Wimbledon Magistrates' Court has ordered the private owners of the Seething Wells Filter Beds to carry out overdue maintenance of the site and contribute £12,000 to Kingston Council's legal fees.

Despite numerous schemes and public appeals for the 19th century waterworks that once supplied London with water from the Thames, the site has slowly been cleared of its natural habitats, and the beds have been drained.

Wimbledon Magistrate's ruling will see Seething Well's landowner, Cascina Limited, tasked with substantial maintenance of the wall and railings, as well as removing all rubbish and overgrowth from the site over the next 12 months. The order was agreed by both parties.

The historic site is designated as both Metropolitan Open Land and a designated nature reserve due to its ecological importance.

In December 2021, Kingston Council issued a notice requiring Cascina to undertake maintenance work to help improve the condition of the site.

The private owners appealed the notice a month later, on the grounds they were not responsible for the wall, the works required by the notice were too extensive and the period to carry out the works was too short.

Kingston Council did not accept the grounds put forward by Cascina and on 14 October 2022, Wimbledon Magistrates' Court made an order, varying the requirements of the notice and extending the time within which Cascina must complete the works. It also ordered Cascina to contribute towards the council's legal fees. Both the order and the costs were agreed by the landowner.

If the Cascina does not carry out the required works within the timeframe, they may be prosecuted by Kingston Council.