This small site lies in Algate East, at the heart of Tower Hamlets. It is facing a proposal to remove seven trees, including a mature Whitebeam and apple tree, to build an office block and new front to Toynbee Hall. The site has been neglected for a number of years and needs investment to improve the landscaping, access to Toynbee Hall and made safer for local people to use. This would include allowing the park to be closed at night. Losing this small neighbourhood park is not justifiable however.
The council’s own Open Space Strategy says how Aldgate is 'very deprived' in terms of green spaces (Open Space Strategy, pp43) and that Tower Hamlet plans ‘to achieve and maintain the highest quality parks and open spaces that are safe and accessible to all of the borough's residents and visitors’. The council states:
“The key objectives of the Green Grid Strategy are to:
- Retain all existing open spaces and walking routes;
- Enhance the quality of existing open spaces;
- Create new publicly accessible open spaces;
- Connect open spaces to local communities with enhanced and new walking routes; and
- Manage the Green Grid to a high standard” (Tower Hamlets Implementation Plan, 2010, pp28)
We are asking the council to review this proposal and rather than reduce the site, invest in it and keep it for local people, in accordance with their open space strategy and the All London Green Grid SPG.
Local residents are complaining of feeling excluded from the planning process and want to see this neighbourhood park protected and improved for them to use.
Please show your support today!
1. Further details about the proposal are available here (Planning ref: PA/14/01577)
2. Sign the residents’ petition: