45 Lewisham parks in 12 seconds

We walked all 45 Lewisham Parks in one day. Featuring @cornish_jack, @oliverhp, @robynbobyn_x & @katiemaem.@LewishamCouncil @damienegan @Ian_C_Thomas @BrockleyCentral @NewsShopper @DanRavenEllison @SouthLondonClub @Ramblers_London @SthLondonPress @Transpontine @lewishamledger pic.twitter.com/FUoFabSU3z

— Jack Cornish (@cornish_jack) July 2, 2018

Wild swimming comes to Lewisham

Our new Lewisham Mayor has pulled a rabbit out of the hat in first weeks in post.

Beckenham Place Park will receive £440,000 of funding from the Mayor of London to create a wild swimming pool, as part of a major development project, which will be overseen by Brockley Councillor Sophie McGeevor. Lewisham Council explains:

The award is part of the mayor of London’s push to make London the world’s first National Park City. Beckenham Place Park was one of six winning projects to get a share of the £2m funding pot from the mayor’s Greener City Fund.

We will use the funding to:

• plant thousands of new trees
• support the restoration of the park’s Georgian lake, which will create a new wildlife habitat and be used for open water swimming

It's great to see such an ambitious and imaginative project in the borough. More please.

Friendly Gardening

Friendly Gardens needs some love and affection

Lewisham parks top London ranking

Lewisham may lack a spectacular showpiece park, but its greenspaces have nonetheless finished joint-first in the inaugural Good Parks for London report, produced by independent charity Parks for London.

The ranking compares the London boroughs' parks, based on ten different criteria, ranging from public satisfaction to their role in hosting public events. Lewisham came top with Southwark and Lambeth.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone whose work helps to keep our parks special. Thanks too to Chris, for sharing the study.

Campaign group wants to create new Brockley nature reserve

Campaign group The Fourth Reserve Trust exists to create a nature reserve along the Brockley railway cutting. They are campaigning to protect the ancient woodland next to the Crofton Park scout hut, which has been granted 'Asset of Community Value' status. They write:

The scout hut, situated on Courtrai Road, is on a strip of land bordering the railway line, the ‘middle part’ of the New Cross to Forest Hill Cutting that runs between Courtrai Road and Dalrymple Road.

The whole stretch is already recognised by planning policy for its wildlife significance, designated as a Metropolitan Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) in the Lewisham Local Plan, dating back to the 1990s. A Tree Preservation Order has been in place for the site since 1997.

This woodland is home to a variety of protected species including bats and hedgehogs and many mature trees; it is the oldest section along the green corridor, with winding paths through a dense cover of mature woodland.

In order to protect the wildlife and their habitats local group the Fourth Reserve Trust is actively campaigning to preserve the neighbourhood’s fragile nature corridor and get the cutting recognised for its ecological significance as a statutory Local Nature Reserve. This would be of great benefit to the neighbourhood, in particular local schools.

Follow and support their campaign on Twitter here:

Property developer turning SINC site into building dump on Courtrai Road only 1 week after being designated an Asset of Community Value - please re-tweet and complain pic.twitter.com/CPcRaGSPtW

— Fourth Reserve (@FourthReserve) January 17, 2018

The Luxmore Gardens Picnic, September 16

The Friends of Luxmore Gardens is a new organisation formed to celebrate and enhance Luxmore Gardens, the pretty but occasionally sepulchral park sandwiched between Rokeby and Malpas Roads. The Friends write:

Please come to our first ever community Picnic in the Park with music, kids activities and  free cake.

Have your say on what you want to be included in plans for upgrading Luxmore Gardens as well as meet your neighbours and have some fun. We will be sharing the results of a recent survey of users of the park.

Bring a picnic, or just turn up for cake.

Mountsfield Park cafe plan seeks Greater Brockley support

An artist's impression of the new cafe

The Friends of Mountsfield Park in Catford are trying to rally support for their scheme for a new cafe, which risk being blocked by the Council, despite the fact that the group stepped in to rescue the situation when the Council's own plans fell through. They say:

We have been campaigning for a cafe for years, and have been promised one by Lewisham Council – including as part of the Council redevelopment of the park that created the Community Garden and revamped the play area. But the Council were unable to follow through on their plan to build a cafe at that time.

Since then, we have worked with them to identify some funding – £50k – to launch a tender process to encourage an outside investor to build a cafe in the park.

A viable and attractive cafe plan is in front of Lewisham Council for approval right now – made by a local businessman who has worked closely with the Friends of Mountsfield Park. You can see the plans and some pictures of the new cafe here.

But the planning department at the Council is making unreasonable demands:

Firstly, they are demanding that the new design have a ‘biodiverse living roof’ to replace what they claim is a living roof on the existing, abandoned container units. In fact, the current ‘living roof’ is around a dozen unmaintained planters. We have offered to move these and add them to the Community Garden, so there is no loss of natural habitat, but the Council says this isn’t good enough.

Secondly, they are demanding that the new design meet the ‘BREEAM’ environmental rating of ‘excellent’, even though the Council was prepared to waive this requirement for the cafe they planned to build in Mountsfield Park! In other words, had the Council actually managed to deliver the cafe they promised in 2014, we would now have a cafe that didn’t meet these very high standards. The current proposal meets the ‘BREEAM’ environmental rating of ‘good’ with an aim to achieve ‘very good’. This means the current plans exceed mandatory standards by some margin.

If Lewisham Council turns down the current proposal – for what we think are spurious reasons – it could be years before another option is available and the money we fought to get the Council to commit to support the project – £50k – will be at risk.

We want the Council to take an intelligent approach, to look at the benefits a cafe would bring to Mountsfield Park: it will bring in revenue, encourage people to stay in the park longer and enjoy the Community Garden and play area, improve security by making the park more attractive to families, provide a place for dog walkers to get a cup of coffee, and it will mean that maintained toilet facilities are available in the park. These are far more important than a handful of planters!

We have until August 3rd to make our voice heard, so please add your signature to this petition. You can also email mountsfieldpark@gmail.com by 3 August 2016 with any further comments, thoughts, and experiences. All evidence is good evidence and will help us to make the case.

Brenchley Gardens Winter Wonderland

Brenchley Gardens is a beautiful sliver of parkland that runs between Camberwell New Cemetery and Aquarius Golf Club, at the south western extremity of Greater Brockley.

If you've never explored it, then the Brenchley Gardens Winter Wonderland on December 19th (12-5pm) is a good excuse to have a look.

The event itself will feature all the usual stuff: crafts, games, stalls selling local produce and plenty of food and drink. It takes place at the Don McCoan Community Centre (113-143 Brenchley Gardens).

Residents seek to block Luxmore Gardens homes

Local residents have launched a campaign to stop developers building on land adjoining Luxmore Gardens, off Malpas Road. They object to the residential development on the basis that it will loom too large over the park and that construction work will prove disruptive.

An application has been lodged for:

"The construction of 3 three storey, three bedroom terrace houses on land to the rear of 10 Malpas Road fronting Luxmore Gardens, together with a single storey two-bedroom dwelling house to the rear of the site and associated landscaping."

Objector Noura says:

"Objections are being raised by the many in the local community to this proposal, citing a number of foreseeable health and safety issues concerned with the accessibility of the site to the street- the only access point after building was complete would be an extremely narrow corridor to the side of 10 Malpas Rd. raising questions as to the handling of refuse, post and most importantly possible access for services in case of an emergency.

"Additionally, there are concerns about the heights of the surrounding buildings, the appropriateness of the design for the area and the issue of sufficient drainage. Moreover, the approval of these plans would remove a green space that Blockley can't afford to lose. There are concerns also about the building's overlook aspect as well.

"Safety and convenience are a concern within the Gardens as well, as building materials will be stored in gardens themselves during construction, compromising access between Luxmore St and Rokeby Rd. and posing a potential safety risk to the young children and dogs that frequent the park as well as bringing up the issue of the prolonged use of public land to complete a private building project."

Secret Garden Project, September 20th

Greenspaces: Sayes Court Park

Much better maintained than it once was, Sayes Court Park in Deptford (Grove Street) is a tiny remainder from Sayes Court Garden, the 17th century garden created by the diarist John Evelyn that once stretched over 100 acres.

Small and dotted with trees which cast pools of shadow over most of the park on sunny days, it's best enjoyed as a nice green detour or a place to sit and read.

Added to the Greenspaces Map.

Greenspaces: Friendly Gardens

Perhaps the most mistreated of the Brockley parks, Friendly Gardens is a pleasant slope of grass running parallel with Friendly Street and Lucas Street. A little too small and vertiginous for many people to spend much time in and often blighted by litter, it is a pretty spot which nonetheless sometimes has a touch of Kes about it.

Added to the Greenspaces Map.

The Brookmill Park User Group

Toby writes:

Some local residents are keen to meet up and start a community group for Brookmill Park and would love you to join us!

The first meeting will be at 6pm on Wednesday 27th August 2014 with a representative from Glendale Grounds Management who maintain the park. We're meeting at the Park Keeper’s hut next to the bird pond on Brookmill Road.

Similar groups have been highly successful in other local parks and have helped forge together fantastic local links. Among other things, we want to discuss:

• How could the park be better used?
• How should the park be best maintained?
• Could we have an annual park festival/fair or any other events?

It would be fantastic to see as many people there as possible so we can get the show started!

If you have any questions, or if you cannot make the meeting but wish to be involved, do email Toby Swan (local resident) at tobyswan@googlemail.com or Chris Thompson from Glendale at lewisham@glendale-services.co.uk

Mountsfield Park goes edible in major makeover

Lewisham Council writes:

Mountsfield Park in Catford is the latest park in Lewisham to be awarded funding from the Mayor of London’s ‘Pocket Parks’ initiative and will shortly undergo a major programme to transform the upper area of the park.

Lewisham Council, working alongside the Friends of Mountsfield Park, has been awarded £35,000 from the Greater London Assembly to help create a new community garden on the site of the former bowls green.

The community garden will include the creation of a number of distinct individual gardens, raised beds made with new oak railway sleepers where people and groups can plant, tend and harvest their own produce, fruit tree cordons with edible hedgerows and potentially an outside kitchen with large seating area - which will be used as an outdoor classroom or performance space.

The 13.4 hectare park, which was first opened in 1905, is also set to benefit from £450,000 funding from the Rushey Green Renewal Fund and will provide a new café with indoor seating, an outdoor gym, new fitness equipment, an improved children’s play area and better landscaping. The Council has also earmarked £35,000 of this funding to match fund the ‘Pockets Park’ funding for the community garden.

Council officers are currently working with landscape architects from Building Design Partnership (BDP) to draw up designs for the upper park and it is hoped works to the community garden will start in the New Year with works to the wider project beginning later in 2014.

Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Councillor Susan Wise, said: “Mountsfield Park is one of Lewisham’s flagship parks and attracts nearly half a million visitors every year. We are delighted to be a recipient of ‘Pocket Park’ funding which will help us create a much-wanted community garden."

Greenspaces: Dulwich Park

Dulwich Park is as immaculate and serene as neighbouring Dulwich Village.

The park's flat fields and circular layout make it perfect for football, running and cycling (banana bikes, trikes and bicycles are available for hire, although fairly pricey), while the lake, cafe and very large playground attract families in droves.

A recent addition to the park is the outdoor gym. Whereas the Hilly Fields version stands rusting on the brow of the park's most prominent slope like the Angel of the North, Dulwich's 13 new machines are dotted around its outer loop like bits of garden furniture.

Visit the Greenspaces map for a guide to parks in the area.

Lewisham's green spaces in top 10 nation-wide

Lewisham has won 14 Green Flag Awards from Keep Britain Tidy, giving it the joint-seventh-highest score for local authorities nationally. Green Flags are awarded based on criteria including cleanliness, management and safety.

Lewisham borough picked up 13 Green Flags for its outstanding parks, including Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields and Telegraph Hill Park while Horniman Gardens, which is managed by the Museum Trust, also collected an award.

Lewisham also retained several Green Flag Community Awards (formally the Green Pennant Award) and picked up a new one for Frendsbury Gardens, the West Brockley park that was transformed in 2008.

Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “I’m especially pleased that Frendsbury Gardens has received an award. As one of our newer open spaces, it’s a great example of how a community, supported by the Big Lottery fund, has turned around a disused space into something which is now award-winning.”

Click here for the BC Greenspaces map.

Twinkle Park - Sounds in the Park today

Grateful to the Deptford Dame, who alerted us to this star in our firmament:

‘Sounds in the Park’ is presented by Twinkle Park Trust and Friends in partnership with Parksfest 2013, a series of free events organised by Friends of Greenwich Parks and supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

This Summer Festival will take place in the beautiful surroundings of Twinkle Park, close to the River Thames. This charming ecological garden with a large pond is the serene habitat of wildlife, and is surrounded by colourful shrubs and tall trees. It is a magical place of relaxation and beauty.

It will be the eighth annual summer event organised by members of the Trust, and volunteers and is a free event open to the general public. This lovely setting will provide an open air stage for the Paul Zec Jazz Quintet; reggae by DJ Patrick Gardener; Heart of Soul Steel Pans; Arty Party - mask making; Pond Dipping (a children’s activity), Pimms O’Clock café and refreshments.

In addition the Festival will host displays by the Twinkle Park Trust and Build The Lenox project; Utrophia, Community Garden, the Solar Smoothie and Portrait Stall.

Sounds in the Park
Sunday 9 June, 1-6pm
Twinkle Park, Deptford
Bring a picnic and a rug!

Greenspaces: St Paul's Churchyard

Sitting just off Deptford High Street, St Paul's church is an 18th century, Baroque masterpiece. The churchyard itself is a walled garden and a retreat from the throng of market day, with low Portland Stone walls that offer a good place to sunbathe.

The gardens look like an isometric video game, with pristine benches, gravestones, lampposts, flowerbeds and square hedges dotted around as if they've been generated at random - an island of twee in Deptford's sea of grit.

This has been added to the Greenspaces map - our guide to local parks and open spaces.

Charlotte Turner Overhaul

The Deptford Dame reports that Charlotte Turner Gardens, on the Greenwich / Deptford border, is to receive a makeover. She says:

The improvements are quite exciting - I particularly like the idea of planting an orchard and some cherry trees. More of this kind of thing please - perhaps Lewisham Homes should consider planting fruit trees in its many small public green spaces around Evelyn and Pepys? 

 The main features [include]: A central grassed area with timber-retained mounds at each end – suitable for ball games and all kinds of play activities. A tidied and more attractive area between Carrick Mews and Brig Mews, with better views of the park and easier to maintain and a row of cherry trees, running the entire west edge of the garden, bringing colour in the spring and fruit later in the year. 

This is one of the sorriest parks on the greenspaces map, so the investment is very welcome news.

Two new Lewisham pocket parks created

A press release from the Mayor of London's office says:

From fruit and veg patches to water features, work is beginning on the first of the Mayor’s 100 ‘pocket parks’ – transforming underused urban spaces into mini oases across the capital in a £2m scheme.

‘Pocket Parks’, which are around the size of a tennis court, are set to reinvent some of London’s forgotten nooks and crannies and make the capital an even better place to live and work.

In Lewisham, thanks to £67,000 from the Mayor, new planting, trails, seating and lighting, will create two ‘pocket parks’. Blackheath Elliot Pits will feature sensory equipment, a Trim Trail adventure, and a play space to educate children about the pits’ ecological importance. Sydenham Literary Piazza will be a space to sit, read and reflect and link Sydenham road with Home Park, encouraging cycling and improving safety.

All 100 ‘pocket parks’ are due to be delivered by March 2015. A further funding round for community based projects will open in May.

This is also part of the Mayor’s Team London programme which is seeking to build a volunteering legacy following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by encouraging Londoners to do something great for their city.