Planning for Ruskin Park’s Future

June 16, 2019
|In Uncategorized
|By Chris Norris

Update – June 2019

Local architects Campbell Cadey will be at the Ruskin Park Summer Fete on Saturday 22nd June to hear from park users as they develop the first stage of their work on the masterplan. Please do take a few minutes out from your day to speak to them.

Update – March 2019

Our trustees and other volunteers are always working on projects to improve the park and plan for the future.

Masterplan

We are starting work on a ‘masterplan study’ in partnership with Lambeth Council and supported by local architects Campbell Cadey. In other parks, a successful masterplan has provided a coherent framework for desired improvements, and made the case for funding from a variety of sources over time. While not acting as a barrier to our current work, a masterplan should help us avoid short-sighted decisions and to consider the needs of different people who use the park.

The main areas being considered are:

  • Arrival and way-finding
  • Play, sports and fitness
  • Hub, focal points and routes
  • General maintenance, including gardening and furniture.

You will be hearing a lot more about this over the coming months, but if you have general comments about the park then you can still complete our survey here.

To help deliver this and other priorities, we are now meeting more formally with Lambeth Council representatives each quarter as a ‘Partnership Board’ for the park.

Health and Wellbeing

We are keen to promote health and wellbeing through new activities, better facilities and partnerships. There is increasing evidence that successful parks have a positive impact on the health status of their users.  As well as including potential sport, fitness and play improvements in the masterplan study, some of the shorter-term priorities being considered include:

  • Adding distance markers around the perimeter of the park to support walking and running for people of all abilities
  • Installing outdoor exercise equipment
  • Creating trails to encourage people to explore the park’s heritage
  • Improvements to the Community Garden to support more people to get involved in gardening and food growing.
Stable Block

There are encouraging signs that Lambeth Council is proceeding with plans to restore the derelict stable block. We are hopeful that this will be in line with the vision we set out last year and we are continuing discussions with South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) who are key partners, given their focus on mental wellbeing.

If you have any comments, questions or ideas for the trustees, please email Lucy (Chair) and Chris (Vice Chair) at info@friendsofruskinpark.org.uk