Nick Raynsford MP last Friday joined local residents when he visited a recently-transformed area of woodland in Plumstead. The small area of woodland, situated between between Bramblebury Road, Blendon Terrace and Vicarage Park, was once considered a no-go area by local people owing to the high level of anti-social behaviour. Nick learned how thanks to seven months’ hard work of dedicated volunteers from Plumstead Common Environment Group, the area is now a haven of British wildlife and native trees and has been justly renamed Plumstead Common Nature Reserve.

Hidden away from the nearby high-rise flats and the Plumstead common, the woodland provides a tranquil space and an opportunity for local residents to experience nature first-hand on their inner-London doorsteps. During his tour, Nick Raynsford saw a rare mulberry tree now bearing fruit (pictured), blackberry bushes and butterflies nestling on a wild buddleia.

The area has only recently been made accessible to the local community through a £35,000 improvement project lead by Plumstead Common Environment Group’s organiser Harry Holmes. Volunteers from the group have since organised community planting days, as well as taking on more labour-intensive tasks such as installing new fencing and recycling timber.

Nick said: “I was really impressed with the progress which has been made in opening up access to this magical area of calm and natural beauty in the middle of a city. Congratulations to all involved”.