Work to install a new amphitheatre in the heart of North West London has begun as the centrepiece of an ambitious plan by Barnet Council to transform Colindale Park.
The works are part of a £1.1million investment plan to create a thriving green lung in the centre of an urban environment that’s undergone huge regeneration in recent years.
Other new facilities in the park will include an outdoor gym, table tennis, fixed chess tables, new fruit trees in a scenic blossom orchard and state-of-the-art play areas. Wildflower areas and benches, a picnic area with garden tables, 3.2-metre cycling and walking path and a zip line are further additions included in the development proposals.
A Colindale Square will be created to provide a flexible space for temporary events, including plans for a farmer’s market and flee market during weekends.
Three public art pieces – two totem fans and a bench – will be installed to top it all off, funded as part of an S106 agreement with Fairview New Homes.
Councillor Dean Cohen, Chair of the Environment Committee, said: “These ambitious plans will build on Colindale Park’s reputation as a popular green space in an otherwise very urban area. New homes in the area will help younger generations get on the housing ladder – but it’s important for us to share the benefits of growth with everyone. This new investment in our green spaces is one of many ways in which we will make this happen.”
The Colindale Park project forms part of a wider strategic investment programme for the areas green spaces and leisure facilities. This has included the £5million regeneration of Silkstream Park and Montrose Playing Fields. Heybourne Park in the Grahame Park Estate and Rushgrove Park in the south of the Colindale area have also been earmarked for large investment programmes.