Friends of Queen's Road Estates

Contents

Introduction .............................................................. 3

Key Design Principles ........................................... 4

Methodology............................................................ 5

Queens Road, Richmond ..................................... 6

Area 1 ......................................................................................................... 7

Area 2 ........................................................................................................ 8

Areas 3 and 4 ...................................................................................... 9

Areas 5 and 6 ................................................................................... 10

Wider site .............................................................................................. 11

This report covers Queens Road, Richmond. Proposals for the second pilot site, Kingsland Basin, Haggerston, are presented in a companion report.

Queens Road, Richmond – Biodiversity Enhancement | July 2026 2

Introduction

Kew Reach was commissioned by L&Q to develop biodiversity enhancement recommendations for two pilot sites in London, as part of a wider roll-out of biodiversity enhancement across their soft estate. L&Q selected the two pilot sites: Queens Road, Richmond; and Kingsland Basin, Haggerston, as representing a range of the issues encountered. After reviewing L&Q’s existing Biodiversity and Green Spaces Action Plan document (Arup, 2025), Kew Reach made site visits to both pilot sites (Haggerston, May 2026; Queens Road, June 2026) and held consultation meetings with interested residents on site (both sites, 3rd June 2026). This report presents the proposals

for Queens Road, Richmond.

Queens Road, Richmond – Biodiversity Enhancement | July 2026 3

Key Design Principles

Below are the key design principles as set out in L&Q’s Biodiversity and Green Spaces Action Plan which were considered in developing the proposals for each site.

Habitat-first approach

Prioritise creating or enhancing real habitat (e.g. planting, wildflower areas, ponds) before introducing supplementary features like signage, insect hotels, or bird boxes. Biodiversity benefits are greatest when structural habitat is the foundation.

Contextual fit

Select interventions based on the character and function of the space. Consider the estate type, the current maintenance regime, levels of resident use, and potential for community engagement. This ensures enhancements are relevant and successful in their setting.

Visibility and aesthetics

Features should be clearly defined, planted with intent, and visually distinct from neglect. Edging, mulching, signage, or companion planting can help make biodiversity areas look cared for and purposeful, supporting resident buy-in and avoiding misinterpretation.

Maintenance planning

Every action must be designed with its long-term maintenance in mind. This includes selecting appropriate planting, agreeing realistic upkeep cycles, and ensuring responsibility aligns with contractor capacity or estate staff resources. Poorly maintained features can quickly undermine resident trust.

Sequential delivery

Start small and build gradually. Focus initially on low-cost, low-risk actions to demonstrate success and build confidence. As outcomes are monitored and internal capacity increases, interventions can scale up over time, supported by phased funding and learning.

Sequential delivery

The Plan identifies preparatory phase actions for London sites as using existing soft landscaping budget to replace non-native or low-value planting (e.g. evergreen shrubs) with native, nectar-rich or wildlife-supporting species in target beds and borders and using the 10% enhancement fund for signage and other small interventions.

Queens Road, Richmond – Biodiversity Enhancement | July 2026 4

Methodology - Kew Reach Pallete tool and Pollinator Enhancement tool

As part of the analysis, Kew Reach associates applied two proprietary tools to analyse appropriate species for use in these locations.

The Kew Reach Pallete is a tool for selecting the right tree for the right location. Based on Kew Botanic Gardens science, and recognising that trees we plant today will outlive us, it analyses the climate resilience of tree species, based on a range of climate scenario predictions. Combining this with data on site physical characteristics (such as location, soil and urban heat island effects) it can provide a list of suitable trees, from which Kew associates select the most suitable for reaching the site’s objectives on biodiversity enhancement.

The Kew Reach Pollinator tool assesses which species of invertebrate pollinators are found within an appropriate radius (normally 1-3km) of a site, and which times of year they are active. It then uses biological records to identify plants in the area available to those species of pollinator, identifies any gaps in coverage throughout the year, and recommends suitable species for planting to help fill those gaps.

Queens Road, Richmond – Biodiversity Enhancement | July 2026 5

Queens Road, Richmond

Built between 1972 and the early 1990s on land belonging to the Richmond Parish Land Charity, this architecturally significant estate borders Richmond Park. It provides low-rise brick houses and flats tailored for lower and middle- income families, and has an older than average demographic due to long tenure.

Residents have expressed some concern about management of the site, primarily regarding over-management of shrubs, and have formed a “friends of” group to share ideas and liaise with local nature and history groups. There is a shared aim to enhance the value of the site for biodiversity and the residents have identified a phased implementation.

Recommendations for Future Planting and Management at Queens Road

The Queens Road site offers significant scope for biodiversity enhancement having some relatively large green spaces, and bordering Richmond Park.

Area 1.

At the southern end of the site, behind Sayer’s Walk, there is a significant green space which borders, and provides residents with direct access to, Richmond Park. This comprises a woodland strip, and some amenity grassland, initially planted with a small number of fruit trees, some of which have failed.

The woodland strip would benefit from sympathetic woodland management. This could involve some thinning of the younger trees / shrubs in order to allow light to reach the field layer, which is currently dominated by ivy. It may also be possible

to open up a glade to allow successional trees to develop. Planting with ransoms or native bluebell would provide additional resources for pollinators here; both species can be obtained as bulbs or transplanted ‘in the green’ in late spring. This woodland management could be done in consultation with the Park Manager, with whom the residents’ group have already had discussions.

The grassland part of the site, while not particularly diverse, is not too nutrient-enriched (for example from dog fouling) and has potential to be managed to improve its species diversity. This could be done by scarifying and over-sowing with a species-rich grassland mix. A suitable commercial
mix would comprise 80% fine grasses (such as bents and fescues) and 20% wildflowers. Parts of the grassland could then be managed to grow longer, allowing flowers to set seed and providing opportunities for pollinators and other insects, with paths and a 1m strip along the edge maintained short, demonstrating that the site is being actively managed. Ideally the wildflower grassland would include some of the following species to support bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths:

• Bird’s-foot Trefoil

• Common toadflax

• Oxeye Daisy

• Common Knapweed

• Field Scabious • Cat’s Ear
• Red Clover
• Yarrow

A small number of fruit trees could grassland. These could include any

be replanted within the of the following:

• Rowan

• Crab Apple

• Wild Cherry

• Bullace plum

• Apple
  (Egremont Russet / Topaz)

• Pear (Beth)

• Plum (Opal)

• Damson
• Mulberry

• Quince

• Medlar

Area 2.

Further to the north, towards Chisholm Road is a small disused playground area.

The edges of this area had been planted in the past; there were some closely managed shrubs, and there was a former tree pit (see above) where a tree has been lost. The play equipment had been long removed, and there did not seem to be an appetite among residents to restore this use, there being very few young families on the estate. There was a proposal from residents for this site to be established as a ‘rain garden’, a shallow, planted depression designed to capture, filter, and absorb stormwater runoff from surrounding impervious surfaces.

This would involve removing part of the impervious surface and planting with a range of species that are tolerant to intermittent flooding. It is likely that this would require planning consent for change of use and as such would be outside the scope of this pilot project, although it could be considered at a later stage. For the current pilot project, a simpler planting scheme is proposed, re-using the existing planting areas with a more diverse range of shrubs and herbaceous species.

A mixed native shrubbery would be a very valuable habitat feature for this location, providing nesting habitat, nectar and pollen, autumn berries, and contributing to wildlife corridors. A suitable species mix would be:

• Hawthorn (at least 30%) –
  alone supports 150 pollinator species

• Blackthorn

• Hazel

• Dog Rose

• Guelder Rose

• Spindle

  The large tree pit could be planted with a single specimen tree, such as Chinese pistachio (Pistacia chinensis) or Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira). While neither species is native, they are attractive, climate-resilient, specimen trees suited to this urban, part-shaded site and have some biodiversity benefits for nesting birds and insect pollinators.

Areas 3 and 4.

Towards the north end of the site, there are two small green squares, Charlotte Square and Russell Square, (labelled 3 and 4 on the map on page 6).

These squares have a number of mature trees, but otherwise are of limited value for biodiversity, comprising mainly ornamental planting and closely managed amenity grassland. It may be appropriate to retain the amenity grassland in these locations, as it may be used as informal play areas, rather than attempting to grow amore species-rich turf. Biodiversity interest could be increased in some parts of the squares by installing a swathe of wildflower turf in one or two focal areas. This could be purchased pre-planted, see for example The London Lawn Turf Company’s “Wildflower Shade Tolerant Turf” which includes species such as:

Autumn Hawkbit (Leontodon autumnalis) Betony (Stachys officinalis)
Bird’s foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Cat’s ear (Hypochaeris radicata) Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

• Marjoram
• Verbena bonariensis • Lavender
• Devil’s-bit Scabious • Salvia
• Honeysuckle
• Ivy

Raspberries or hybrid berries such as loganberry or tayberry would also provide pollinator interest as well as fruit for residents.

Given the number of mature trees in these locations, biodiversity enhancement could also focus on providing bat boxes and nest boxes for birds. Bat boxes should be of woodcrete construction

(see for example those by Schwegler) to minimise maintenance.

• Traveller’s Joy
• New England Aster • Angelica
• Michaelmas daisy • Goldenrod
• Hyssop

Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis)
Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)
Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Meadow Buttercup (Ranunculus acris) Meadow Cranesbill (Geranium pratense) Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
Ox Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) Red Campion (Silene dioica)
Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)
Wild Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Wood Sage (Teucrium scorodonia)

If such large areas of amenity grassland are not needed by residents, further plant diversity could be achieved by adding additional planting beds with a range of native, and nectar / fruit-bearing shrubs and perennial plants. Suitable species could include the following pollinator-friendly perennials:

Schwegler Bat Box

Areas 5 and 6.

Existing planting areas including those along Queens Road (5 on map) and around the large blocks on Kings Mead (6 on map). Suitable species for replanting include:

These areas comprise well-established landscape planting, largely ornamental, with some native trees. Again, bird and bat boxes could be added to support local wildlife. Where there are gaps in the planting, replacements should be of native species, or nectar producing non-native species. The aim should be to have a range of different plants within any border or planting area, avoiding long lines of non-native evergreens.

• English Oak

• Small-leaved Lime

• Field Maple

• Wild service tree

• Turkish hazel

• Hawthorn

• Blackthorn

• Hazel

• Dog Rose

• Guelder Rose

• Spindle

• Rowan

• Crab Apple

• Wild Cherry

• Bullace plum

• Damson

• Mulberry

  Underplanting with bulbs such as crocus, grape hyacinth, snowdrop and winter aconite would add year-round interest and provide benefits to spring pollinators.

  In some places around the Estate, shrubs have been over- managed to the extent that all new growth is removed, leaving woody stems, and some shrubs have been lost altogether. The aim here should be to replace with a more diverse range of species, such as those listed above, and instigate more sympathetic management.

  Wild Cherry