South Woodford station has just had a new entrance on the east side of George Lane & we'd like to take this opportunity to work with London Borough of Redbridge, TFL & the Orchard Project, to help us re-imagine this streetscape. This includes two small sections of green space, to provide an orchard for free fruit to be accessed by the community with more bee and user friendly planting. Broken brick planters by the local car park (junction of Mulberry Way and Primrose Road) would be refurbished. We would also like to add some Christmas lights to an already established Christmas Tree, ideally solar powered, to create a welcoming aspect to this corner of South Woodford during the darker winter months. This area gives access to a badly neglected subway, which needs painting and refurbishing and CCTV for security which will hopefully be carried out by LBR and TFL.

What we'll deliver:

• Orchard to provide free fruit for the community
• All products to be made from recycled products and as sustainable as possible
• Dig out current planted area outside tube station and replace with planter
• Investigate solar power for Christmas lights on existing pine tree

Why it's a great idea:

These spaces are currently run-down and unfortunately, often used as a public urinal (or worse) by certain members of the community. We want to refurbish this area to prevent this happening. High level planters should discourage this behaviour and increased use of the area will also prevent abuse. There are many benefits, not least, the increase in the residents’ community wellbeing, which will result in less crime and greater security in the local area. New community orchards help to address the nation’s allotment shortfall, promote community production and ownership of fruit, and help us rediscover the pleasures of eating organic fruit grown close to home. Community orchards also green the urban environment and create habitats for wildlife, increasing the city’s biodiversity. In an era of climate change and peak oil, planting trees which will provide a large yield year after year, for decades to come is a logical move, helping to build food security and community resilience.

Steps to get it done:

• Buying the hard landscaping and equipment required
• Building the hard landscaping
• Creating the beds and planters
• Buying the plants and equipment we need
• Investigating the use of solar power for christmas lights
• Purchase and install solar power and christmas lights
• Planting up the planters and orchard
• Opening the orchard
• Maintaining the planting and orchard
• Switch on christmas lights!

We will speak to local schools and community groups to involve them which will create cohesion in the project throughout the area. Information boards giving knowledge about the environment will improve local involvement in green projects and will hopefully improve recycling rates. Workshops at harvest time will improve the communities interest in eating locally and nutritional information can also be provided.