Earlier this year, SNAV members were fortunate to be taken on a tour of East Walworth Green Links with Lorraine Hilton, Diano Opio, and Roger Thorner. We were very impressed to see the ongoing high level of accomplishment in grassroots urban greening.
The dramatic change to several blocks of East Walworth, from previously car-dominated grey streets to the green and vibrant neighbourhood in which we enjoyed our stroll, was made through years of community efforts, spearheaded by Lorraine’s estimable late partner, Pete Wright.
Beginning with successfully organising community meetings to save a relatively small local green area from development in the 2000’s, Pete and Lorraine went on to help win a major TfL grant for Salisbury Row Park and the surrounding area, resulting in nearly £2m funding for the changes to be designed and built professionally, with ongoing community consultation and collaboration. Their Streets For People Scheme went on to win The Best Community-Led Street Design project at the LGN Street Design Awards in 2011.
The initial project included the considered closing of portions of Townsend Street (turning it into a play street next to the school), Mason and Darwin Streets, and making Barlow Street one-way, through extensive community consultation and carefully timed testing of new local routes for traffic. This resulted in safer, quieter, greener routes for all.
Improvements included expanded parks, a number of delightful pocket gardens, multiple areas set aside for wildlife, increased street planting, and a community orchard – now called Pete’s Community Orchard, in memory of him. Over a decade later, planting is still maintained by the coordinated efforts of the local community, including a roster of over 20 volunteer gardeners, in collaboration with Southwark Council.
This year East Walworth Green Links was recognised as forming a large part of an official Transport for London Green Links Walking Route connecting Epping Forest to Peckham. They successfully applied for some of the CGS funding to start installing public benches along the designated pedestrian routes — so the route is inclusive for everyone, regardless of ability. Their work is a fantastic example of what can be done to improve conditions for both biodiversity and pedestrians, by local people with vision and persistence.
Lorraine is a member of the Bricklayers Arms TRA and continues to work in collaboration with several other local TRAs to continue to make sure the streets of East Walworth are safe, green, and hospitable for everyone. Thanks Lorraine!
Once a green route is recognised, synergy with newer initiatives can create ongoing momentum in the area. The GLA is in the process of mapping out London’s Green Infrastructure Framework and wildlife corridors for London’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy – and SNAV is working to make sure that existing greening work in Southwark, including the East Walworth Green Links, is recognised as part of this.
For more information on East Walworth Green Links and how it came to be, see this article on “Reclaiming the Streets” from Action Vision Zero. https://actionvisionzero.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/salisburyrowprojectsummary-10feb11.pdf