Not many residents know about Purley & Woodcote's Copse Hill Spinney. Indeed, I had no idea about it until I became a councillor!
By way of a history lesson, Copse Hill Spinney was sold to the Urban District Council of Coulsdon and Purley in 1929 for £880 by the developers who built the Purley Manor Estate.
The area is closed to the public and has been designated a bird sanctuary. The woodland is mostly Beech with some Birch, and the heavy shade cast by the trees means there is relatively little groundcover vegetation.
Unfortunately, over many years the area had become overgrown. Shortly after my election, I asked officers to look at how the site could be restored.
I'm delighted that a passionate group of residents, led by local resident Glen, worked with the Council to form the Friends of Copse Hill Spinney group to maintain and protect the site. Volunteers will be out on the first Sunday of the month from September to March, 10am to 2pm, and I was glad to join them for their inaugural session.
In just a few hours, volunteers got a huge amount done and the difference is already apparent. It was an extremely productive day in the sunshine!
I am supporting the group in securing meaningful improvements to the fence, and then looking at how we can enhance the site even further. I hope to join a future session soon.
Thank you to Glen and the Council’s Head of Parks, Xabier Mendez for making this happen. To find out more about volunteering or their work, email Glen at [email protected].
Cllr Samir Dwesar
