open corners
spaces in the borough brought to life with new ideas, to come together and transform them into useful spaces for growing, learning and playing.
Barking and Dagenham has more green spaces than any other borough in London. Along with beautiful parks, the borough has thousands of smaller pockets of green spaces. Some ideas were shared to convert some spaces into vegetable patches, play corners, community gardens or even dog parks.
During the co-production process, residents come together and can participate in different ways.
For example:
Designing how the space will look and feel, adding ideas
Planning and preparing for the build
Growing plants from seeds at home and planting them in the shared garden
Lending a hand with digging , building, sawing or painting.
Looking after the team by making tea coffee and sandwiches.
past open corners
The Westbury Community Space
The Westbury Community Space was created by residents of St Awdrys Road; Tim, Billy, Carole, Vanessa and Maddie. They reclaimed an overgrown green space that some people were using for drug taking. Through sessions and activities, residents were able to demonstrate how to take over and look after a local green space for others to learn too.
The Wild Garden
One transformation leads to another, as The Wild Garden is inspired by Westbury Community Space.
Residents from Surrey Road, were inspired by Westbury Community Space and decided to tackle an unused green space near them. Built with hills and carefully placed bushes the space was begging for some creative attention. Residents Karen and Paul came in for a co-design session and The Wild Garden was born.
Arnold Road
The Arnold Road Open Corner started when resident Siddika approached the project in late autumn 2018 and spoke about being able to grow her own fruit and vegetables with her neighbours. The team got permission from the council and helped with signage however the first usage of the Arnold Road Open Corner was solely organised by Siddika and the residents that lived close to it.
Martins Corner
The Corner Coffee House, a local community run cafe, had nurtured a green space on the Becontree Estate. It was part of the ‘Love Where We Live’ campaign they had started in the area around Green Lane. The plot had been in need of some attention, so the Martin’s Corner team engaged some residents and collaborated with the cafe team and the immediate neighbour to start some greening activities.
Abbey Road
Wrap-around tree planters are being installed and planted up by this resident team to transform an area currently blighted by cigarette butts and litter. This is just the beginning for this aspiring team so watch this space for further planting projects on the Abbey Road!
Harts Lane
Building on a fabulous tree-planting event last year , residents on the estate are teaming up with neighbouring boaters from the River Roding Trust moorings. Currently completing their co-design, spring planting in new planters has been coupled with more tree-planting as a beautiful Open Corner starts to take shape.