Community gardening7 years ago
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
By Hanger Hill Garden Estate Residents Association
To create a peaceful Cherry Tree Walk and Wildflower Meadow on our central reservation. We want to make it beautiful again and restore its heritage!
The land is owned and maintained by the residents association which is funded by voluntary donations. It has become overgrown and unattractive, and we do not have enough money to complete this project. It suffers from fly tipping, looks unloved, and litter gets trapped in the bushes and undergrowth. In the evenings there is poor visibility and the area is very dark due to the trees and bushes which are really overgrown, and block the street lighting. It is difficult to cross at the crossing point due to poor visibility for both pedestrians and vehicles. With the help of Transform Your Space Ealing, we'd love to re-designed the space so it can be easily maintained, is safer and more attractive. We want to create some space for the local community to enjoy. The residents are all keen to chip and do a bit of gardening, but it's too big for us to take on ourselves without expertise and funding. We would love some help!
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
At the moment, this strip of land looks like an urban jungle, with added litter. It feels creepy and dark at night! We want to make it beautiful as it once was when it was planted 80 years ago. It's important for our area to retain its heritage as a conservation area, we would enhance this by planting cherry trees, which the areas is famous for. Our inspiration comes from the spring time when the blossoms are out and there is a beautiful feel on the estate. The local residents and visitors would be the main benefactors. Local businesses could benefit from an increased footfall of people walking instead of using their cars and driving right by. We'd have a great new space! We need this in our community as the residents put a lot of care and love into this area, and we can only contribute so much financially to pay for the upkeep of the area. We'd hate this 'thorn in the side' to deteriorate further.
Steps to get it done:
We have read the Mayor's Plan 'A city for all Londoners'. Our project fits well with these aims. We hope it will encourage people to walk to the local shops rather than drive, making our street healthier. Currently a 'rat run', we hope the opening up of the area would slow the traffic down. It's already traffic calmed, but vehicles still reach high speeds and we hope the improved visibility, natural light and beautiful scenery will encourage vehicles to reduce their speed. The heritage of the area would be supported by the addition of new cherry trees and other trees such as silver birch and a wildflower meadow. We want to superbly design the space to include a path, trees, crossing points and enhance the quality of the greenery and the air quality in the area. If we can get community support and ensure road safety, we'd like to include things like bee hives, bug hotels and recreational space for everyone who lives on the Estate. For the children, we have a Play Street too!
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Whoop, 70 people have pledged since fundraising began!
How will the money be spent?Total £47,701
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Total £47,701
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VolunteerThe Hanger Hill Garden Estate is a self-managed estate of houses and flats at West Acton, London, that was rescued from dereliction and bankruptcy by residents in the 1970s and 1980s. It is today home to a thriving and diverse community with mainly UK, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Indian and East European roots.
A company owned by residents holds legal title to the service roads, garden areas and other land associated with houses on the Estate – a rose garden, ‘village pond’, woodland garden and a semi-derelict strip on Princes Gardens that is the focus of this project. These areas are managed by an active Residents Association (HHGERA) entirely run by volunteers and is financed by voluntary contributions.
The Association has proven record of delivering complex projects, most recently working closely with Ealing Council officials and contractors to implement wheelie bin recycling collections on the Estate. We also represent the Estate on planning and conservation matters, hold social events and recently organised a community gardening morning to help clear another area of overgrown woodland on the Estate.
Plans to improve the Princes Gardens central reservation were outlined and endorsed at our 2017 AGM. A small working group of residents is now working under the umbrella of HHGERA to co-ordinate and manage the project, developing Cherry Tree Walk concept. The project will use the Association’s website, bank account, contacts with local businesses and schools, conservation links and good offices generally.
The Association is open to all residents of the Estate, whether living in the houses or flats; everyone who lives here is welcome to participate in its work. We're proud of our unique corner of west London and of the role of the Association in preserving it as a peaceful oasis so close to the centre of London.
Project Owner: Hanger Hill Garden Estate Residents Association The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
Contractors: John Ward Garden & Landscape Design Ltd,Abel Gardeners The team responsible for building or installing the project.
