Park plans exhibited!

On Wednesday the plans for Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground were exhibited at 125 Lambeth Walk.

Click on any of the photos below to see it in a larger size.

The main points of the plan are:

-create a new shallow water feature on the site of the existing disused water feature with fountains and a pump for children to play with

-move the entrance at Lambeth High Street to the corner junction with Old Paradise Street, creating a direct diagonal path across the path with better sightlines and a more obvious and welcoming entrance.

-renovate the existing play area and create a new natural play area in the north east corner

-redesign the walled garden, lowering wall and creating a growing area

-remove dense shrubs and some trees, and thin out remaining trees to improve sightlines and light

-create a boundary path around the perimeter

-new gates for the two entrances, and new wires above existing fencing for plants to be trailed along, raising the fence height to deter nighttime intruders

-excavate a route through the existing mound in the centre of the park to improve sightline from Whitgift House side to the water feature

Plans for the park ready to be shown

The Friends have been working hard during the year consulting park users and working with the Council's architect on the plans for a major refurbishment of the park.

The architect's proposals are now ready to be exhibited next Wednesday, 20 October 2010 at 125 Lambeth Walk from 8am until 8pm. 125 Lambeth Walk is the headquarters of the Whitgift Estate Residents' Association, next door to the SureStart office, facing onto the 'market square' off Lambeth Walk.

All are welcome to come and look at the plans and put forward their views.The Friends would be keen to encourage people with an interest in the group to join as members (it's currently free!) and will be consulting residents on their plans to change the name of the park to 'Old Paradise Gardens'.

Bus trip - Paradise Park

Paradise Park is a medium-sized park in Islington.

The Children's Centre is supposed to have a living wall - however it appears to have died (perhaps in the cold winter)

Sturdy granite seating

Chess tables

Chess tables

Raised beds (and Maureen)

Play area with equipment and palm trees

Meadow area - mostly thistles and few flowers

Dog enforcement - could we have these signs in Lambeth?

We liked/ thought:

-Peace garden – layout contemplative and relaxed
-Disappointing green wall which had died
-Children’s Centre – play area

-Paradise – it wasn’t!
-Liked the raised beds

-Chess tables were nice
-Raised beds

-Chess tables

-No living wall!
-Had very good seating area/ dog –free with chess tables, seating and raised beds
-It had a lot of open space

-Raised beds
-Chess tables
-Dog-free area
-Meadow was disappointing – they are clearly tricky to maintain

Bus trip - Butterfield Green

Butterfield Green is a small community park in Stoke Newington.

Community orchard - award-winning planting outside the park creating attractive public space. Fruit trees grown to trail along wires to create a wall effect.

Entrance to the park

'Prairie planting' - inspired by ideas used at Potters Fields

The water feature - a rocky brook with running water

Children's bridge over the brook

Water pump and water play table

Area with playground and table tennis tables

We liked/ thought:

-Table tennis – ideal – cheap and cheerful
-Water pump – cheap, cheerful and fun
-Orchard on the road – could be on the edge of Rec on by the sides of park

-Water feature, rocks and water play table – no need for a playground!
-Table tennis

-Water feature – pump and stream – bridge – popular with children
-Naturalistic and low maintenance
-Urban orchard – road feature

-Liked the water feature which coupled as play area
-Also lots of activities like table tennis

-Water feature
-Orchard – apple trees as a boundary
-Central feature – gathering place
-Popular with children/ families
-Water feature/ playground integral with park
-Kids play in the woods area

-Excellent water feature – fun river for children to play in
-Table tennis tables

Bus trip - Potters Fields

Potters Fields is a small park on the riverside next to City Hall and Tower Bridge. It was renovated and newly planted fairly recently.

Entrance metalwork


Planting by Dutch gardener - use of grasses and complimentary plants. Subtle colouring and few 'flowers'.

Granite seating with colourful pattern resonate of pottery


Multi-trunked birch trees (and Suda)


Neglected food growing area

We liked/ thought:

-Planting – relaxed, grasses, swathe of subtle colour – attractive for butterflies
-benches/ seating – contemporary feel
-trees – white trunks – contemporary feel

-Planting and trees
-Decorative benches, though didn’t like the individual benches which only seat one person
-Entrance is good, but unusual

-Attractive colourful low-maintenance planting
-Bonded resin paths!

-Seating is most attractive and colourful
-Raised flower beds could go over the raised mounds of graves
-Flowers on the edge of footpaths

-Entrance railings
-Granite edging
-Birch trees

-Planting - alive, colourful, sustainable

-Benches with porcelain patterns, and liked the individual bench seats

-Shiny, sharp, modern materials

-Is there a role for prairie planting in the Rec- along the pathway?

Bus trip - Myatts Fields

Myatts Fields is a medium-sized Victorian Park in Brixton/ Camberwell, which has recently been extensively renovated and holds a Green Flag.

Railings


Wild area and pond

Bandstand

Children's wet play area

Astroturf on football pitch

We liked/ thought:

-attractive bandstand
-was the wild area properly maintained?

-Sunday music at the bandstand – attraction drawing people into the park

-café
-bandstand/ music
-peaceful atmosphere
-dog-free sitting/ sunbathing area

-water feature only works at certain times – reported to be good
-Victorian but contemporary

-nice toilets
-entrance planting
-bandstand

-loos
-children’s water feature – just pipes and a wet play area (flat and open)
-bandstand
-buildings are a focus of activity
-does a wild area work?
-the Rec has no central focus
-popularity of music

Bus trip - Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park

Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park is a medium-sized park in which the Imperial War Museum stands. We visited the rangers' area where fruit and veg are grown, the sports facilities, and an orchard area.

Growing plants up a wall

Mulberries

Runner beans

Good plant - Bowles Mauve

Bonded resin path - most of us liked it



Orchard - note spacing of the trees

Grapes and fruit bushes grown against a fence

What we liked:

-orchard
-sports facilities/ courts
-mulberry tree / fruit trees

-fruit and veg grown against a wall
-not prescriptively designed – people find the spaces for their mood/ activity
-tennis and sport – demand for it
-involvement of rangers important
-novelty of the mulberry tree

-beautiful mulberry tree (with public picking days)

-orchard and bushes grown up the wall

-fruit and veg as part of the ornamental planting around the park
-rangers involved

Picnic in the park

This afternoon dozens of park user enjoyed chatting with Friends and the Council's architect at a special pinic in the park.


Many park users wrote their view on cards - see their views below and add your own


The Garden Museum ran cake decoration for children and gave out seed packets to people who gave their views.

Views

1) Fill in the water feature. CCTV cameras in areas around the park are driving drug dealing and drug use into the park

2) More facilities for children - eg schools to be involved in allotment-type schemes. Skateboard park where water feature is. Take bushes out to make paths more open and safe. Trim back trees. Supervised paddling pool and sandpit?

3) Fill in the water feature. Drug users are encouraged to use the park because of extensive CCTV coverage in the estates surrounding the park.

4) More facilities for children - eg schools to be involved in allotments-type schemes. Skateboard park where old water feature is. Take bushes out by path to make it more open and safe. Keep the trees but trim them back so children don't swing on them. Create a paddling pool/ sandpit (would need supervision?)

5) Phased approach a good idea. Water feature is fun - but need to coordinate to Vauxhall Gardens development plan. Best thing about the park is that it is quiet and peaceful - keeping this is essential. Why not have a story telling tree?

6) Kennington resident: likes the park as it is. Would like a new water feature and more allotments.

7) I think it is nice as it is. Would like a nice water fountain and more flowers in the walled garden, and a pond with fish.

8) Dog walker: likes the fact the park is very quiet and would like it to stay exactly as it is!

9) We could have a more exciting playground and maybe more stuff like fairs and gardening activities.

10) Vauxhall Gardens resident: Would like a new water feature - but with no depth of water so it s safe for children. Would like more colour in the park.

11) Would like CCTV and new and improved water feature.

12) Likes the nice mature trees, which are generally well-maintained. Allotments are a good idea and good for local schools. Pull down the water feature and replace with a skate park.

13) As a resident in the area I would like to see the children's playground with more things, big with a lot more space for the kids. If you can do something with the entrance because it is dark, with the trees. Something like a fountain for the kids to enjoy the summer or for Sundays to come with the family.

14) Nice park, as a dog walker I like parks, would appreciate a meadow area with wild flowers etc. Would also be nice to have the water feature is costs allow.

15) Restore the water feature! And keep the name as Burial Park or Water Park.

16) I like it as it is. I'd like to see the water feature improved so that it works all year round with the water only being turned off if there's a drought.

17) I would like to see the park opened up a bit more to avoid any dark/ enclosed areas, so to feel more confident and safe. Also a water feature would be nice. A separate area for dog walkers and children. Enclosed dog-proof play/ picnic and walking area. Basically the more open areas in the park the better - no hiding places for dealers etc. Improved lighting might be a deterrent?

18) Basically it's a nice open space. Think the large concrete/ brick water feature should go and something smaller put in its place. Along with a few flower beds.

19) Needs a clean and tidy play area. Needs more open space and bushes cutting back because the park is very weary.

20) I would like the water feature back in the park. Thank you.

21) I like the park. Would like the water feature back and a better playground.

22) We need to promote 'oases' like this in London, and make them accessible and attractive to all sectors in the community. The gardens could be a source of pleasure and education to children in particular who have little outside space of their own, teaching them about nature and how to create and preserve gardens.

23) It's a great park, I like the new name [the Friends' suggested name of 'Old Paradise Gardens]. I think it just needs a little bit of work to tidy it up and maybe do something with the water feature.