Construction starting on reimagined Shoreditch Park
A £2m project to create a greener, more biodiverse Shoreditch Park with new play and sports facilities begins this month.
The plans for the park, which were approved at the Council’s planning committee last year following two years of consultation and engagement with local people, in which 1,900 people told the Council what they would like to see, include: a refurbished children’s play area; new outdoor gym; multi-use games area; beach volleyball court; improvements to the informal sports pitch area; and, work to enhance the park’s accessibility, biodiversity and sustainability.
From 7 March, work is set to start on the northern section of the park, with the grass area next to New North Road set for reseeding and a new wildflower area planted near the playground.
Following this, work will start on refurbishing the sports pitch from 21 March, with improved drainage and reseeding. The sports pitch will be accessible from September but unavailable for use for bookings until May 2023 to ensure the grass has time to establish.
In April, work will begin to refurbish the park’s playground, with a new play area next to Rushton Street with a tower and mound, sand pit with sand play pieces, swings (including basket and accessible swings with rigid backs), slides (including a wide slide for two people), more trees, an inclusive roundabout (flush with the ground with space for wheelchair users), shade and seating areas.
The final phase, taking place between July and October 2022, will include work to refurbish Dorothy Thurtle Gardens - with new planting, pathways and a play trail. Additional benches will be provided along pathways and old benches will be replaced.
Alongside this, a new beach volleyball court, a multi-use games area, table tennis tables, new outdoor gym, trees and a seating area will be constructed to provide much-needed facilities for local people.
Throughout the park, grass will be resown to improve the informal sports pitch, Dorothy Thurtle Gardens and the play area. Relaxed grass mowing in certain areas of the park, rain gardens, permeable surfaces, hedges, log piles, a wildflower meadow and planting will all help to enhance the park's biodiversity, improve drainage and mitigate against climate change induced flash flooding.
These £2m plans are part of our commitment to invest in the award-winning green spaces we know mean so much to our local communities, ensuring they are exciting, inclusive and biodiverse.
Shoreditch Park is at the heart of the community in Hoxton and Shoreditch and, in conjunction with the new Britannia Leisure Centre, local residents will be able to access world-class park and leisure facilities - helping to improve physical and mental wellbeing, and make this area of inner London more beautiful.
I can’t wait for this work to be completed, and to see people continue to enjoy this amazing park for generations to come.
Find out more about the Shoreditch Park project.