Current Greenspace Projects

Islington Council's Greenspace Projects Team coordinate a number of projects to improve, extend or redesign parks and open spaces in the borough. Currently the team are working on the projects listed below.

St Lukes Gardens

Proposed step free access works and boundary wall renovations to take place this winter.

In early September 2009, the proposed access improvement works to make the existing entrances from Ironmonger Row and Helmet Row step free, were granted detailed planning permission by the council. The existing entrance from Mitchell Street which currently has level access will remain unchanged. The planning consent also includes renovations to the existing boundary walls. This includes repairing the walls, new metal copings to the top of the walls and new render.

The following works will be completed during the winter:

• making the existing entrance at Ironmonger Row step free
• making the existing entrance at Helmet Row step free
• works to the boundary walls including making good the existing walls, adding new dark green coloured metal copings and new render.

For more information please contact:

Jenifer Baker
Greenspace Projects and Development Officer
Islington Council
222 Upper Street
London
N1 1YA
Tel: 020 7527 4604
Email: jenifer.baker@islington.gov.uk

The King Square Gardens and Street

This project aims to create a new park building and to redesign the adjacent Kings Square Street, linking the street to the park and improving the facilities available for local residents who visit the park. Development of this site and street will also improve the appearance and safety of the surrounding environment for the local community.

The council, EC1 New Deal Communities and local residents have been working in partnership to deliver this project. The King Square Area in south Islington lies in the centre of the EC1 NDC area and the Bunhill Ward. This is an area of multi deprivation bordering the City which was awarded just under £53 Million through the government’s New Deal for Communities Programme in 2001 to progress a regeneration programme through a community led partnership. The area is characterised by a large 1960s local authority estate containing two tower blocks and two smaller blocks. This estate surrounds the park which is heavily used by children as well as other residents and local people.

The new welcoming park building will provide the following:

• children’s toilets with disabled access and baby change
• decorative security shutters for securing the building at night
• activity room
• park keepers office
• green technology such as a green roof, passive heating and cooling and grey water recycling
• storage areas
• a covered area for people to shelter from the sun or rain
• a covered events platform area
  
  

 

The new street layout will be designed to have the following:

• pedestrian friendly surface, safe for people of all ages and abilities with step free access at crossings
• traffic calming measures and improved sight lines
• safer entrances and crossing for King Square Gardens
• a clear distinction between the park and Barnabas House by change in pavement material, colour and pattern, and a small kerb
• a better setting for St. Clement’s Church
• better management/placement of parking bays

 

 

Extensive public consultation on the new building and Street works was carried out in May and July 2009, the proposals received local community approval.

In October 2009 a building planning application will be submitted for permission to build the new park building in 2010.

For more information please contact:

Jenifer Baker
Greenspace Projects and Development Officer
Islington Council
222 Upper Street
London
N1 1YA
Tel: 020 7527 4604
Email: jenifer.baker@islington.gov.uk

Arundel Square Gardens

Arundel Square is in the process of an exciting transformation!

A new housing development has been built on the south side of the square and the railway line that cuts through between this new development and the existing gardens has been covered over by a deck structure. It has been agreed that the deck will be leased to the council and will become a ‘green roof garden’ over the railway lines which will be incorporated into the gardens and used as public open space.

The housing development has provided funds for these improvements and this is a great opportunity to redevelop the gardens which have become run down in recent years. The deck structure will make the gardens substantially larger, and for the first time ever the square will be a true urban square surrounded on all four sides.

This technically complex project is now well underway. The deck over the railway was constructed in 2008 and the new housing development is now complete. The council has been working with local residents, the housing developers and a range of other partners involved in the development of this area to ensure that the new square respects its historical heritage, but also better meets the needs of the local community.

A design team, appointed by the council, developed proposals for how to improve the square. To do this they researched the history of the square and investigated many aspects of the site, including its connections with other parks and pedestrian and transport routes. They considered how best to deal with the variety of constraints and challenges that the project presented, such as what depth of soil could be supported by the new deck over the railway.

The design team also took in to consideration the views of local residents. In March 2007 a postal survey was carried out to ask people what they thought about the gardens and for their views on their future. The feedback from this survey and comments and suggestions from local residents who came to the Arundel Square family fun day in April 2008 was used by the team to plan their work.

In September 2008 the outline proposals developed by the design team were one display in the old nursery building in the gardens. Residents who visited the square during this time were able to meet the design team, view the proposals and tell the council what they thought of them. The design team then used the feedback from local residents to develop detailed design proposals for the gardens. These detailed proposals were exhibited in the old nursery building in January 2009. Residents were again able to tell the council what they thought of the proposals.

Planning permission for the new gardens was obtained in July and in September the designs gained Network Rail approval. In November the council appointed English Landscapes Limited to carry out the improvement works which started on 4 January 2010. The gardens are currently closed for construction until the Summer 2010.  During this time local residents can still enjoy the surrounding parks and Gardens including Laycock Street Open Space, Paradise Park, Thornhill Square and Highbury Fields.  

The May 2010 project update report, downloadable at the bottom of this page, describes the final designs for the gardens and sets out the latest progress with construction. The report also summarises local residents’ involvement in the design process and how this involvement is continuing during the construction phase and beyond. Residents and school children have been photographing the site to document the redevelopment of the gardens. A selection of these images is included in the report and all are available to view on the Flikr website, see the useful website link to the right of this page.

For more information please contact:

Catherine Wright
Greenspace Projects and Development Officer
Islington Council
222 Upper Street
London
N1 1YA
Tel: 020 7527 1867
Email: catherine.wright@islington.gov.uk

Bingfield Park

In 2002 the motorcycle project SPARKPLUG was set up in Bingfield Park to address the crime and antisocial behaviour that was taking place in the park and surrounding streets.The work of SPARKPLUG along with the redevelopment of the park in 2005 has decreased  the amount of scooter crime and antisocial behaviour and dramatically improved the safety of the park.

Since it was set up in 2002 SPARKPLUG has operated from an old council parks maintenance building. In 2007 funding became available to build a new building for SPARKPLUG providing new facilities for local young people as well as improving the safety and appearance of the surrounding area.

The council and architects for the building worked closely with youth workers from SPARKPLUG,  Crumbles Castle Adventure Playground, Prospex Youth Project and Copenhagen Youth Project. In December 2007 young people from these youth groups met together to discuss what they would like the building to be like. 

Following this initial consultation the architects developed a proposal for the new building. In July 2008 87 local homes were visited in a door knocking survey and 50 local residents attended a public meeting to discuss the proposal. Overall local residents, including young people, were very positive about the proposal for the new building. A number of concerns were also raised and the architects have worked hard to address these.

3D images of the current proposal can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. The ground floor of the building contains a large workshop and courtyard area as well as stores, toilets and changing facilities. The upstairs has an office, kitchen area and a large multipurpose teaching room for use by SPARKPLUG and other community groups.

In September 2009 planning permission to remove one tree, plant three replacement trees and build the new building was granted by West Area Planning Committee. The council then appointed a construction company, Indecon Building Limited, to carry out the works.

Works in the park started on 30 November 2009 and will continue until August 2010. During the construction of the new building SPARKPLUG will operate from temporary accommodation at Ringcross Underground Youth Centre, as well as running activities in the park. Local young people are also being offered the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and training with Indecon Building Limited on the construction site.

Draft management strategy consultation

Once the new building is complete SPARKPLUG  will move back in. Before moving in, and as a condition of the planning permission, the council and SPARKPLUG needed to agree a management strategy for the new building. The council worked closely with the SPARKPLUG management committee to draft this strategy and in April 2010 completed a three week period of public consultation on the draft version. 

The aim of the strategy is to provide a means for the Council to ensure that SPARKPLUG operates according to the principles agreed with local people. Through working with both the SPARKPLUG Management Committee and local residents we can ensure that the strategy acknowledges the needs and interests of all parties. The strategy includes: the operating hours as agreed by West Area Planning Committee in September 2009, ways of minimising noise disturbance, health and safety, security, waste management and maintenance issues.

The strategy was revised based on the comments and suggestions that were received from local residents. A copy of the revised strategy was then submitted to the Planning Department and following one final public consultation the strategy went to Planning Committee in July. The approved management strategy is available to download below.

For more information please contact:

Catherine Wright
Greenspace Projects and Development Officer
Islington Council
222 Upper Street
London
N1 1YA
Tel: 020 7527 1867
Email: catherine.wright@islington.gov.uk