Safe, Clean Neighbourhoods

 

The year got off to a fantastic start with a successful £75,000 bid to give Bushey Park in St Matthews a much needed face-lift - over 400 local residents were involved in the creation of a resident led design to improve the park.  The scheme has been completed with new pathways, 500 new shrubs, improved planting areas, and new seating areas and bins which have been positioned to ensure that they are covered by CCTV.  The rejuvenation of Bushey Park has led to widespread admiration and increased usage of the park by local people and Taylor Road Primary School, with the park forming an attractive green centrepiece that residents can be proud of.

 

We have upgraded lighting and installed new CCTV on the St Marks open space to make residents feel safer as they use the popular cut through from the estate to the local supermarket.  Seating areas have also been created in conjunction with extra bins on the open space to improve the liveability of the neighbourhood.

 

Both estates have benefitted from the Neighbourhood Management tree planting scheme which has seen 70 new trees planted to add much needed greenery to the environment. 

 

Following successful negotiations by the Neighbourhood Board two green areas are now being re-turfed to turn them in to community football pitches in time for the next football season.

 

Such is the demand for environmental improvements in the neighbourhoods that two estate gardeners have been employed to work with local residents to improve the many courtyards and green spaces on both estates.  The gardeners are currently working with the Housing Department to revamp a courtyard space with local residents on Ottawa Road in St Matthews.    

 

The gardeners have also been helping residents grow their own food to encourage healthy eating and environmental awareness, with local residents given free start-up packs consisting of planter tubs, compost and seeds – we all hope that this project will be “bearing fruit” over the coming Summer months!