The car park will be out of use until summer 2012. When the car park is re-instated, there will no longer be all day parking.

Obviously this is a major inconvenience to our members – however, no pain: no gain, as they say.

EQRA has questioned the duration, extent and timing of the closures: which are more drastic than we expected. Certainly the prospect of the long summer holidays with no large open space is not appealing and may have knock-on consequences for our own estates.

It all boils down to cost as it makes sense financially to have all the big machinery doing the earthworks in the park at once. It is also cheaper, simpler and potentially safer to close off the entire area, rather than create a maze of constantly-changing hoardings.

Lastly, it was explained at the most recent stakeholder meeting, all seeding in the park must take place in September – so timing is critical. If the works aren’t completed by next spring (including planting etc), the Mayor’s money will have to be returned to City Hall as there is a strict deadline for the completion of the project.

Southwark Council issued the following message :

“Dear Resident, Work will soon start on the next stage of improvements to Burgess Park as part of the Revitalisation Project. Our contractors are set to get to work, carrying out improvements to the lake, creating better entrances, and removing redundant roads and pathways. When the work is complete visitors to the park will also see:

• Two new wetland habitats created for the redesigned lake
• 164 extra trees
• An exciting new over fives play ground
• A newly created lawn and wildlife garden (St. George’s gardens)
• New ‘rain gardens’ that capture surface water drainage at entrances
• New seating and signage
• New landscaping to the central lawn

It’s planned that contractors will be on site from the end of May. They will be getting the site ready for the works by putting up hoardings and fencing over a five week period. Over this time access in to the park will gradually be reduced. From 20 June onwards several parts of the park will be closed until the completion of the project in March 2012.  However the following will remain open throughout the works:

• Park Life cafe and Chumleigh Gardens areas
• Sports facilities (tennis, Astroturf, rugby and cricket)
• Cobourg Road wildlife area
• St. George’s Church
• Old baths and library
• Adventure playground
• Surrey Canal Walk and spaces to the east of Trafalgar Avenue

We will keep you regularly updated with progress of the work via our website and facebook pages. If you have any questions about the works please do not hesitate to contact the project manager, Ruth Miller at ruth.miller@southwark.gov.uk.”

Planned changes include creating improved entrances, removing redundant roads and pathways, creating new wildlife habitats, expanding the lake, building a new playground for older children and planting a brand new flower garden, “St George’s Gardens”.

Plans for the gardens alongside St. George's Way

It is expected that work will begin in the spring and this phase of the project will be complete by next March.

EQRA will continue to have a voice at ongoing stakeholder meetings, so we can represent our members and pass on your suggestions or discuss your concerns.

It’s proposed now that the £4.5 million initial funding will be spent as follows :

• Convert redundant roads to park
• Improve entrances and boundaries
• Improve accessibility and footpaths
• Re-model landform to create a coherent park and increase the usable space
• Repair and reconfigure the lakeIntroduce part of St. George’s Way Gardens
• Enhance biodiversity and maximise the retention of existing habitat
• Introduce 3000m2 play area near site of Chumleigh Gardens car park
• Implement Signage, furniture and bins, railing renewal
• Expand the New Church Road ‘wild’ area
• Implement 5km circuit
• Re-use existing site materials

Separate funding has been secured from other sources to provide:

• Food growing areas near the Surrey Canal Walk
• Outdoor gyms and satellite play
• National standard BMX track

The full revised plan for the park can be read here.

Whilst we have put a list of questions and concerns to LDA / Southwark Council regarding their plans, we welcome the idea of a grand new scheme for Burgess Park. Recent objections refer to many  piecemeal provisions that were never conceived with a bigger vision in mind. As such, we don’t see their removal as necessarily destructive or negative.

Burgess Park from St. Georges Way

Residents along the south side of Burgess Park (not just EQRA members) have spoken repeatedly of the need for improvements to the St George’s Way strip, which is currently felt to be uninviting, unkempt and ugly – even threatening. Since safety and security is a huge issue for users of the park, the plan for a formal flower garden and the removal of many of the most overgrown, neglected patches along this stretch is extremely popular.

Through the consultation events, members have also been able to stress their desperate need for a decent play area for older children. For years the lack of such a playground has been a local scandal and a source of frustration and anger, not only to parents. Thanks to the consultation, individuals and groups such as ours have been able to insist that a new playground is an absolute priority and should be achieved in Phase 1 of the redevelopment.

Several of our members have questioned the wisdom of turning over a proportion of the park to communal growing areas. Parkland is precious and turning it into allotments is not seen as ideal by all, not least because of issues surrounding how the plots will be managed.

Burgess Park : artist's impression

Much has been made recently of a proposed amphitheatre for large music festivals. Nothing in the plans refers to increasing the number of festivals (believe me, we don’t want that either): they simply acknowledge that festivals are a part of Burgess Park’s remit and that the space for them should be better designed.

EQRA broadly supports the Masterplan and it is our view that to raise a long list of objections at this late stage in the proceedings is counter-productive and risks throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We can’t wait for work to begin.

Meriam Soopee. Chair, Evolution Quarter Residents’ Association

Featured in Southwark News

Here are the scheduled walkabouts and meetings.

8 July - 6-8pm meet in the sports centre on Neate Street for a walkabout of a choice of three different routes as below:

Route 1: Lake and Old Kent Road area

Route 2: Trafalgar Avenue to underpass taking in both sides of the road including the sports area

Route 3: Camberwell road to underpass

10 and 11 July - Walkabouts in the park at 10am and 2pm. We will be taking people on three different routes as above. Meet at Chumleigh Gardens, near waterfeature.

Please can people contact ruth.miller@southwark.gov.uk to book on to the walks stating your time and walk preference.

20 July- Public meeting at Thurlow Lodge, Thurlow Street from 5-7pm. Food will be provided. The aim is to discuss the consultation and resulting long term vision plan changes. We will also be doing a workshop regarding phase 1.

31 July – 11-2pm drop in session at Chumleigh Gardens to see final plans.  This is an information sharing event.

The issue they focused on – a new amphitheatre in the park – appears to be somewhat of a side issue compared to the bulk of the plans.

The report features Councillor Barrie Hargrove, and Donnachadh McCarthy (Burgess Park Action Group) who argues the plans will mean the bulldozing of some natural areas of the park. This isn’t really a fair interpretation, as it’s not the Amphitheatre plans but the re-sculpturing plans that will mean losing some wild areas of the park.

EQRA’s position is that we are generally desperate for the plans to go ahead, and feel the benefits of the new spaces created far outweigh the loss of some areas which many members actually felt were in need of attention anyway.

The original Masterplan report is here

• BBC London’s web report.
• Another video report here on ITV London.

Work is due to start in Summer / Autumn 2010 and is expected to complete around March 2012.

It’s widely accepted that the £6 million allocated to the regeneration is a long way short of the funding needed for a substantial renovation, but the initial funds will provide better roads and pathways, improved boundaries and wildlife protection.

You can get a full copy of the winning plans here