Mayor names 11 winning parks that will share in £6m of funding reallocated from Ken's old publicity budget

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced the 11 winners of a £6m park improvement scheme, voted for by the public.

Under the plans, 10 parks around the UK capital will be improved and one will be finished 60 years after it was begun. The mayor said the money was found by cutting the publicity budget established by the former mayor, Ken Livingstone.

Each of the parks undergoing improvement works will receive £400,000, while £2m will go to Burgess Park in Southwark, which was started in 1943 but never properly completed. Southwark council will also put £4m towards completing Burgess Park.


Boris Johnson
Credit: Thomas Roche
Johnson: "a fantastic show of people power"

Over 110,000 votes were cast for the plans, which include better lighting, restoring flowerbeds and establishing footpaths and wildlife areas.

Johnson said: “In a fantastic show of people power, Londoners have voted in their droves to decide which of their 10 favourite parks will get a makeover.

“So it is incredibly exciting to reveal today the results of the 'parks plebiscite', and thanks to this loyal support of local people, parks across the capital are now set to become much more pleasant places.”

The 10 parks earmarked for improvement are:

  • Lordship Recreation Ground in Haringey
  • Dollis Valley Green Walk in Barnet
  • Mayesbrook Park in Barking and Dagenham
  • Fairlop Waters Country Park in Redbridge
  • Brent River Park in Ealing
  • Little Wormwood Scrubs in north Kensington
  • Parish Wood Park in Bexley
  • Avery Hill Park in Greenwich
  • Crane Riverside Park between Richmond and Hounslow
  • Wandle Park in Croydon.