Bernie Spain Gardens Pre-Planning Consultation

Coin Street Community Builders invites local People to learn more about and comment on design proposals for Bernie Spain Gardens north (the part of the gardens between Upper Ground and the river) and the riverside walkway by ITV.

In 2016 Coin Street consulted on its aspirations to improve Bernie Spain Gardens. Using responses from consultation meetings and a survey of users, Coin Street developed a design brief for a high quality and sustainable open green space. In 2017 a landscape design competition was launched for the north part of the gardens. At the same time, with help from community volunteers, Coin Street improved the planting in the south part of the gardens.

Five landscape architects were commissioned to take part in the design competition and, in March 2018, we consulted on their design proposals. West 8's 'pollinator garden' was the design that had the greatest public support and was also chosen as the winner by the selection panel.

Since then Coin Street Community Builders and West 8 have refined the brief in the light of comments made by the public and the selection panel, and a design team which includes engineers, soil and tree specialists, a bee expert and a security adviser, has been working on the design. A reference group of local residents has reviewed the plans as they have been developed.

Coin Street aims to submit a planning application to Lambeth for the new Bernie Spain Gardens north park by the end of November. The application will also include proposals for a bridge over Oxo Tower Wharf's service yard to connect Bernie Spain Gardens to the Oxo courtyard, and for improvements to the riverside walkway to the north of the ITV site.