Transformed Bollo Brook Park unveiled at Acton Gardens
Countryside, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, L&Q, one of the UK’s leading housing associations, and Ealing Council have officially re-opened Bollo Brook Park, a transformed public open space at Acton Gardens, the regeneration of the former South Acton estate in west London, alongside pupils from Berrymede Junior School and Berrymede Infant School.
Bollo Brook Park is a large, 0.5-hectare, urban park that now offers a range of sports, health and wellbeing activities for local residents of all ages and abilities. The park has been significantly improved, and now offers a floodlit multi-use games area (MUGA), children’s play area (including an interactive games arch that is the first of its kind in London), exercise equipment including a dedicated ‘senior fitness’ unit, an astro-turfed activity area and a footpath circuit for walking and jogging with timber distance markers.
A performance area has also been created, with a stepped terrace providing informal seating around a small ‘stage’ area. A large paved seating area has also been delivered, providing an attractive waiting and meeting space for parents and pupils of Berrymede Infant School and Junior School.
Bollo Brook Park has been designed in consultation with local residents, and both Berrymede Infant School and Berrymede Junior School have been involved throughout the project, as well as Bollo Brook Youth Centre. The motif cast into the concrete of the performance area stage was designed by pupils from Berrymede Infant School, while a new mural that will be installed later this year has been designed by Berrymede Junior School pupils and members of Bollo Brook Youth Centre.
Located between Berrymede Junior School and the community facilities of Acton Gardens Phase 6.2, which include a nursery and doctors’ surgery, the park is part of over 4.69 hectares of open spaces being created at Acton Gardens, with 1.85 hectares dedicated to play spaces, making a positive contribution to health and wellbeing in the local area.
Daniel King, Managing Director, Partnerships West London and Thames Valley, Countryside, said: “The value of parks and green spaces has always been recognised at Acton Gardens and is evident throughout its design. We’re proud to have opened Bollo Brook Park, the second public park that has been delivered so far at Acton Gardens. We’re committed to building fantastic places to live, and so our focus isn’t just on the homes that we create, it is also on the parks, streets and other amenities that make places people love. Designed with the input of residents and situated in the heart of Acton Gardens, we expect the park will swiftly become a firm favourite of the local community.”
Darren Parker, Director of Project Management and Development at L&Q, commented: “The importance of open spaces to people’s health and wellbeing has never been more evident. Bollo Brook Park is another great addition to Acton Gardens. Designed in partnership with the local community, this inclusive park will provide something for residents of all ages to use and enjoy for years to come.”
Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council said: “I’m delighted to have been able to work alongside L&Q and Countryside to officially re-open Bollo Brook Park. It is another important step in the ongoing development of Acton Gardens. The park now boasts much-improved facilities to help local people stay fit and active and enjoy green spaces on their doorstep. I am sure that these new facilities will prove very popular when current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and sport and fitness activities can be resumed.
“When completed, the new Acton Gardens estate will host almost 1,300 socially rented homes, all of which will be well within the means of local people on low incomes. This ambitious development is part of our commitment to providing 2,500 genuinely affordable homes around the borough for local people, making us London’s most ambitious homebuilding council.”
Acton Gardens is a 52-acre comprehensive redevelopment of the former South Acton estate – a £800 million investment creating 3,463 new mixed-tenure homes. The development delivers 50% affordable housing and more social rent homes than existed on the estate before the project commenced. The rehousing of residents from the existing South Acton estate is a key priority.
The transformation of Bollo Brook Park has been funded entirely through Section 106 contributions from Acton Gardens (which has also contributed to future maintenance of the park), with project management by Ealing Council’s Leisure and Parks Service and construction by Ground Control Ltd.