Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, officially opened Cornmill Gardens, a new open space at the heart of Lewisham, on Thursday 13 September.
This new dynamic site has been dramatically transformed. It is now a substantial piece of real estate and has been short-listed for the Town Centre Environment Awards.
Steve, said: “The transformation of this urban area is spectacular. It’s an excellent example of what we can do through partnership working.
“Cornmill Gardens always gained good support from the public consultations and during construction, especially as the town centre was lacking public open space. Now that it’s finished, it has been well received particularly the play area, lawn and the direct routes available. Nature too seems to be embracing the change with a variety of fish, birds and greenery thriving within the river corridor”.
“Well done to everyone involved”.
A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said: "By consulting early in the process we were able to achieve a better design for local people and the environment, in a greatly reduced timescale, which considered the risk of flooding. The careful design should also help kingfishers, eels, dragonflies and irises to thrive in Cornmill Gardens."
The public launch for the new space will be taking place on Sunday 23 September in the form of the first Lewisham Country Fayre at Cornmill Gardens.
The park will be filled with international music, a vintage fair, a trash art workshop, a market of local traders as well as horticultural competitions for children and adults.
The new space was developed in partnership with residents, Lewisham Council, Building Design Partnership, Skanska, the Environment Agency, London and Quadrant Housing Trust and Tower Homes.
The River Ravensbourne previously ran through the site confined in a concrete channel, which made the river virtually invisible to visitors, difficult to access for maintenance and devoid of any ecological life. This has now all been completely turned around.
A Children’s Play Zone has been created with play equipment positioned within rubber safer surfacing suitable for young people from 2 -15 years of age.
The previously blocked off rail arches have been opened up to contribute to a friendly and busy piazza style environment that provides the flexibility to hold events and develop outdoor retail opportunities such as market stalls and kiosks.
The Gardens area has been designed for relaxation and recreation. Low level planting, bench seating, new lighting and three timber sculptures carved from reclaimed trees have been installed.