Twickenham residents were shocked to see contractors clearing a piece of land this weekend that has become a precious haven for wildlife over the past two decades.

The privately-owned patch of land on Hampton Road is part of the Twickenham Green Conservation Area, and was previously owned by Fullers Brewery.

The Friends of Twickenham Green (FOTG) shared photos of the land this morning, showing most shrubbery has been stripped back.

No planning permission has been applied for yet, but there are concerns for the future of the space and the wildlife that lives there.

Howard Roberts, FOTG Environment Officer, told Nub News: "I fear that they have acted legally, but without any sense of justice.

"This plot has been abandoned for twenty years now and it is part of a wildlife corridor.

"Volunteers have been watching it for many years – and most of the habitat has been wiped out in the space of one day.

"There has been no application for planning, hence there is no need to take any of the vegetation at this stage."

Roberts and the FOTG are urging residents to contact their local councillors to prevent the destruction of habitats on the land going any further.

As part of the Twickenham Green Conservation Area, the friends hoped it might be protected from development however they are now concerned that it is not.

Historic England states that: "Conservation areas exist to manage and protect the special architectural and historic interest of a place - in other words, the features that make it unique."

Cllr. Piers Allen, Liberal Democrat Councillor for West Twickenham ward, said: "Unfortunately conservation areas are restricted to buildings and trees, not to habitats."

Roberts said: "It's only this week that is has really come home that the definition of a conservation area is principally concerned with protecting buildings.

"We were informed by the council that the land has no protected status, only to nesting birds in July.

"You can see by the photos that it has just been ripped out."

A council representative told Nub News: "The land in question does not have a protected status and unfortunately from a planning legislation perspective, the Council does not have powers to prevent the shrub and ground cover clearance.

"The Council's Ecology Officer is visiting the site today (July 27) to ask for access to view the works and to check if there are nesting birds present.

"If access is granted and nesting birds are present, this may result in an offence and the police will be alerted."

There is also one tree, a Eucalyptus tree, which has a Tree Preservation Order, however Roberts fears that the developers may factor the cost of any fine for chopping it down into their development costs.

He said adjoining land privately owned by another resident was also stripped bare over the weekend without their permission.

There are flats on the site and he stressed that the privacy of the tenants is of utmost importance, asking that they not be disturbed.

Cllr. Piers Allen added: "It's very disappointing that when Fullers sold the site they didn't encourage the new owners to make contact with residents and groups like the FOTG.

"They're not obliged to, but I encourage the landowners to reach out to residents to let them know what their plans are and to relieve any fears."