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| London Parks and Gardens Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | London Parks and Gardens Forum |
| Formation | 1996 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | Greater London |
| Leader title | Chair |
London Parks and Gardens Forum The London Parks and Gardens Forum is a city-wide coalition that brings together heritage, conservation and green-space stakeholders across Greater London, coordinating policy, advocacy and practice for urban parks and gardens. Founded in the late 20th century amid debates over public space stewardship linked to institutions such as the Royal Parks and the City of London Corporation, the Forum operates at the intersection of statutory bodies, non-governmental organisations and volunteer networks including Historic England, The National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society, London Wildlife Trust and borough councils like Hackney London Borough Council and Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council.
The Forum emerged after dialogues involving bodies such as English Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund, Greater London Council successors, and civic groups like Friends of the Earth and London Transport Museum allies, responding to high-profile projects at sites including Hyde Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens and Battersea Park. Early convenings referenced precedent networks tied to the Garden History Society and policy frameworks influenced by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and debates around the 1990s UK devolution agenda, with participants from London Borough of Camden and City of Westminster shaping an advocacy platform. Over successive decades the Forum engaged with programmes under the Big Lottery Fund, collaborations with Natural England, and discussions tied to events such as the London 2012 Summer Olympics and restoration work after incidents at landmarks like Kew Gardens or Greenwich Park.
The Forum's mission coordinates stakeholders including Museum of London, English Heritage, Canal & River Trust, Royal Parks Foundation and conservation charities such as The Conservation Volunteers to sustain historic landscapes across locales like Regent's Park, Holland Park and Richmond Park. Objectives stress advocacy with policy-makers such as the Mayor of London and borough leaders, fostering skills that relate to projects at Battersea Power Station environs, promoting best practice from bodies like the Landscape Institute and supporting heritage listings managed by Historic England. It aims to influence funding streams from entities like the National Lottery and partnership models exemplified by Heritage Open Days and cross-sector initiatives involving the Environment Agency.
Governance comprises a steering group drawn from organisations such as Royal Horticultural Society, London Wildlife Trust, National Trust, local authorities including Southwark London Borough Council and Tower Hamlets London Borough Council, and professional associations like the Institute of Landscape Architects and the Garden History Society (UK). Operational oversight has interfaced with national regulators including Historic England and funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Forum has convened advisory panels with representatives from English Heritage, Natural England and academic partners like University College London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Activities include convening policy roundtables with the Mayor of London office and borough planners from Camden Town and Islington, producing guidance used by caretakers at sites like Hampstead Heath, Victoria Park, Clissold Park and Finsbury Park, and delivering training alongside organisations such as Groundwork UK and The Conservation Volunteers. Programmes have addressed resilience linked to actors like the Environment Agency and Greater London Authority, conservation practice promoted with the Landscape Institute, and public engagement events modelled on London in Bloom and Heritage Open Days. Collaborative initiatives have supported restoration at estates including Wimbledon Common and volunteer stewardship networks akin to Friends of parks groups across boroughs.
The Forum operates through partnerships with funders and organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Mayor's Fund for London, Trust for London, Big Society Capital-linked projects and corporate partners engaged in regeneration around Canary Wharf and King's Cross. Partnerships extend to statutory agencies like Natural England, municipal partners including Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council, and trusts such as the Royal Parks Foundation and Kew Gardens philanthropic programmes, coordinating bids and matched funding for landscape restoration, biodiversity work and public access improvements.
Membership spans national charities like the National Trust and Royal Horticultural Society, conservation NGOs such as London Wildlife Trust and The Conservation Volunteers, municipal bodies including City of London Corporation and multiple London borough councils, as well as academic institutions like University College London and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Representation models draw on examples from networks such as Heritage Open Days and professional bodies including the Landscape Institute and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, ensuring voices from volunteer groups, Friends organisations, amenity societies and crown bodies are included.
The Forum has influenced restoration and management approaches for parks and gardens exemplified by interventions near Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Kensington Gardens, Greenwich Park and Richmond Park, and contributed to policy dialogues affecting projects at Battersea Park, sites within Holland Park, and landscape interventions around Olympic Park (London). Notable outcomes include input to funding bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund for projects affecting Kew Gardens-adjacent landscapes, guidance incorporated into planning decisions by City of Westminster and Tower Hamlets, and collaborative training delivered with Groundwork UK, The Conservation Volunteers and academic partners such as University College London that informed stewardship of sites like Hampstead Heath, Battersea Power Station environs and community gardens across Southwark and Hackney.
Category:Organisations based in London