Photos from the opening of Old Paradise Gardens

 

The fountains are turned on!

 

The new gates are opened! They includes inscriptions from gravestones in the park, and details of plants found in the Gardens.

A walnut tree is planted.

Grand opening of Old Paradise Gardens this Thursday!

GRAND OPENING!
OLD PARADISE
GARDENS

Formerly known as Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground

Lambeth High Street, London SE11

Thursday 24 October 2013 - 4pm – 5pm

Come join The Friends of Old Paradise Gardens as we celebrate the completed renovations of the park
Kate Hoey MP will turn on the new fountain

Adam Thomas Landscape Architect will open the new entrance gate

Randall Contracting will plant a Walnut Tree

Refreshments

Fabulous Raffle Prizes to be won donated by local businesses
(Tickets can be obtained at £1 from 3.30pm till 4.45pm on the day)
• EDF London Eye: Two Adult & Two Children’s Tickets
• Novotel Hotel: Weekend Stay including Breakfast
• Knights of Mayfair: Smoked Salmon Gift Box
• Finecrown Patisserie: Gift Box
• Zeitgeist Pub: £30 Meal/Drinks Voucher
• Embankment Grocery: £25 Voucher
• The Windmill Pub: £20 Voucher and others !

The Friends Group protects, enhances and promotes the park with the help of the local community. New members are always welcome. From £3 yearly membership. More information on how you can help:
Email: secretary@oldparadisegardens.org

Work starting next month at Old Paradise Gardens (the Rec)

 Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground will have £150,000 of landscape improvements completed by the end of summer 2013. Landscape contractors, Randall Contracting, were awarded the job in April 2013 and
are due to start works in May 2013. The funding has come from a section 106 agreement with a local developer. The improvement works were  prioritised in line with the refurbishment plan (shown in figure 1 below) which was developed alongside the Friends of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground and from local consultation results. The works will include refurbishment of pathways, the central water feature, entrances, play area, park furniture and plantings.

Adam Thomas of Amazea Ltd is the landscape architect who designed the improvements and will contract
administer the physical works. The commencement of works has taken longer than anticipated due to the
discharging of planning requirements, as the site has listed features and is an ex-burial ground.

An opening event will be held in autumn 2013 to celebrate the improvement works and the renaming of the
park to Old Paradise Gardens.

The improvements that are included in the £150,000 contract are:

• Refurbishment of the path network (excluding the watchtower area).
• Refurbishment of the central water feature. This includes a water play pump, plantings and seating.
• A new entrance at the corner of Lambeth High Street (the north-east corner entrance to the park).
• Refurbishment of the existing play area and inclusion of a new natural play feature.

Improvement Items that maybe added to the contract depending on the remaining contingency budget include:

• Refurbishment of the Whitgift Street entrance.
• A new perimeter path on the eastern side of the park to connect to the existing perimeter path of the western side.
• Lowering of the eastern wall in the walled watchtower area to create safe sightlines.
• Additional planting works.

The work is due for completion in August.

Costa Coffee proposes 25m hopper for Old Paradise Street

Costa Coffee have submitted a planning application to increase the capacity of their roasting facility next to the railway on Old Paradise Street.

The plans include a 25 metre high hopper for roasting coffee - about the same height as the police building and Sugden boilerhouse chimney on the same street.

The plans have the potential to affect residents of Gabriel House, and users of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground (Old Paradise Gardens).

You can view and comment on the plans here.

Improvements to our local smaller parks

Pedlars' Acre
(between Opal Street and Cottington Street)

The older children’s playground at Pedlars' Acre has been refurbished and there is some funding available to replace some of the play equipment in the younger children’s play area. A consultation document has been put on the fencing to Pedlars' Acre and in the reception area of the housing office at 91 Kennington Lane. If you have any questions about the proposed works please contact Caroline Fraser Landscape Architect Programme Manager on 020 7926 4266.

Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green

Final consultation is going on about installing children's play equipment at Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green. The plans are for three play areas - one in the corner adjacent to the Adventure Playground building, one adjacent to Fitzalan Street opposite the stables, and one adjacent to Lollard Street and the Ethelred Youth Club building, opposite the steps to the nursery. We can email you the plans, or for more information contact Callum Brown.

Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground (Old Paradise Gardens)

We're disappointed that the plans for the refurbishment of the park which were agreed more than a year ago have been delayed yet again. We've made it clear to officers that these continuing delays are unacceptable. The plans include a brand new water feature, improved entrances and sight lines. A meeting of the Friends of the park had been scheduled for the Wednesday 19 September.

Tyers Street Linear Park

Secretary of the Vauxhall Gardens Estate Residents & Tenants Association Chrys has been working hard on early plans for a linear park along Tyers Street. The steering group has started consultation, set up a website, commissioned early ideas, and created a video. We're now working to incorporate the plans into the overall masterplan for Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

Cotton Gardens 


The current ball game area, flanked by the Cotton Gardens Estate is to get a major facelift to transform it from a run down ball area, into a new safe and modern multi-sports space. It will benefit from new surfacing and multi purpose football and basketball goals and new fencing.


Additional adjacent space has also been earmarked for development into an environmentally friendly, green and sustainable playground haven for younger children. Newly installed play equipment and play features will be built using natural products. This was approved at the Planning Committee on 31 January.


Ballcourt next to Ward Point, Ethelred Estate

At the same time, work will also take place to raise the height of the fencing around the ball court next to Ward Point - an issue councillors have been raising since the ballcourt was installed a couple of years' ago.