Yesterday’s Remembrance Sunday service (13 November) at Islington Green was the last featuring the park’s existing war shrine. The shrine is to be replaced with a proposed stunning new memorial as part of Islington Council’s overall improvements to the Green.<br><br>The Royal British Legion has been closely involved in the development of the proposed new memorial. Although the current shrine has been respected as a centrepiece for Islington's Remembrance services, it is now in a poor state of repair and there is a feeling that the memory of the fallen deserves better. <br><br>The current layout also creates access problems for the elderly and disabled, which causes difficulty each year at the Remembrance Sunday service. There is also insufficient space on the paved surround for the crowds attending the service, causing people to have to gather on grassed areas. <br><br>The existing shrine, hastily erected in 1918, was only ever meant to be a temporary structure, with the intention that a permanent memorial would replace it after the war. No one would have predicted that it would still be standing 87 years later. But it is proposed that Islington Green will soon have at its heart a world-class war memorial created by a sculptor and inscriber who are international leaders in their fields.<br><br>The design of the new memorial features a ring, three metres in diameter and carved from pale granite. The wreath-like ring is symbolic of the acts of remembrance that have taken place in the Green since 1917, as well as timelessness, unity and continuity. It will rest against an arrangement of low stone walls, where a memorial garden will grow and poppies can be placed in November. There will also be a large paved area to provide disabled access and accommodate crowds at memorial services. The new memorial will retain the plaques from the existing shrine, along with its inscription: ‘In memory of the fallen’. It will also have the existing inscription ‘Air, sea, land, home’ carved into the paving.<br><br>David Green, Regional Organiser for the Metropolitan Region of the Royal British Legion said: “The new memorial will provide a fitting tribute to those who have given their lives for their country in the two World Wars and the many conflicts since.”<br><br>“The memorial being of a modern design encapsulates the Royal British Legion's theme of moving forward and with greater involvement with the local community. Although modern, the memorial still incorporates inscriptions and design features found on much older memorials. The whole development will allow greater participation in the Remembrance parade and service by the local community.”<br><br>The new memorial will be the centre-piece of improvements to Islington Green, which have been designed to preserve the historic (and current) layout of the park while making subtle changes to support its current uses and ensure its longevity.<br><br>The large grassed areas will remain, reflecting the park’s primary use as a space for relaxation. There will be changes to the level of some paths, which are urgently needed to protect the roots of the London Plane trees and create safer paths for park users. Other landscaping will include removal of redundant walls, planting of hedges and selective felling and replanting of trees (to ensure there are trees to last the next 100 to 200 years). There will also be new park furniture, and security will be enhanced by improved lighting and sight-lines into the park. <br><br>“Islington Green is one of the borough’s best-loved public spaces, but there has long been a feeling amongst users and residents that it could be better still”, said Councillor Bridget Fox, Executive Member for Sustainability.<br><br>"The new war memorial is a modern, elegant design for the 21st century, and will be a fitting tribute to the fallen.”<br><br>“With improvements to the planting, paths and lighting, the park will be reopened as a wonderful place for people to enjoy and also to remember." <br><br>The new memorial has been funded through Islington Council’s A1 Borough project. Funding is currently being sought for an outreach program to engage local school children with the memorial, to build on the Royal British Legion’s aim of involving the community.<br><br>The overall improvements to Islington Green have also been funded by the council together with Section 106 funding (funding provided as part of major building developments for the benefit of the community).<br><br>Notes to the Editor:<br><br>Refurbishment of the park<br><br>In addition to the new war memorial, the overall refurbishment of Islington Green is aiming to ensure the longevity of the park for the next 100 to 200 years. The principles behind the park refurbishment are:<br><br>· sensitivity to the historic (and current) layout of the Green <br>· acknowledgement of the public consultation to date<br>· support for the existing use patterns <br>· protection of the existing trees but with selective felling and replanting to secure their long-term future <br>· removal of redundant walls and retaining structures <br>· gentle re-grading of the lawns <br>· reconsideration of the secondary pathway layout <br>· reducing fear of crime with improved sight-lines and lighting <br><br>There are technical issues of working within the root zones of the London Plane trees that restricted the number of options for the layout. The existing Plane trees will be freed from the dwarf walls that are now constraining them and a specialist tree soil and aeration system will be used to allow the path level to be raised, giving the trees more room below-ground.<br><br>The retaining wall along Upper Street will be rebuilt making a larger, flatter area around the new, centrally located war memorial.<br><br>The improvement scheme also includes a new entrance onto Essex Road, new hedge planting on the boundaries to replace the derelict shrub planting, new flowerbeds, new Plane trees and plenty of robust seating and other furniture.<br><br>ENDS
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009