- Ambitious plan to transform of 36 hectares of parkland and green spaces
- Created with and by residents the Masterplan will revitalise the parks and greens spaces of Beckton for use by all communities and age groups
Today (Tuesday 30 January 2024) Newham Council Cabinet approved one of the most ambitious urban green space projects in London.
As the individual schemes within the Beckton Park Masterplan are delivered it will create a gold standard green space that will benefit everyone living and working in Beckton and Custom House wards and in Newham as a whole.
Councillor James Asser, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainable Transport said: “This is one of the most exciting, ambitious and eco-friendly plans to come before Cabinet in generations and will transform and enhance a whole swathe of this borough into a green, sustainable and inclusive space for all to enjoy.
“Today’s adoption of the Beckton Parks Masterplan demonstrates our commitment to the long-term development of the parks as a vital community resource and will help unlock opportunities to secure the investment required to deliver the vision.
“It has been designed with and by our residents, who have worked us every step of the way. They have been supported by the landscape designers and other appointed specialists to draw up plans that meet their needs and aspirations.
“This is truly a once in a generation chance to deliver something lasting, beautiful, sustainable which will change, protect and enhance the environment for the good of our residents and future generations.”
It will provide a new blueprint for the area which will bring huge benefits to the borough.”
The Beckton Parks Masterplan area covers approximately (36 hectares) and two Council wards (Beckton & Custom House). Locations within the scope of the Masterplan are Beckton District Park (North and South), New Beckton Park, Beckton Corridor, the former Newham City Farm site and King George V Park and include a variety of leisure and community facilities as well as community growing and designated ‘Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation’ (SINC[1]).
While Beckton Parks are currently well used by residents and the community, areas of the Parks have been under-utilised and amenities across the Parks require investment and rejuvenation. The Masterplan aims to ensure that the Parks fulfil their potential to be a major asset for the borough, used by all residents across the borough as well as visitors to Newham.
Once agreed the Masterplan will be used to unlock external funding and inform the detail of future capital and/or revenue funding decisions that the Council makes over the coming years.
The scope of the Masterplan is wide, some highlights include:
- A new Community Farm with Green Skills Hub (Repurposing the former City Farm Site): The Masterplan proposes that the former Newham City Farm site is redesigned to create a new community farm with green skills hub.
- Boat House Café, Ecological Lake and Lido: The Masterplan proposes significant enhancements to the lake in the North of the parks. This includes redeveloping the existing buildings to create a café, toilets and indoor play space.
- Will Thorne Pavilion and Sports Hub: Will Thorne Pavilion will be refurbished to deliver improved facilities including community halls, accessible toilet facilities and a café. The building will serve as a central hub for the network of parks, attracting walkers, cyclists, dog walkers and families following the nature and play trails. Several community-led sports teams and groups use the current pitches and a well-established park run also make use of the Pavilion. The building will provide a much-needed space for these groups. The space outside Will Thorne Pavilion see new Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs) and active play elements such as dance spaces with seating areas, and informal ball courts. Improvements will be made to the existing football pitches and the 5k Parkrun route will be formalised. New pathways will improve accessibility and planting schemes around facilities will present opportunities for improved biodiversity. Some of the capital required to deliver this work has already been secured by the Council through its successful bid for Levelling up funding which was awarded in 2021.
- Improved safety, walking and cycling: During the co-design process residents said considerations of safety were a priority, so key routes around the parks will be illuminated and include CCTV. Traffic calming measures and improved pedestrian crossings will be introduced along Stansted Road designed to transform the road which currently divides the parks into a road that sits within the park.
Councillor Asser said: “This masterplan brings together the ideas and work of many people over the last year and a half and presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a network of community spaces and parks that will make Beckton a place to visit and enjoy. I am very excited about what we can deliver with this Masterplan – it is the promise of an exciting future for the area and will set the standard for what can be achieved in our parks.”