Seven green spaces across the capital are to be transformed with funding from the Mayor of London, after thousands of Londoners backed them in an online poll.
The projects, which aim to improve local green spaces, were shortlisted for funding by the Mayor’s Big Green Fund II in January. Londoners were then invited to vote online for their favourite scheme and, with more than 10,000 votes cast overall, the Mayor has decided due to the popularity of all seven schemes, each should get a share of the £900,000 fund.
The projects cover the length and breadth of the capital and range from the creation of a new riverside path in Redbridge and a Thames Path revamp in Thamesmead, to plans to restore a marsh in Harrow and a new wetland habitat in Enfield to help prevent flooding.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “London is now home to more people than ever before and we need to improve our green spaces to accommodate our growing population and support our economy. We have received incredible interest in the Big Green Fund from every corner of London and are delighted that we can fund all seven of these fantastic projects.”
Simon Hughes, the Environment Agency’s Deputy Director London said: “The Big Green Fund is a great way to improve Londoners’ local environment and achieve other benefits such as helping to reduce flood risk.” ENDS Notes to editors: In 2008, the Mayor launched his Help a London Park scheme which saw Londoners vote for the parks they most wanted to see improved. Ten parks were each awarded £400,000 for improvement projects, making them cleaner, safer, greener and better places to visit and enjoy.
The seven projects to receive funding are:
The Duke’s River Link, straddling the boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow will receive £157,500 after more than 1,700 people supported it online. The Duke of Northumberland’s River is a 500 year old, four kilometre long constructed waterway that runs from the River Crane in Twickenham to the River Thames in Old Isleworth. The scheme received 1754 votes and will be awarded with £157,500. This project will improve the social, historical and environmental value of the Duke’s River, as a key recreational route for local people and a green corridor for wildlife. This will be achieved through a series of projects designed to make the link more accessible by addressing the poor condition of the existing paths, improve way-finding, enhance the ecology of the river corridor and produce on site mapping and leaflets to promote the route. The Duke’s River Link improvements will help to realise the ambition to create a new 10 kilometre circular riverside walk linking the Crane, Thames and Duke’s Rivers.
Cllr Pamela Fleming, Strategic Cabinet Member for Environment, Business and Community at Richmond Council said: "This is wonderful news and congratulations to everyone involved in submitting the bid. The Crane Valley is a much valued amenity and the Duke of Northumberland River already provides habitats for a range of wildlife, but it has become overgrown and this grant will enable improvements to carried out including better access so more people are able to discover and enjoy this unique nature spot."
Firs Farm Wetlands in Enfield will receive £175,000 after more than 2,100 people supported it online. Firs Farm Playing Fields is an expansive open space bordering Edmonton and Winchmore Hill in north London. It contains twelve football pitches and one rugby pitch which are well-used but otherwise is of for other members of the local community. The Moore Brook (a ‘lost’ tributary of the Pymmes Brook) used to run through the park but was piped underground over 50 years ago. The scheme received 2105 votes and will be awarded with £175,000. The project will create a substantial new wetland habitat capable of storing 30,000 cubic metres of flood water that will reduce flood risk to over 100 residential properties and the A10 trunk road. This will be done without affecting the sports facilities. It will also restore 500m of river to the park creating an interesting and varied landscape and improving the ecology of the park. A variety of native species will also be planted in the flood storage area providing habitat. Cllr Chris Bond, Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety said: “This is the most fantastic news for Firs Farm Park and we couldn’t have done it without the tireless work and support of the friends of Firs Farm Park. This money will see vital work taking place to build a flood relief scheme and cycle path to improve Firs Farm Park for visitors and make even more accessible so even more people can enjoy it. We have the support of our partners the Environment Agency, Thames Water, Sustrans and Thames 21.” Riding the Roding in the borough of Redbridge will receive £105,000 after almost 1,300 people supported it online. The Roding Valley through Wanstead initiative aims to make some of the borough’s best riverside open space accessible to walkers, cyclists and less abled people. This project will create a new riverside cycle path between Wanstead Park Road Recreation Ground and Redbridge Roundabout. It will connect the already completed south and north sections of the Roding Valley Way greenway, making safe cycling and walking possible from Newham, through Redbridge and into Essex following the River Roding. The scheme received 1278 votes and will be awarded with £105,000. The project will enhance the river too; improvement works on this stretch of the river Roding will substantially enhance the ecology of the river, improving its aesthetic appeal and providing better habitat for birds such as kingfishers. The project will see the re-opening of the much loved and missed Coronation footbridge over the river Roding, the main access point into Wanstead Park for residents living the other side of the A406. Councillor Wes Streeting, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing for Redbridge Council, said, “I’m delighted that we have been successful in our bid for funding and I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to vote for the project. Your votes mean that this incredibly worthwhile scheme can now become a reality and I look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the area and the increased accessibility it will give to people who want to enjoy one of the many excellent outdoor spaces in Redbridge.” The Stanmore Marsh Restoration scheme in Harrow will receive £175,000 after almost 1,000 people supported it online. The Stanmore Marsh Restoration project will revitalise and improve the quality of an underused wetland and green open space. It will provide a better environment for a more diverse wildlife, habitat, ecology, flora and fauna to prosper. Over four hectares of open space will be transformed into an attractive green open space. The project will also help to prevent flooding across London through the creation of approximately 3000m³ wetlands creating a natural water storage area. The scheme received 980 votes and will be awarded with £175,000 The project will benefit all communities, local residents and visitors including school children, businesses, older and disabled people, and people who are not normally engaged in environmental activities. It will include new nature trails, woodland walks, and tree-lined walks so that it is more accessible to a diverse and wider range of people in our local community. For school children, the area can be used for educational purposes where children can take part in pond and stream dipping, water testing and understand the natural life cycle. The project will also encourage healthier living through producing an attractive, accessible and environmentally friendly green space for walking. Volunteer groups will be involved at every stage of the project from planning trough to execution, completion and subsequent maintenance. Cllr Keith Ferry, portfolio holder for business, planning and regeneration said: “We are delighted to have been successful in our application for funding to redevelop Stanmore Marsh. This money will make it possible for us to restore the historic marshlands in Harrow and open the area up for residents to enjoy. Natural habitats for fauna and flora are reducing across the country and this marshland will help us to increase the biodiversity in the area. Green spaces are vital for the wellbeing of the community. This funding will ensure residents and schoolchildren can enjoy the space all year round. I would like to thank the Mayor and all those people who voted for the project. Work is expected to start on the marsh in the coming months and we hope to have it opened up by the end of next year.”
Thamesmead Thames Path Transformation in Greenwich will receive £122,500 after more than 1,300 people supported it online. The stretch of Thames Path in Thamesmead has the potential to be a bustling route, offering all users fantastic views of the river, as well as a providing a direct walking and cycling connection between the residential area of Thamesmead and the local employment and transport hub of Woolwich. The route is almost entirely off-road, and directly adjacent to the river, making it a safe and appealing route for both leisure and commuter users. The scheme received 1333 votes and will be awarded with £122,500. Sections of the path are currently underused by the local community. The section through Tripcock Ness is a compacted gravel path of poor quality, making it difficult for cyclists, wheelchair users and people with buggies to negotiate. In winter, it suffers from severe ponding, and are virtually impassable, creating a significant ‘missing link’ in the path. The Thamesmead Thames Path Transformation project will enhance the existing pathway, and in addition create designated lookout points along the river; mini green havens with seating and information on the rich local wildlife, habitats and history of the Thames. Councillor Danny Thorpe, Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport said: "It""s brilliant news to see that so many local people got behind this valuable project to improve the Thames Path at Thamesmead, to the benefit of all of the community. We""re delighted to have been awarded the funding and are now working hard to move the project on and see these improvements take shape. It""ll transform the Thames Path in this part of our borough, with better pathways and more information added, enhancing the experience of walking and cycling along the river even more." The Wetlands to Wetlands Greenway in Hackney will receive £120,000 after more than 1,700 people supported it online. Two new wetland wildlife reserves are being created by London Wildlife Trust at two Thames Water owned reservoirs at Woodberry Wetlands in Hackney and Walthamstow Wetlands in Waltham Forest. Neither of the sites are particularly well-known, however, the two wetlands are just 3km apart, allowing the possibility of visitors to experience both sites in the same day. The Wetland to Wetland project will be delivered by Hackney Council in partnership with LB Waltham Forest and London Wildlife Trust and aims to create a clearly-signed and greener route between the two sites and nearby public transport hubs (Manor House and Tottenham Hale) to create an enhanced visitor experience. The project will include road safety improvements, streetscape enhancements and additional tree planting to create a new route through local parks and on quiet roads, to encourage access to both sites by foot and cycle. By creating this new green corridor between two exciting new wetland destinations in north-east London, this project will bring people closer to the wonderful landscape of the Lea Valley and inspire local residents living in some of the most densely built neighbourhoods of London to venture outside, get active and explore the natural world.
Cllr Feryal Demirci, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said: “Hackney is thrilled that the Wetlands to Wetlands Greenway proposal we have been developing in partnership with Waltham Forest Council and the London Wildlife Trust has won funding from the Big Green Fund public poll. This scheme will create a new green corridor between the two new exciting wetland destinations in north-east London and provide a fantastic opportunity to bring people closer to the wonderful landscape of the Lea Valley and connect the thriving communities of north Hackney and Waltham Forest.”
David Mooney, Regional Development Manager- East London, London Wildlife Trust added: “ As reserve managers, everyone at London Wildlife Trust can’t wait to show visitors around these wonderful urban wetland nature reserves and signpost people along the new ‘Wetland to Wetland’ greenway route, avoiding all the heavy traffic along Seven Sisters Road” Access to Wandle Park in Croydon will receive £58,800 after more than 800 people supported it online. The project will deliver key components of the recently published Croydon Old Town Masterplan by making improvements to walking and cycling facilities which will create better access between Croydon town centre and the newly transformed Wandle Park and the wider Wandle Valley Regional Park. The scheme received 849 votes and will be awarded with £58,800. The improvements will include: upgrading the Waddon New Road entrance to Wandle Park to make it more welcoming and accessible by relocating the bus stop, providing a wheeling channel on the bridge for bicycles and pushchairs, and new planting; tree planting, better lighting and the installation of zebra crossings between West Croydon station and Wandle Park around the Factory Lane car park on Pitlake; and, a new staircase with a wheeling channel on to the Jubilee Bridge at Cairo New Road to create a more direct route to the northern entrances of the park. Councillor Kathy Bee, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for transport and the environment, said: ”This money means that local cyclists and pedestrians will find it even easier to access Wandle Park and enjoy what it has to offer once we’ve made improvements like better footbridges and zebra crossings.
“Open spaces will become more and more important to Croydon residents as our borough’s regeneration continues, so this Big Green grant will make a real difference alongside our own match funding from local developer contributions.”