The Public Meeting held by the Dulwich Society on the 14 October and attended by the Friends of Dulwich Park and other interested groups and members of the public were told the detailed plans on the future redevelopment of the park by Land Use Consultants and Southwark Council.
Dulwich Park which opened in 1890 had been an English Heritage Grade II (starred) listed park but because of under-funding by Southwark Council after they acquired it following the demise of the Greater London Council who in turn succeeded the London County Council, the park has lost its starred status although it remains listed.
A £3.9 million grant from the National Lottery has been awarded to Dulwich Park to restore it to its Victorian glory as well as to incorporate ecological features and provide an outdoor classroom for local schools. Land Use Consultants, the company retained to bring the renovation to fruition have wide experience on dealing with park restoration being the involved in the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Southwark Park, the Royal Parks and the re-ordering of Russell Square.
Diverse interests accommodated
The process of applying for the Heritage Lottery Grant began in 1998 and led to the formation of the Friends of Dulwich Park which now has over 200 members. Wide consultation was held with the Friends, with the Dulwich Society Trees and Wildlife Committees and other interested users and groups. Most of the 'want list' of these parties seems to have been satisfactorily accommodated in the final scheme presented at the Public Meeting by the consultants. Dog walkers still have their circuit, there is a jogging route, some of the tennis courts are to be re-sited and transformed into multi-activity areas, the main sports field (named the West Lawn) is to be installed with land drains and the surface re-laid, the first such treatment in over a century of hard usage. The ad-hoc games field (named the East Lawn) which includes the bowling green and playground will be left largely untouched.
Focal Point
The ornamental bridge will be the axis for aesthetic treatment of the overall design. To provide a vista over the lake to the lawns beyond, the tennis courts presently beside it will be re-sited. The lake will continue to form the focal point for the park. It will be dredged of silt and one end planted with reed beds. A wooden board walk will cross the lake to a viewing platform near the reed beds offering opportunities for ecological study and pond dipping. Boating will continue to be enjoyed on the remainder of the lake. Storm water will drain into the lake which will be re-circulated by a pump from the bottom of the cascade. A fine mesh and inconspicuous fence will control the Canada Geese but will have apertures to allow smaller wading birds to enter the water. A Nature
Conservation area with a squirrel enclosure will be sited in the vacant space where the aviary once stood.
Considerable money will be spent on resurfacing the carriage drive and giving a clean edge to the accompanying horse-ride and it is hoped to encourage more equestrians to use to use this rare facility (Dulwich is one of only two parks in London to retain a horse ride). Other roads and paths will also be re-surfaced. The herbaceous borders of the main walk (Snakes Lane) are to be restored and there will be considerable replanting of shrubberies throughout the park, including softening the edges of the West Lawn where they border the carriage drive.
The present cricket pavilion will be transformed into a community space allowing it to be used as a classroom. The present rangers' building will become a sports changing room with improved facilities. A CCTV system will be installed to cover the Pavilion Café and the nearby toilet block which will be re-furbished. The two lakeside shelters will have their roofs restored to their original thatched appearance. The railings and gateposts will be restored and 'period' benches will be installed throughout the park. A new boathouse will be erected.
Trees
Considerable concern had been expressed about the proposed tree-thinning programme, not least by the Dulwich Society. These concerns also appear to have been met and the present tree population of 2145 trees will be supplemented by the planting of 600 whips (small saplings) around the park and especially on the Dulwich Common side. A total of 52 trees will be felled and removed, 9 will be felled and replaced and 77 new trees planted. Old boundaries will be re-established.
Work is expected to start in the spring of 2005 and take ten months to complete. The draining of the lake, removal of accumulated silt and the planting of aquatic plants is expected to take 4-5 months and will be tailored to fit into the bird nesting season.
Park Management Plan
On completion the park will be handed over to Southwark Parks Department who are required by English Heritage to initiate a Management Plan to ensure its proper maintenance. Mr John Sheaf, the Southwark Parks Manager announced that this will include establishing a dedicated team of four Park Wardens within the park, of which two will be on duty at any one time, although it is possible these wardens will also have duties elsewhere in Dulwich, in Belair Park for example. It will be their duty to enforce the byelaws of the Park, summon the police if required, issue fixed penalty notices and if necessary give evidence in Court. The Parks Department will staff Dulwich Park with an Ecology Officer and an Education and Access Officer to encourage greater use by school groups visiting the Dulwich Picture Gallery when it will be anticipated that the morning will be spent at the Gallery and the afternoon in the Park.
Costing of the project - Budget estimates
- REFRESHMENT HOUSE AREA - £24,800
- SNAKES LANE - £193,100
- LAKE AND CASCADE - £531,200
- RIVULET - £29,600
- WEST LAWN - £576,800
- EAST LAWN - £7,500
- AMERICAN GARDEN - £150,400
- CARRIAGE DRIVE & PERIMETER ZONE - £602,200
- ENTRANCES, LODGES AND GATES - £194,300
- CAR PARK - £179,500
- GENERAL - £471,800
- £2,961,200
- PRELIMINARIES @ 12% - £355,300
- £3,316,500
- CONTINGENCIES - £270,100
- £3,586,600
- INFLATION @ 10% - £358,700
- TOTAL ESTIMATED COST - £3,945,300
(source - LAND USE CONSULTANTS)
