To celebrate the opening of new parkland, Central Gardens, residents of Southall and the wider community are invited to The Green Quarter on Saturday 7 August for a day of free summer fun. The event will officially open Central Gardens to the public and will be a chance for residents and the local community to come together to enjoy this new green space. Taking place from 12pm to 5pm, visitors will be able to enjoy a host of fun activities, with performance artists, lawn games and a live screening of the first Test match between England and India.
Throughout the day, DJs will provide live music, while living statues will surprise and entertain guests with their walkabout act. Other activities include an inflatable football table, where players can take it in turns to be the footballers, as well as classic funfair stalls such as a coconut shy, Tin Can Alley and test-your-strength striker.
A range of food and drink stalls will be on offer, with vegan options available, and snack carts will be dotted throughout the gardens. For those looking to quench their thirst, Bubble Bros will be serving from their prosecco and craft brewery vans. Alternatively, pick up a drink from the sustainable coffee cart, which will be permanently located in Central Gardens from August.
The Green Quarter is a former industrial site which Berkeley is transforming into a neighbourhood rich in nature and wildlife. The opening marks the first phase of Central Gardens, which, when complete, will stretch 500m in length, with over 250 trees, an impressive water feature and 4.5 acres of newly accessible open space.
Future phases of the 3,750-home development will provide 13 acres of parkland and wetlands for the local community, and two new footbridges will also allow easy access to the adjacent 90-acre Minet Country Park. This reflects Berkeley’s commitment to strengthening nature recovery networks by connecting biodiverse landscapes, allowing wildlife the conditions to thrive. Once complete, The Green Quarter will deliver, or open up access to, more green space than St James’s Park and Green Park combined.
Ashley Kensington, Managing Director at Berkeley West Thames, said: “We’re thrilled to open The Green Quarter to the public for the first time in the site’s history and welcome the local community to explore and enjoy Southall’s newest open green space. We have all realised the value of spending time close to open space and it’s fantastic to see how nature recovery has transformed this landscape, with a variety of wildlife making this area their home too. We hope to see new residents and as many local people as possible join us on Saturday 7 August for what is set to be a fantastic day.”
The event takes place at Central Gardens, The Green Quarter, 1 Randolph Road, London UB1 1BL, a few minutes’ walk from Southall Station and bus routes 105 120 195 482 E5 and H32. Pedestrian access to the event will be via Beaconsfield Road, and for those arriving from the station, along The Straight.
The Green Quarter is one of 42 Berkeley Group sites which are on course to deliver a net biodiversity gain, which means the landscape has been carefully designed to measurably enhance the natural environment, instead of taking away valuable habitats.
