The Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust Committee met to discuss ongoing projects and future plans for Wormwood Scrubs, including approving a lease extension for UK Power Networks (UKPN) and delegating authority to Councillor Alex Sanderson, Deputy Leader (with responsibility for Children and Education) and Lead Member for Inclusive Community Engagement and Co-production, to progress the running track resurfacing scheme at the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Stadium. The committee also received updates on the AEM Master Plan, the Old Oak Common Lane diversion, the KAA2 site decommissioning, grounds maintenance, green infrastructure funding, the MUGA resurfacing, and the Braybrook Play Area.

Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Stadium

The committee delegated authority to Councillor Alex Sanderson to progress the running track resurfacing scheme at the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Stadium, and noted the completion of the artificial pitch scheme.

Osama El-Amin, manager to the Wyrmwood Scrubs Charitable Trust, explained that England Athletics had confirmed that the track mark accreditation could be maintained for another year. However, there are undulations under the track and the base layer is damaged. Labosport, an inspection company that works with England Athletics, will conduct a site survey in October 2025 to assess the extent of remediation needed for the concrete sub-base.

Osama El-Amin stated that the costs received so far are for remediating 500m² of the track, but this could increase to the entire 400-meter span. He also noted the limited number of suppliers in Europe who can do this work and the high demand for their services.

Osama El-Amin thanked the Thames Valley Harriers for their patience, acknowledging the delays to the track work and the frustration this has caused. He said that the track was last resurfaced in 2005, and the aim is to provide a fantastic facility that will last for the next 20 to 30 years.

The artificial pitch redevelopment scheme, in partnership with the Dragons Football Club, has been completed at a total cost of £1,416,320, including a £218,000 contribution from the council for new floodlighting and three dual-purpose netball/tennis courts. The Trust contributed £250,000 as a grant to the club, while the club paid the remaining £947,920. A 40-year lease, with a break clause at 25 years, is now in place with the Dragons Football Club, covering the 11-a-side pitch.

The service level agreement (SLA) with the club includes weekly training sessions for local young people and a one-week summer soccer school for boys and girls interested in joining new under-11s teams. Membership of the club is free, with wealthier families subsidising access for children who cannot afford it. The Trust and council can use the pitch for school competitions and sporting events for disabled players during the summer. Local state schools will have priority booking, and the club will replicate the council's booking terms to avoid price discrepancies. The SLA will be monitored quarterly.

UKPN 7-Year Lease Extension

The committee approved a seven-year lease extension for UK Power Networks (UKPN) to occupy land at the north-west corner of Wormwood Scrubs.

Osama El-Amin explained that the current lease, covering approximately 1,350m², is set to expire on 25 March 2026. The terms have been renegotiated with the LBHF corporate property team, resulting in a 44% increase to the lease value, bringing it to £5,000 per year. The new expiry date is 25 March 2033.

UKPN will continue to pay all rates and taxes for the sub-station site, will not assign or sublet the property to any third party, will indemnify the Trust against claims resulting from wrongful or negligent acts, and will maintain the agreed ecological management plan for the site. UKPN will also reimburse the Trust up to £2,500 + VAT for professional fees related to the renewal.

AEM Master Plan Procurement

Vicky Abel, the Women Scrubs Development Manager, provided an update on the AEM Master Plan for the Scrubs. The tender was initially published on 10 June 2025, but had to be terminated due to an issue with one of the tender documents that could have led to a legal challenge. The tender was republished on 7 August, with a four-week submission period. Four bids have been received and are currently being evaluated. Scores are due by 3 October, followed by moderation meetings on 14 and 16 October to finalise scores. The contract is expected to be signed by 18 December, with mobilisation in January and works starting on site on 2 February 2026.

Councillor Dominic Stanton, Opposition Whip, asked if cancelling and resubmitting the tender had caused any delays. Vicky Abel confirmed a delay of approximately one month, with the start date now 2 February instead of early January.

Stephen Waley-Cohen, co-opted member and trustee of the Friends of the Scrubs, raised concerns about the impact of wet weather on the start date and the timing of tree planting. Vicky Abel responded that the start date would likely be deferred in exceptional wet weather. Tree planting, involving over 300 trees, is seasonal and would be delayed until autumn 2026 if conditions are unsuitable. She added that digging out the Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme¹ is better done in drier weather and is scheduled for April and May.

Old Oak Common Lane Diversion

Osama El-Amin updated the committee on the planned diversion of Old Oak Common Lane via the HS2 UTX site². The diversion is necessary to lower and widen the road for the construction of the HS2 terminus at Old Oak Common.

HS2 initially proposed the diversion, which involves excavating and diverting utilities running beneath the carriageway along a section parallel to the Scrubs. To maintain traffic flow, HS2 proposed a diversion via the UTX site for up to three years. The design package has been reviewed and approved, with the following measures:

• Pre-construction and post-diversion soil contamination surveys to assess the environmental impact.
• An additional drainage channel to be built into the construction.
• An earth bund on the Scrubs side of the hoarding to mitigate surface water run-off.

Approximately 20m² of vegetation will be cleared for hoarding replacement, under the guidance of ecologists and monitored by the Trust.

Osama El-Amin noted that discussions are ongoing with HS2 regarding the soil contamination surveys. If HS2 does not agree to conduct the surveys, the Trust can carry them out to understand the impact on the local nature reserve area. He added that HS2 is expected to share information about the long-term closure of Old Oak Common Lane around the end of December or beginning of January 2026.

KAA2 Site Decommissioning Programme

Osama El-Amin provided an update on the decommissioning programme for the KAA2 site by the Department for Education (DfE). He reported that the decommissioning is on track, with three of the classroom blocks already removed. The remaining three blocks will be removed in September and October, and the site will be handed over to the groundworks team for remediation with a semi-permeable limestone aggregate. The programme is due to be completed by 19 December 2025.

Osama El-Amin noted that officers have been working with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) to understand how to maintain elements of the construction, such as water/foul drainage connections, the electrical substation, and the fencing. However, permitted development rights do not apply to the site, requiring a full planning application to maintain these elements.

The OPDC has advised officers to work with the committee to consider how the space can be used before engaging in a concept design and seeking planning permission. Officers will collaborate with local stakeholders to co-produce options for the site's future, before the committee considers their feasibility. This process will involve further engagement with the Ministry of Defence, which maintains military access rights over the space.

Osama El-Amin said he is planning to visit residents at Woodman's Mews to hear any concerns about noise from the decommissioning works. The licence with the DfE stipulates that work must be carried out between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, with no weekend or evening work.

Grounds Maintenance Contract

Osama El-Amin reported that the grounds maintenance contractor is performing satisfactorily, with a high rate of social value offered on the Scrubs. The partnership between ID Verde, the RSPB, and WSCT recorded 1,495 hours of volunteering in June and July, delivered by 358 volunteers. Activities included sessions with L'Oréal, Imperial Health Charity, KPMG, Masboro Elders Project, and Hammersmith Scouts Association. A habitat walk was also organised during Climate Action Week with Old Oak Primary Nature Champions and Councillor Wesley Harcourt, Lead Member for Climate and Ecology.

Upcoming grounds maintenance activities from September to December 2025 include:

• Sports fields: Weekly pitch marking, daily hole filling, daily litter picking, and monthly grass cutting.
• Amenity grass: Monthly grass cutting.
• Hard surfaces: Daily sweeping.
• Whole site: Daily litter picking, bin collection, broken glass collection, and defect reporting.
• Play areas: Daily site inspections, defect reporting, and litter picking.
• Bins: Daily collection and reporting of damages/defects.
• Shrub beds: Monthly nesting bird checks, monthly weeding, and monthly reporting of defects and dangerous materials.
• Wildlife hedges: Monthly trimming.
• Woodland management: Tree surveys (priority locations: Scrubs Lane, Braybrook Street, Loverose Lane), with crowning, monolithing, or felling to follow survey. Woodchip laid across Forest School routes, timber edging, and habitat management.
• Scrub management: 20% annual cutback focused on sites in the Meadow area, using a combination of tractor flail and handheld tools. All work to follow ecological assessments.

Osama El-Amin noted that the upcoming scrub/bramble management works will be overseen by the on-site Community and Ecology Advisor, with support from qualified tractor operatives and volunteers. The cutbacks will be completed in 'islands' with scalloped edges, and arisings will be repurposed as habitat piles and dead hedging in agreed areas. A proportion of scrub will be dug out to prevent suckering re-growth and ensure diversity.

Councillor Dominic Stanton commented that ID Verde seemed to have improved their performance. Osama El-Amin agreed, attributing this to a change of contract manager about six to nine months ago. He added that many previous issues were due to a lack of adequate programming.

Councillor Alex Sanderson noted that the ID Verde contract is up for renewal soon and asked when discussions would begin about whether to roll it forward or re-tender. Osama El-Amin responded that discussions are already underway, considering the master plan procurement, which will cover all ecological works on the Scrubs for 10 years. The Trust is assessing which areas can be parcelled out to the grounds maintenance contract without interfering with the master plan works. A detailed plan will be developed regarding re-tendering or extending the contract based on performance over the last five years.

Green Infrastructure Funding Applications and Outdoor Learning

Osama El-Amin provided an update on green infrastructure funding applications and the continuation of outdoor learning on the Scrubs.

In partnership with Imperial Health Charity, WSCT is applying to the Greater London Authority (GLA) 'Green Roots Fund' for a project to create a dedicated community growing/allotment space on the WSCT estate, designed and maintained with input from hospital staff and patients. The Trust is seeking up to £150,000 to cover capital costs and delivery of a two-year project. If successful, a community operator will be engaged to manage the space and provide engagement sessions, with the relationship managed via a service level agreement.

WSCT has also applied to the LBHF Green Investment Fund for £50,000 to support a feasibility study and concept design for the construction of an ecology centre and a green waste processing facility on the estate, up to RIBA³ stage 2. If successful, the Trust will co-design a tender brief with community stakeholders and committee members before commencing a competitive procurement exercise.

The outdoor learning programme delivered by Urbanwise London will continue this autumn, with twice-weekly sessions delivered by trained Forest School practitioners for pupils at Old Oak Primary School and children and parents at the Old Oak Family Hub. The Trust Manager is seeking contributions from trusts, foundations, and corporates to secure the long-term delivery of the programme.

Councillor Bora Kwon, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, asked if there were any budgets the Trust could apply to, such as Project Flourish, given that their residents may access the hospital. Osama El-Amin welcomed any connections to people aware of funding opportunities.

Stephen Waley-Cohen agreed that the projects were positive and expressed the Friends' desire to be involved in discussions about the location of the allotments and the feasibility study for the ecology centre, suggesting ambitions for on-site resident rangers.

MUGA Resurfacing

Osama El-Amin reported on the resurfacing of the multi-use games area (MUGA) behind the Old Oak Family Hub. The committee had previously approved a £40,000 budget for the redevelopment. However, once the shockpad was removed, significant damage to the sub-base was discovered, requiring an additional £26,000 to excavate and re-lay the concrete sub-base before installing suitable surfacing. The Chair approved the uplift under the committee's terms of reference relating to officer delegation.

To minimise disruption, works were postponed until the summer holiday camp had concluded. The works will commence at the end of September and are expected to take up to two weeks to complete before the October half-term. Additional CCTV will be commissioned, along with a code lock, to further secure the facility.

Braybrook Play Area Improvement Scheme

Vicky Abel provided an update on the Braybrook Play Area Improvement Scheme, covering Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Phase 1, improving the under-8s play area, is due to start on site on 20 October 2025. The contract has been awarded to Sutcliffe Play. The work will include new swings, climbing frames, and interactive play equipment such as a train engine, carriage, and ticket office. New safety surfacing will be laid to the new equipment, and existing safety surfacing will be overlaid with new surfacing to create a more accessible play facility. The installation work should be completed by 19 November, subject to favourable weather conditions.

During installation, the area for the new equipment will be fenced off, while the opposite section will remain open for use during the half-term holiday. Once that section is complete, the opposing area where the safety surfacing is due to be overlaid will be fenced off for two to three days while that work is completed.

After the new equipment and safety surfacing have been installed, a low-level wooden fence will enclose the under-8s play area, along with vehicle maintenance and pedestrian gates. Additionally, the footpath from Braybrook Street entrance will be extended into the play area and towards seating areas within the under-8s play area, and then into the over-8s play area. All elements of Phase 1 should be completed before Christmas, subject to weather and ground conditions. Once the play equipment has been installed, officers will assess options for shade cover that will not pose a maintenance risk to the lifespan of the upgraded facilities.

Phase 2 of the improvement project will involve installing one large-scale, dynamic, and challenging piece of play equipment and safety surfacing in the northeast corner of the over-8s play area. This phase will also include additional safety surfacing to infill the grassed spaces between the existing play equipment items to make them more accessible. Procurement is due to commence in September, with a contract awarded by November. Work is likely to commence in early 2026, pending contractor submissions.

Community Safety Report

The committee noted the Community Safety report for June to September 2025.

The report outlined the work of the Law Enforcement Team (LET), which was launched in April 2021 and comprises 72 uniformed officers operating 24/7, 362 days a year. The LET's main objectives are to support the council's vision, maintain a clean and safe borough, work in partnership with council services and external agencies, protect residents from anti-social behaviour and crime, and tackle persistent issues in known hotspots.

The report included data for Wormwood Scrubs from 1 June 2025 to 10 September 2025, including:

• 8 weapon sweeps conducted (no weapons found)
• 68 ASB patrols conducted to tackle reports of ASB from residents
• 17 dog issue/PSPO awareness engagements, leading to several compliance cases raised
• 95 engagements with members of the public/persons using WWS

One Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) was issued for dog-related PSPO violations. There were no reports of fly-tipping or abandoned vehicles. 383 high-visibility patrols were conducted, averaging at least two patrols a day to tackle issues in WWS. Four reports were made regarding illegal encampments.

Since March 2025, a Community Protection Warning has been served and issued to a third dog walking company actively carrying out business on Wormwood Scrubs.

The report also included data on FPNs issued across the borough from 2022 to 2025, broken down by PSPO type.

Councillor Alex Sanderson questioned what issues should be reported to the LET versus the police. It was clarified that threats of violence, dangerous driving, racism, and harassment should be reported to the police, while general anti-social behaviour should be reported to the LET.

Councillor Dominic Stanton raised concerns about dog walking agencies and whether fixed penalty notices were effective. Osama El-Amin responded that it was still a problem with a few of the same companies, and the lack of visibility with policing the PSBO was problematic. However, he noted that the fixed penalty notices had had some effect, with two companies amending their behaviour. He added that the PSBO is currently under review, with potential changes to the maps and feedback being taken over the next six weeks. Osama El-Amin offered to seek more detailed information about the impact of FPNs and whether an increase to the fee or enforcement mechanism could be used to affect behaviour on the Scrubs.

Financial Performance of the Trust

Osama El-Amin presented the financial performance of the Trust in Q1 and Q2 2025/26, with a comparison to the year-end.

Subject to the 2024/25 audit, the outturn is a surplus of £713,000 for the previous financial year. The budget for 2025/26 anticipated a net expenditure outturn of just over £400,000. At Q2, the current forecast for the end of this financial year has increased by about £88,000, taking it to £489,000 extra spend for the year. This is primarily due to income underachievements on the KAA2 site, which will be vacated in November/December.

The general unrestricted income at the end of this year is forecasted to be £2.3 million, roughly two years' worth of operating costs for the charity. The income forecast for Q2 is just over £1.2 million, taking into account the slight reduction in income from KAA. Parking income has increased favourably by about £33,000, and there is an indexed increase to the value of the Hammersmith car park licence.

Expenditure is planned at £1.7 million this year, with considerable amounts being spent on capital schemes co-produced with residents. A £150,000 contribution to a cafe at Linford Christie is under review, considering the future of Linford Christie as a sports and athletic site and ensuring any construction does not increase the existing footprint.

Councillor Dominic Stanton sought clarification on the summary stating that total charity trust funds are estimated to increase to £7,356,000 by the end of March, questioning whether this was against the end of 2023/24, as the graph showed £7,800,000 at the end of 2024/25. Osama El-Amin acknowledged the good spot and said he would raise it with the finance colleague, explaining that there is a drawdown from the reserves to finance the capital projects for this year. He clarified that the £7 million figure includes the valuation of the car park at roughly £5 million.

Councillor Dominic Stanton also asked whether the increased expenditure was an outlier or would continue. Osama El-Amin explained that much of the expenditure had been rolled over from previous years, representing projects agreed upon in previous years but not yet paid for. He added that this has prompted a rethinking of the budget and the future of finances to ensure the Trust remains sustainable and can fundraise for projects.