Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green

Now we are talking . . . The bulk of Blakedowns' work is now complete. The pathways and their artwork all look great. The covered seating area is finished and all additional benches have been installed, including the remaining dog bins.

The community garden got it's new fence too just this week - Roots & Shoots are particularly pleased, and so we're just trying to sort out an interim gate solution, while the performance area really does look smart!

The biggest achievement in the last few weeks has to be the Kennington Road frontage. Work started on preparing the new access from the main road and bus stops last week and the hideous black fencing behind the billboards has been pulled down.

Blakedowns are back onsite there as well and clearing the mess built up over years of neglect, dumping of household and other rubbish plus the tonnes of tangled and matted undergrowth and weeds that's all the Ethelred Youth Club and locals have seen since the fence went up.

The billboard advertising that was the main reason for the fence remains tough in the short term as they are still some issues for Lambeth and the outdoor advertising company to resolve. The pest control mob were on site on Saturday as well making sure that there aren't too many foxes and rats planning to share the Space at little too intimately with our kids.

One of the new residents of Lollard Street decided to knock a hole in their back boundary wall with the park to put in a back gate for their bicycles. Diana has made a complaint through the appropriate channels to show how things ought to be done when a community asset is concerned and to keep reinforcing the message that our park's amenity isn't just open slather for anyone to co-opt or exploit without regard for bye-laws or courtesy. An application for Planning permission is a pretty good place to start...

Trees for Cities - Outreach Work;

Walnut Tree Walk Primary Workshop (03.05.05): The Chair attended the workshop and the school kids (Green Class) were great, and even planted some more beech saplings for the Space hedge. Diana managed to get a story in the South London Press (06.05.05) with a quote from the head teacher and FoLWOS.

TfC are doing an initial glyphosate spray in the park (around the perimeter) in preparation for the wildflower meadows being planted - to knock down all the weeds and invasives that would out-compete the native wildflowers - and they should be creating the grass maze for the new dog-free area shortly as well.


Lollard Street Adventure Playground; TfC are working with Joyce and her team to develop an edible garden close to their facility. If this picture (click it to go to the amazing LbL archive of images of Lambeth - where Kennington for once is well represented) is to be taken at it's face value, this ground has seen local kids working to build something worthwhile and fun out of the wartime rubble just a few inches under our park's grass (and under our feet) at least once before. . .