted to win this external funding for Tolworth Court Farm.”
He added: “This means we can transform the biggest nature reserve in our borough and restore it for the benefit of not only wildlife, but also local residents.”
The Community Brain, an environmental non-profit group, has been involved with Tolworth Court Farm Fields for more than five years. It has been running consultations with residents to get their views on the rewilding project.
Concerns were raised about the possible impact the plans would have on dog walking, with owners now having to walk their dogs on leads within the reserve.
An RBK officer has said dog walking is a separate issue and the restrictions on dog walkers will not be directly impacted by this proposal.
Robin Hutchinson, Director at The Community Brain, said: “We have been instrumental in securing the funding for this important and exciting initiative and now look forward to providing opportunities for local communities to be further involved through a variety of creative projects and initiatives.”
According to The Community Brain, 360 species of invertebrates and 40 species of birds and mammals currently reside in Tolworth Court Farm.
The 42-hectare site will be excavated to reinstate the wetland system and open-standing water.
Ponds will be created on the north-eastern and south-eastern sides of Field One to promote biodiversity and ecology.
The site is within a Tier II Archaeological Priority Area, with Roman and prehistoric archaeology from the medieval periods which are likely to be affected by the excavation.
The restoration plans come after the Hogsmill River in the nature reserve was “straightened and channelised” in the 1960s which damaged the habitat of many species, according to the planning application.
The application stated that “the habitat will contribute to the site’s wider ecology, with the hope of becoming one of London’s most pioneering nature reserves. Demonstrating how rewilding principles can be embraced in peri-urban settings, with dynamic, mixed mosaic habitats”.
Kingston University is also one of the partners involved in the project after students collaborated with The Community Brain to build bird houses for some of the species on the site back in 2019.
