East London's Green Spaces to get £800,000 boost

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the London Development Agency today announced plans to invest a further £800,000 in green spaces in East London as part of a drive to speed up the establishment of the East London Green Grid.

The East London Green Grid is an award winning plan to use green infrastructure and create a network of multi-purpose, high quality open spaces - making sure the regeneration of east London creates sustainable communities long after the London 2012 Olympic Games.  It will connect the places where people live and work to recreation space and access to nature and it responds to environmental challenges such as flooding, and the need to create settings for future development.

The London Development Agency has selected a range of projects for funding after inviting east London’s boroughs to bring forward proposals.  These proposals were then assessed in consultation with Natural England and the Environment Agency - aiming to choose projects that could demonstrate value for money and support the Mayor’s objectives around the environment by, for example, reducing flood risks or by improving green spaces for people and wildlife.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

"I want to make our capital a greener and more pleasant place to live. This investment marks a significant boost to help deliver this ambition by creating a network of lush green spaces where nature can thrive to improve the quality of life for people in east London."

London Development Agency Group Director for Design, Development and Environment Peter Bishop said:

"The East London Green Grid will create a network of high quality open spaces across the area.  These will provide both leisure space and allow east London to grow and adapt to climate change.  The investments we are making today will begin to fundamentally change the area and will show that the East London Green Grid can be a model for green spaces in other urban areas."

 

The projects selected include:

• Hackney will receive a grant of £100 000 to develop plans for Hackney Marshes and link up spaces in the Lower Lea and the Lea Valley Regional Park. This area is an area of outstanding natural and historical importance, providing a home for both the recognised centre of amateur football and for a diverse range of local wildlife and will add to the environmental legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games.  
• Redbridge will receive funding to unlock  the potential of the upper Roding valley for recreation and flood alleviation.
• Bromley will receive a grant to promote walking in the Cray Valley.
• Havering will get funding for a range of projects to open up access to the Ingrebourne valley and connect up a series of key spaces to the public transport network
• Bexley will receive funding for several projects across the borough to link communities to the natural landscapes of the inner Thames marshes and use these landscapes to address climate change and support business attractiveness.
• Haringey will receive a significant grant to regenerate the Lordship Recreation ground.
• Greenwich will get funding for the local community and the Environment Agency to enhance the network of waterways and open spaces in and around the Thamesmead estate.  
• Natural England will receive funding to open up access and push forward plans for new visitor facilities at Walthamstow Reservoirs.

The benefits of the East London Green Grid will be experienced by all east Londoners, new and existing, and all visitors to east London. The improvements, links and new open space will help change perceptions of east London and improve environmental resilience - complementing other regeneration activities in the Thames Gateway.

The East London Green Grid was awarded the Landscape Institute's presidents gold medal in November 2008 and has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival Awards which are to be held in Barcelona in November 2009.

ENDS