October 2008

The Council published exciting plans to refurbish the gardens and play area around St Luke’s church in 2007 and distributed a consultation document. At our AGM in that year, our guest speaker Cllr. Nicholas Paget-Brown, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environmental Management and Leisure outlined the phases of this major improvement programme which were completed as follows:

• children’s playground – when finished, the Council estimated that use had increased four-fold
• MUGA (multi-use games area) with two modern Astro turfed playing fields – this is very popular and always in use
• formal garden upgrade – resurfacing paths, improving drains, adding / repositioning benches
• ramp to Britten Street, to provide step-free access
• perimeter wall repairs, including new iron railings to reinstate those removed in 1940 for the war effort
• new public toilets and storage, with improved access
• climbing boulders installation in the area outside the MUGA

St. Luke’s Gardens is one of the wonderful benefits of living in our neighbourhood and the gardens have been recognised as among the best green spaces in the country – they were awarded a first Green Flag in 2009, giving them the same status in the borough as Holland Park and Kensington Memorial Gardens, and were recognised by the Mayor of London in 2011 with a Silver “Safer Parks Award”. Also in that year, long-serving and popular head gardener/park keeper Alec Eadie was one of eight people selected to receive our local Mayor’s Award for making an outstanding contribution to the Borough. We supported his nomination. .

After completion of all the improvements, SSDRA contributed towards a drinking fountain for the playing field area. An extensive search throughout the UK had failed to come up with a fountain that would suit the location. However, one of our committee members came across a first class example standing in front of the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy and after some detective work tracked down the supplier. After some months of negotiation and questions to ensure an Italian-made fountain would be suitable, an order was place and the fountain delivered. RBKC kindly agreed to install the fountain on our behalf.

St Luke’s Gardens is monitored regularly by Jan Cacchione of the Parks Police Service, who has been our local contact for many years.