Highbury community plan

Highbury Fields Drainage Improvements

Expected cost: TBC

This project would re-landscape the lower part of Highbury Fields to protect against surface water runoff and flooding from extreme rainfall through a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS). SuDS systems capture surface water to reduce the risk of surface water flooding. Such measures are particularly pertinent in the context of the ongoing climate emergency, especially as instances of extreme rainfall and drought are set to increase.

Highbury Fields Improvements

Expected cost: TBC

Highbury councillors are keen to hear from local residents for their suggestions to improve Highbury Fields. In particular, they would like to consider ideas for delivering increased resilience and improved biodiversity in the context of the climate emergency. This project would provide funding to undertake formal consultation with local residents and park users, to identify and deliver improvements to enhance the area and deliver increased amenity for all users.

Beechcroft Waste and Recycling Area

Expected cost: TBC

This would refurbish the waste area for Beechcroft Court where there have been reports of fly tipping and general mess. This may include new bin enclosures and a lumber point.

Food Growing Market Garden (Highbury Quadrant)

Expected cost: TBC

This project would re-purpose an area of unused land for a food growing and gardening area run by residents in Highbury Quadrant. 

Aberdeen Park cycle and mobility scooter storage

Expected cost: £15,500

This would replace the outdated cycle shelter at 6 to 10 Aberdeen Park Estate with a new, secure structure that's suits the look of the estate more and better meets the needs of residents. The new bike shelter would be of better designed, with space for 12 bicycles and 2 mobility scooters or rollators.

Highbury Quadrant Nature Gardens - Community Coordinator 

• Our funding: £46,801
• Project starts: April 2024

This project will let Elizabeth House employ a community coordinator for 2 years to coordinate the maintenance of the Highbury Quadrant Nature Gardens. The community coordinator will be responsible for talking with residents and will put on a programme of social engagement activities and gardening workshops.

Landscaping at Riverdene Garden, Highbury Quadrant Estate

• Our funding: £15,756
• Project starts: February 2026 

Following works to allow residents safe access to the garden space, this project will bring the garden at the back of the estate to life, creating a welcoming environment for residents to enjoy.

Highbury Grove Garden Improvements

• Our funding: £35,698
• Project starts: February 2024

This project will deliver improvements to the community garden space at the rear of Highbury Grove estate. The garden will be co-designed with residents and the space will be redeveloped into a community gardening area and sensory garden.

Installation of Planters at Westerdale Court

• Our funding: £8,165
• Project starts: July 2024

This scheme will develop a community gardening space at Westerdale Court. The installation of planters will enable residents to engage in community gardening activity which promotes their health and wellbeing, facilitates positive and productive community relationships, and improves the environment with greater levels of biodiversity. The project also offers opportunities for residents to gain new knowledge and learn new skills.

Highbury Fields Park Buildings

• Our funding: £601,979
• Project starts: February 2026

This scheme will mean demolishing all of the existing park buildings, including the Highbury Fields bandstand and introduce improvements to the park, including public toilets, a dedicated area for a fixed or mobile food and drink offer, and wildlife-friendly and natural play features. Find the latest updates on the Park Improvement Project Highbury Fields page.

Highbury Accessibility Street Audit

• Our funding: £25,000
• Project starts: February 2025

This project has delivered an audit of all of the streets within Highbury. The project aims to improve accessibility throughout the ward, making streets more inclusive and accessible for all. The scope of the audit includes people friendly streets in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), as well as non-LTN streets. It has examined both physical and non-physical barriers to access. Alongside the audit, funding has been allocated for the implementation of recommendations made.

Arvon Road Allotment Group retaining walls

• Our funding: £16,000
• Project starts: January 2025

Funding provided to Arvon Road Allotment Group to repair the retaining walls for several plots, ensuring the safety of gardeners and other users of the allotment.

Highbury Quadrant PlayZone Activities Programme

• Our funding: £36,000
• Project starts: 2026

This funding will support a programme of activities on the Highbury Quadrant PlayZone, promoting participation of underrepresented groups in sports for one year. This will bring the renewed sports ground into more use and give local sports groups an opportunity to establish themselves and become financially self-sustaining.

Chestnuts Community Room Storage

• Our funding: £10,000
• Project starts: September 2025

This scheme will fund the redecoration of the community room in the Chestnut Estate so it can be used by a variety of community groups in the area. Works will include repainting, new hygiene equipment, and storage for regular users’ equipment.

Entrance gate for Birchmore Walk

• Our funding: £20,792
• Project completed: January 2026

This scheme installed a new gate and intercom system to improve safety and access to flats in 1 to 11 Birchmore Walk.

Contribution to TGC Little Seedlings programme

• Our funding: £5,660
• Project completed: December 2025

This contribution supported The Garden Classroom (TGC) in delivering Little Seedlings sessions in various sites including Highbury Fields Wildlife Garden. Sessions were free, aimed at under 5s and their parents/carers, and included nature connection and greening activities, gently introducing the idea of sustainability to participants.

Highbury Quadrant treehouse

• Our funding: £75,886
• Project completed: September 2025

This project is replacing the current treehouse near Birchmore Hall, Highbury Quadrant Estate. The new treehouse will cater to different age groups and feature accessible design for children with mobility needs to independently access a platform.

Highbury Fields Cycle signage

• Our funding: £1,907
• Project completed: August 2025

This project introduced pedestrian priority signage on Church Path, which goes through Highbury Fields. The aim is to reduce conflict between people walking and cycling through the park.

Highbury Quadrant noticeboards

• Our funding: £10,851
• Project completed: December 2024

This scheme installed 16 noticeboards across the Highbury Quadrant Estate, covering gaps where previously residents did not have access to a noticeboard.

Contribution to support Freightliners City Farm

• Our funding: £2,500
• Project completed: December 2024

This project provided support to Freightliners City Farm. The farm is a small community farm with animals and a garden which enables residents to take part in farming and gardening activities. It is an open access space which is free at the point of entry supported by donations, grants and income from farm products and services.

Sensory Room at Ambler Children's Centre

• Our funding: £12,449
• Project completed: December 2024

This project will repurposed an existing outbuilding into a sensory room for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Ambler Children’s Centre. The sensory room will provide opportunities for learning with structured sensory activities. It will also act as a calming environment which can be used to support self-regulation.

Installation of Lumber Store at Jack Walker Court

• Our funding: £20,845
• Project completed: October 2024

This scheme delivered a new lumber store unit at Jack Walker Court. The project has improved the appearance of the estate by providing a purpose-built unit for bulky waste.

Improvements to garden space at Riversdene, Highbury Quadrant Estate

• Our funding: £27,065
• Project completed: September 2024

This scheme installed gates and cleared a disused garden space at Riversdene to enable residents to safely access the space. 

Installation of Lumbar Store at Rosedale Court

• Our funding: £24,895
• Project completed: July 2023

This scheme delivered a new lumber store unit at Rosedale Court. The project has improved the appearance of the estate by providing a purpose-built unit in which bulky waste can be stored. 

Highbury Quadrant Nature Gardens

• Our funding: £20,636
• Project completed: January 2023

This project provided funding to continue an established food growing and gardening project, run by Elizabeth House and Octopus Communities Network, on the Highbury Quadrant Estate. The project was established in February 2020 and was funded by the Greener City Fund until June 2021. It brought several areas of unused, unloved and inaccessible green spaces on the estate back into use, by developing them as shared community gardens with a mixture of food growing, composting and nature gardening opportunities.

Removing fence at The Chestnuts

• Our funding: £778
• Project completed: June 2023

This project removed a section of redundant fence, levelled off the ground and opened up small area of green space on the estate.

Formalising bin storage arrangement at Westerdale Court

• Our funding: £14,960
• Project completed: August 2023

This project formalised and improved the bin storage arrangements at Westerdale Court. The bins were previously stored in disused pram sheds. The space was previously unsecured and attracted antisocial behaviour. The pram sheds have now been secured with a locked gate and a shoot hopper has been added to enable residents to deposit their refuse into the bins.

Woodstock House cycle hangar relocation

• Our funding: £3,250
• Project completed: June 2023

This project involved moving an underused cycle storage unit at Woodstock House to a location at the front of the estate. The purpose of the project was to provide residents of The Chestnuts estate with access to the cycle storage facility. Now residents from both estates have access to secure cycle storage. The hangar will help residents to store cycles safely, rather than taking up space inside properties or being left in communal areas of buildings, where they can undermine fire safety requirements. The availability of secure cycle storage will encourage more cycle use, with personal, environmental, health and economic benefits.

Highbury Fields Parkrun storage unit

• Our funding: £2,161
• Project completed: March 2022

This project funded the purchase and installation of a new unit in Highbury Fields for the storage of equipment for the popular Parkrun event. This provided organisers with easier access to equipment for setting up the event.