23 January 2015
London mayor Boris Johnson has revealed a new £900,000 pot of money for improving parks in London.
London mayor Boris Johnson has revealed a new £900,000 pot of money for improving parks in London.
Members of the public are being asked to vote online for a series of green space improvements across the capital.
The Mayor's Big Green Fund II will provide grants of up to £175,000 towards environmental improvements including better walking and cycling links between green spaces and schemes that help to manage flood risk.
Seven projects have been identified by the Mayor and members of the public can give their support for their favourite schemes from today until 2 March. Once the poll has concluded, the Mayor's team will analyse the figures and determine which schemes to prioritise for funding.
The seven schemes cover the length and breadth of the capital and range from proposals to restore a marsh in Stanmore to a project that would link two wetland wildlife reserves in Hackney and Walthamstow.
This latest round of funding follows the first Big Green Fund which spent £2 million on six environmental projects in Hounslow, Waltham Forest, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Bexley and Redbridge.
Johnson said: "London is growing by 100,000 people every year and while are working hard to stimulate the construction of new homes and improve transport infrastructure, we also need better quality green spaces. There is absolutely no doubt that parks and green spaces in urban areas improve the wellbeing and quality of life of local people and through the Big Green Fund II we look forward to transforming sites across the capital that thousands of residents will enjoy."
The London deputy director at the Environment Agency Simon Hughes said: "We were delighted to help the mayor select suitable projects for the Big Green Fund. The public poll is a great way for Londoners to show their support for projects that will improve their local environment and achieve other benefits such as helping to reduce flood risk."
Other green infrastructure projects championed by the mayor include planting 10,000 street trees by spring 2015 and the £2million 'Pocket Park' scheme. In 2008, the Mayor launched his Help a London Park scheme which saw Londoners vote for the parks they most wanted to see improved. Ten parks were each awarded £400,000 for improvement projects.
Members of the public can decide which projects they like most by visiting www.london.gov.uk/biggreenpoll
Pictured is an artist's impression of Walthamstow Wetlands
