Community-led plans to boost biodiversity in Down Lane Park and make the open space more accessible have received the highest possible grant of £750,000 from a major Mayor of London greening fund.
Haringey fought off tough competition to secure the money from the second round of the £3.8m Green and Resilient Spaces Fund which supports large-scale, ambitious projects that future-proof the capital from the climate emergency.
The money will be used to transform the open space in Tottenham with meadow and long grass planting, fruit and edible trees and mixed hedgerows as well as a wildlife pond, log piles, bat boxes and bug hotels to create new habitats.
New entrances to the park will be created as well as wider, more inclusive footpaths. The park will benefit from improved sustainable drainage which will reduce waterlogging and create a new wet landscape feature.
The funding will also enable a programme of local resident and park user engagement, capacity building and community-led activities delivered in partnership with Living Under One Sun and other community partners.
The project will address health inequalities by breaking down the barriers some residents experience to accessing green spaces.
Cllr Mike Hakata, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport and Cllr Ruth Gordon, Cabinet Member for House Building, Placemaking and Development, co-chairs of the resident and park user Down Lane Park Community Design Group, said:
We’re passionate about tackling the climate emergency and for our residents to have access to great parks, so are delighted to have secured this funding from the Mayor of London. It’s a real vote of confidence in our ability to build a fairer, greener borough.
This co-designed programme of improvements to a vital open space at the heart of the Tottenham Hale neighbourhood will bring huge benefits for the local community and play a pivotal role in creating a healthier future for generations to come.
It’s a fantastic example of us working in partnership with the community including Living Under One Sun, the Park User Forum, and others to address our shared priorities and strive together to reach the bold and necessary ambition of becoming a net-zero borough by 2041.
Leyla Laksari, CEO Living Under One Sun, said:
Tottenham Hale is undergoing major development and change and Down Lane Park bridges the gap between the old and the new . It's a place for existing and new members of the community to come together from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, genders and cultures to create shared experiences and positive connections.
Living Under One Sun has been supporting the community from our vibrant hub, gardens and growing space inside the park for the last five years - creating active and connected communities, so we can shape our neighbourhood alongside the council and our partners.
This funding from the Mayor will improve our park and help us to keep delivering much needed healthy living, sports and recreation activities, along with a green skills programme creating pathways to green jobs and community custodianship of the park.
Kate Digney, Associate Director at Levitt Bernstein, Landscape Architects, Architects and Lead Consultant on the project said:
Securing funding for the transformation of Down Lane Park is fantastic news for Tottenham Hale and its local community.
The green space is already well-loved and we’re working with local people through a co-design process to make it more inclusive, healthy and playful for visitors of all ages and abilities. The new masterplan will increase opportunities for community involvement in the park itself, and new trees and planting will significantly improve biodiversity whilst building climate-change resilience for the future.
We look forward to continuing to work with the local community and Haringey Council to make these plans a reality.
The community will be able to have their say on final designs for the park later in May. This feedback will then be used to develop a planning application for those elements that require planning, which will be submitted in the summer.
This first phase of improvement work will start in winter 2023/24. Updates will be posted on: https://downlaneparkimprovement.commonplace.is
