Under-developed areas of Green Belt can sometimes deliver much greater utility without undermining their openness.
From being a below-standard flood storage area of under-utilised land in the Green Belt, Beam Parklands in east London created a 53ha new community facility for a deprived area, while also bringing the flood defence system up to standard. New play areas were created and more than 14,000 trees were planted, creating a ‘carbon sink’ for the area.
The award-winning scheme by Arup includes 12ha of new valuable habitats and the safeguarding of several European protected species. It not only provides a new space for the community to enjoy but engages them in the maintenance of the park. It preserves and interprets nationally significant archaeological finds.
A unique funding scheme not only found the resources to initiate the project but put in place a means of maintaining the park in perpetuity.
Design consultants: Arup
Clients: Environment Agency and The Land Trust
Key collaborators: London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, London Borough of Havering
This project is part of 'Beyond the Green Belt'
