Borough, Bankside and Bermondsey
George Row playground
Background Information
The Thames Tideway supersewer project provides a £6m mitigation fund to be spent on specific local infrastructure projects. £700,000 of this budget has been allocated to local play improvements, with a sum of £400,000 committed to the refurbishment of the George Row play area.
In autumn 2018, Southwark Council commissioned two reports, one on play spaces and one on wider Dickens Estate landscape improvements under the banner of the Bermondsey Riverside Community Project (BRCP) (PDF, 2.1mb). Funded by the Thames Tideway Section 106 contributions, strategic studies were carried out to research and present options for the enhancement of open spaces across the Dickens Estate and wider Tideway Chambers Wharf area. The George Row ball court was one of the spaces, identified in the BRCP with potential for improvement and a priority to be delivered.
The project objectives
- a high quality-landscape and play scheme that will benefit all the people living on the housing estate and in the surrounding area
- help improve children’s lives with a free, welcoming and useable play space that is convenient for all users, helping to improve wellbeing and tackling obesity for the local community
- reduce anti-social behaviour and potentially reduce crime by improving and opening up the space to increase views into the space
- encourage residents and children to engage and mix within the new welcoming space
Project development and consultation
In 2019, consultation was organised by the council’s community projects team and letters went out to 2092 addresses and contacts in the local area. A sketch scheme was drawn up for the site and live consultation with two events took place to get estate wide feedback on areas for improvement / social media/ questionnaires/ work with schools. Two options had been identified and resident put their views on these options (A) To bring the existing ball court up to a modern standard and (B) To change the use of the ball court to a playground. The options can be viewed here on Southwark consultation hub.
The consultation ran from 10 June 2019 until 5 July 2019 and people were invited to respond on the online site, by email, letter or telephone expressing a preference for either option and making comments on the proposals.
Following a pause due to the pandemic in 2020, in 2021 the play space proposal was revised to incorporate the comments and suggestions made previously. A further round of consultation took place on the revised design was completed in February 2021 which was a choice between the tree house play space and ship play space. This was completed both online and a mail out and flyers posted alerting all residents. In addition, a video link giving information was available to residents.
Construction work
Southwark Council completed the tender process and appointed Ground Control Ltd as the contractor to complete the work. The construction work involves demolition of the existing ball court, surrounding fencing and walls and creation of a new play area with paths, railings, street furniture and improved landscaping and planting. To carry out this work a welfare and site compound will be located on the site.
For health and safety, there will not be any access through the site while works are taking place. We apologise for any inconvenience but hope you agree that the changes will be of great benefit for everyone.
Contractors, Ground Control Ltd will construct the project and their working times are:
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm
- Saturdays by prior arrangement
For any emergencies call: 07752 797 828
Timetable
- start date - Monday 13 June 2022
- delivery programme - 20 weeks weather dependant
Find out more information about the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in Southwark and how the tunnel is being built in Southwark You can contact us in the following ways:
- speak directly to a member of your local Tideway team on 08000 30 80 80 or email helpdesk@tideway.london
- email Jacqueline.Christie@southwark.gov.uk to discuss your concerns and issues
- register with Tideway to be kept informed about construction at getinvolved@tideway.london
George Row playground opening December 2022
Page last updated: 01 August 2024
