Forum Topic

Butterfly House any news?

Is there any news on what is going to happen to the butterfly house, I only visit TW8 occasionally and may have missed any update. The last I heard the Gunnersbury move had been spiked by Prescott's red tape.

Linda F Wright ● 6943d8 Comments

It is such a shame - it was a truly beautiful place to visit. Don't miss the opportunity before it shuts!

Nicola Brown ● 6931d

http://www.alnwickgarden.com/

Andy Jones ● 6935d

The Alnwick project is a massive landscaped garden at one of the Duke and Duchess's homes in Northern England. It is in receipt of huge redevelopment grants and lottery funding. It is also backed by English Heritage who incidentally put in the objection which scuppered the plans of the Butterfly House to move to Gunnersbury Park.

Dan Evans ● 6937d

Crumbs! I had no idea about the other closures or the Alnwick project. What is that anyway?

Rashmi Chavda ● 6941d

It is a tragedy and it's not just the Butterfly House but the Aquatic Experience and Snakes and Ladders are going as well. All to make way for a 4 star hotel and conference centre. The suggestion is that the development was approved to provide funds for the Duchess of Northumberland's Alnwick project which is costing millions. That muost of the funding comes from the Lottery makes it all the more galling. The net effect of the lottery has been that facilities for families in an area of London that really needs them are being closed to fund a vanity project.

Dan Evans ● 6941d

I don't know about that as I only moved to the area in recently (and found the website after that), but I know what you mean about the Butterfly House. I think it's an absolute outrage that it's being knocked down to be replaced by a hotel! They still have a petition going in the shop, but when I asked if it was still looking hopeful, the owner (I'm afraid I can't remember his name) said, no, not really. Thanks to two fairly low ranking civil servants, the move to Gunnersbury appears to have been scuppered good and proper. I really can't tell you how much it upsets me - I'm quite angry about it, but don't really know what can be done. In the meantime, I go to the Butterfly House every few weeks to look at the lovely creatures while I still can.

Rashmi Chavda ● 6942d

The reason I don't bother with TW8 much is that there always seems to be some kind of political argument going on. It is a shame that this energy isn't channeled into something constructive for the community, like saving the butterfly house.            But there is still hope

Linda F Wright ● 6943d

I haven't heard much more. I've been there a couple of times this summer; it still sounds like October 31st is the final curtain which is a terrible thing.

Rashmi Chavda ● 6943d