Six Million Pounds to Spend on Green Spaces

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Hammersmith Park could be in line for a huge cash prize

Hammersmith Park is one of 47 London parks which could be in line to receive a funding boost to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds. 

As part of a scheme launched by the Mayor of London, ten of the capital’s parks will be chosen from the list of 47 to receive grants of up to £400,000 each. The Mayor will also award a single grant of up to £2 million to one large park for a makeover.

The money – totalling £6 million - will transform the ten parks, possibly including Hammersmith Park, over the next four years and Londoners are being asked to vote on which green space should win the cash prizes.

Hammersmith Park, which is tucked away behind Television Centre, links South Africa Road and Frithville Gardens and is the surviving part of a Japanese garden created during the 1910 Japan-British exhibition at White City.

The current Japanese Garden at the southern end of the Park got a partial makeover earlier this year when green-fingered enthusiasts from Japan and a group of local volunteers spent two days clearing overgrown plants and draining the stagnant pond. However, the work remains incomplete.

The Council say that if Hammersmith Park wins a grant, the prize money will be spent on restoring the Japanese garden and pond, improving wildlife habitats and upgrading the park’s facilities, some of which are extremely tired.

 

Cllr Paul Bristow, H&F’s cabinet member for residents’ services, said winning the prize would be a good start to the new year: “I am personally appealing to everyone who lives, works, visits or has family and friends in the borough to go online and vote for either Hammersmith Park or South Park (in Fulham) as a matter of urgency. This really is a brilliant opportunity to make your voice heard.”

The Mayor, Boris Johnson said: “I urge Londoners to use their vote so the most deserving parks in the capital benefit from these ten hefty prizes. This investment will make the capital’s open spaces cleaner, safer, greener and more enjoyable places for Londoners to use. Parks provide a free place for families to enjoy time out and often simple improvements such as better play areas and improved lighting can make a real difference in making parks much more attractive and safer for people to use.”

The winning parks across London will be improved in a variety of ways, ranging from better footpaths and more lighting for safety, to providing new playgrounds and facilities for children. Others will open new cafes, refurbish derelict public toilets and improve cycle routes. Many will see traditional flower gardens restored, new wildlife habitats created, and plots provided for communities to grow fruit and vegetables.

Londoners can vote to choose which parks get the £400,000 by logging on to www.london.gov.uk/parksvote .

You can also vote by texting 'parks' and your full London postcode to 62967. This will automatically vote for the nearest park on the shortlist to that postcode. Or, you can request a postal vote form by calling City Hall’s Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.

Voting closes on Friday 30th January 2009.

30 November 2008