Burgess Park developments

Further to the news about local concerns on the plans to develop Burgess Park, the council is holding some consultation and drop-in events. These are:

* 8 July - walkabout and workshops, 6pm, Burgess Park sports club
* 10 and 11 July - walkabout and workshops, 10am to 4pm, Chumleigh Gardens
* 20 July - public consultation event, 5pm to 7pm, Thurlow Lodge, 1 Thurlow St, London, SE17 2US
* 31 July - consultation feedback drop in session, 10am to 4pm, Chumleigh Gardens
* You can also drop in to the Chumleigh Gardens café to see the plans for the park and leave your comments in the comment book there, or email ruth.miller@southwark.gov.uk.

You can read more:
* about the plans at www.southwark.gov.uk/burgesspark.
* at www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200280/burgess_park_transformation/1719/latest scroll to the end of that page and click on:
* Response to Burgess Park Action Group consultation
* Frequently asked questions
The full letter from the Council is below.
___________________________________________
LETTER FROM COUNCIL
You may have heard recently in the local press and on television about plans for the redevelopment of Burgess Park. The council would like to take this opportunity to tell you directly about the next steps involved in unlocking the potential of the borough's largest green space.

For too long Burgess Park has been 'unfinished' and in the past improvements have been piecemeal and without a coherent vision. In December 2008, members of the public shared their ideas on how to improve Burgess Park through consultation and a Facebook campaign and helped support our bid to the GLA for money to invest in the park. In March 2009 it was announced that Burgess Park had won £2m from the Mayor of London, and it received a further £4m in match funding from the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities.

Since then Southwark Council's parks team has been busily working to turn the £6m into visible improvements to one of London's most deserving open spaces, extensively consulting with community groups and partners. Between May and October 2009 we ran a design competition for the park, and members of the public were invited to meet the two shortlisted designers, see their plans and ask questions. Based on residents' feedback, LDA Design was awarded the contract. In March the designs were sent out for public comment. The proposals you see now have been shaped by those comments and suggestions - there have been over 20 events, meetings and workshops since last December involving over 600 local people, plus a dedicated Facebook group.

We believe the development is an amazing opportunity to realise the full potential of Burgess Park. The plans to date propose: An increase in the amount of green space in the park for residents to enjoy The creation of new children's play facilities
A new café in Chumleigh Gardens Improvements to the lake and sports facilities
A safer park - improved entrances, redundant roads removed and a new path network created A park with richer and more diverse habitats, supporting existing biodiversity and helping new wildlife flourish

We are considering the environment at every stage of the project. Any trees, shrubs and lighting that are removed will be replaced elsewhere and land moved will be used to create new features elsewhere in the park.

The latest plan is not set in stone - there is still time for you to have your say on the future of the park, before any plans are finalised. We will also be providing you with a range of options for the phase one works, as well as the costs for each option. This will allow you to see the choices available. Throughout July we will be holding events where you can drop in and talk to someone about the plans: 8 July - walkabout and workshops, 6pm, Burgess Park sports club 10 and 11 July - walkabout and workshops, 10am to 4pm, Chumleigh Gardens 20 July - public consultation event,
5pm to 7pm, Thurlow Lodge, 1 Thurlow St, London, SE17 2US 31 July - consultation feedback drop in session, 10am to 4pm, Chumleigh Gardens. You can also drop in to the Chumleigh Gardens café to see the plans for the park and leave your comments in the comment book there, or email ruth.miller@southwark.gov.uk.

You can read more about our plans to transform the park at www.southwark.gov.uk/burgesspark.
We have included a set of 'frequently asked questions' at http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200280/burgess_park_transformation/1719/latest_developments/3. And the council's response to a set of comments from Burgess Park Action Group is also available at http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200280/burgess_park_transformation/1719/latest_developments/2

We are aware that the park plays an important role in residents' lives. This plan may not reflect everyone's personal view but we are committed to including as many ideas and suggestions as we can, in order to meet the majority's needs. Your views are valuable in finding the best plan.

I'd like to thank you for your input and your future involvement during the consultation, in what is an extremely exciting scheme and one that will release the full potential of one of London's most important parks.

Councillor Barrie Hargrove
Cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling Southwark Council.