Brent Residents Launch Petition Against Nursery Screen Plans in Willesden 2026

• Petition Launched: Local residents and the College Green Preservation Society have submitted a petition with dozens of signatures to Brent Council to block College Green Nursery School’s plans for a screening structure.
• Accusations of “Land Grab”: Opponents accuse the nursery of attempting a gradual land grab on the covenanted open space, which is also used by the 28th Willesden Scout Group.
• Road Safety Hazard Raised: Objectors argue that a living wall or screen on the perimeter fence will obscure crucial sightlines for motorists at a busy road junction.
• Historical Covenants: Preservationists highlight a long-standing covenant by All Souls College, Oxford, designed to protect the green space from becoming a nuisance or annoyance to nearby households.

North London (North London News) September 4, 2026 – A heated community dispute in Brent has reached local government after the College Green Preservation Society formally submitted a petition to Brent Council to stop College Green Nursery School from installing a screen or living wall on its perimeter fencing.

The clash centers on College Green Open Space, located at the junction of College Road and Leighton Gardens near Willesden and Kensal Rise. Representatives of the local preservation group claim the proposed installation is an unsanctioned attempt to obscure public views and alter the usage of a treasured communal field.

Why are Brent residents protesting against the nursery’s screening plans?

According to official council documents detailing the petition submitted by James Hogan, Chair of the College Green Preservation Society, local residents are calling on Brent Council to prevent College Green Nursery School from erecting any screen, living wall, or additional structure on the perimeter fence.

As reported by local democracy coverage published by MyLondon, the preservation group argues that the proposed privacy barrier would completely block views of the open green space that householders have enjoyed for generations.

In the petition text presented to the cabinet, James Hogan stated:

“We the undersigned local residents petition Brent Council to stop College Green Nursery School NW10 3PY erecting a screen, living wall or any structure on the perimeter fence of College Green… which would block any view of the open space enjoyed by local residents”.

Hogan further warned that installed screens would severely alter the aesthetics of the area:

“If the screen goes up we will no longer be able to see the beautiful view across the field to the magnificent oak tree planted by the Scouts in 1967. It will be like living next to a builder’s yard”.

How does the proposed screen affect road safety and scout activities?

Beyond visual aesthetics, the preservation society has raised severe concerns regarding public safety at the nearby junction. Objectors claim that placing an opaque screen or living wall along the fence line removes vital sightlines for drivers navigating the intersection.

As detailed in the petition text submitted by James Hogan of the College Green Preservation Society, the structure would create an immediate traffic hazard:

“The screen will also completely block the present sight-line, which allows drivers of lorries and cars to have a clear view from a distance of children, parents and other pedestrians as they approach and cross the junction of College Road and Leighton Gardens. This will create a major road safety hazard at a very busy junction”.

Additionally, campaigners state that the nursery has already erected a separate inner fence across the open field, which they claim restricts the traditional activities of the 28th Willesden Scout Group. The Scout group has continuously utilised the green space since 1967.

Hogan noted in the official submission that the open field “is not and never has been part of the nursery school property,” adding:

“If the nursery school want to screen their property that is up to them but they have no right to screen the open field, which does not belong to them”.

What are the historic covenants protecting College Green?

The dispute touches upon a century-old legal framework governing the land. The College Green Preservation Society pointed out that the land is subject to an All Souls College Covenant, incorporated into the property deeds of surrounding homes.

According to documentation provided by James Hogan to Brent Council, the historic covenant legally protects householders’ rights, stipulating that the land cannot be used for

“any purpose which shall or may be or grow to be in any way a nuisance, damage, grievance or annoyance”

to surrounding residents.

Residents emphasize that the preservation group itself, established in 1988, originally facilitated the relocation of Doyle Nursery School (now College Green Nursery School) to the site in the mid-1990s precisely to prevent commercial property developers from building houses on the field.

Under a shared usage understanding established when the nursery opened at the site in 2004, the green space was intended to be shared between the nursery and the Scouts while remaining visually accessible to the wider public.

Hogan described the latest development proposals as a “proposed land-grab,” calling it

“extremely concerning and a betrayal of the trust and hope of the local residents over many decades that the open space and view would be preserved forever”.

Background of the College Green land dispute

The conflict over College Green Open Space reflects a long-running tension between educational infrastructure needs and community land protection in North London.

College Green was originally protected from development in 1913 under covenants granted by All Souls College, Oxford. For decades, the site functioned predominantly as an open neighborhood green, with the 28th Willesden Scout Group adopting the space in 1967 and planting its iconic central oak tree during the same year.

When residential development threats emerged in the late 1980s, local householders formed the College Green Preservation Society in 1988. To secure the plot from private housing developers, the society proposed in 1995 that the Doyle Nursery School move onto part of the site.

The transition was completed in 2004, establishing College Green Nursery School with the clear community understanding that the surrounding green would remain open, unbuilt, and shared with local youth groups.

In recent years, security and privacy requirements for modern early-years childcare providers have increasingly clashed with open-plan green space preservation. Previous attempts to install boundary fencing or restrictive barriers around the field have routinely met resistance from residents citing deed covenants and public access rights.

What are the future implications for the local community and nursery?

The submission of the 80-signature petition to Brent Council’s Cabinet forces local authority officers and elected members to formally address the boundary dispute.

If Brent Council rules in favour of the College Green Preservation Society, College Green Nursery School may be forced to halt any planned installations of living walls or privacy screens along the external perimeter fencing.

This outcome would preserve the current visibility across the open space, maintaining historical sightlines at the junction of College Road and Leighton Gardens and protecting existing arrangements for the 28th Willesden Scout Group. However, it could require the nursery to explore alternative internal privacy solutions that do not impact external fence lines.

Conversely, if the council allows the nursery to proceed with screening or determines that the works fall within permitted development rights, local residents could face a altered streetscape.

Such a decision might prompt the preservation society to pursue formal legal challenges based on the historic All Souls College Covenant. For the broader community, the outcome will set a local precedent regarding how early-years educational privacy needs are balanced against historic green space covenants and neighborhood sightlines in Brent.