Lambeth Council is inviting residents to become Parklet Keepers

Lambeth Council is inviting all residents to take a leading role in making their neighborhoods ‘more pleasant and sustainable’ by becoming a Parklet Keeper as part of the Big Shift Community Parklet programme.

A park is a shared kerbside area that would normally be occupied by vehicle parking but has been reimagined as part of Lambeth’s community parking scheme.

Allotments can be used as social space for residents, opportunities for greening and community growth, as well as giving local residents more say in how they use their streets.

Over the past year, Lambeth Council has asked residents to design their own park – with five already in place and more planned for the coming months. Each parklet is assigned a Parklet Keeper who helps maintain the new space and reports any repairs to the council.

Anthony applied for a Big Shift Community Park for his road in Clapham last year. After securing the support of neighbors and making the request, the park was installed earlier this year with benches and planters. With summer just around the corner, residents are already planning how to use this space.

Anthony said:

“It was very well received. Our road isn’t very green so it’s nice to have something different from the cars on the side of the pavement. I made the request and my three sons and I knocked on doors and everyone supported us.

“Since the park was installed, we all use it. We go out and play there, or people come and sit or rest in the greenery. We planted herbs and encourage everyone locally to get involved.

“When people walk past they always ask us how we got this, did we do it ourselves or was it Lambeth Council? It was very pleasing to see the multitude of positive comments.”

Lambeth Council wants to create a park in each of the borough’s 25 constituencies to help fit our neighborhoods for the future, where residents can live happier and healthier lives.

Residents are encouraged to speak to their street neighbors to gain support before submitting a parking application outlining why their area could benefit.

Entries will be reviewed by Lambeth Council to ensure suggested locations are suitable, those taken will be built.

Parklets use the curb – the area between the road and the pavement – ​​to create space for socializing, community gardening or bicycle storage.

The pavement is the largest public space controlled by Lambeth Council, covering an area equivalent to 194 football pitches, which is mainly used for parking.

Lambeth Council’s Climate Action Plan and Curb Strategy have identified how parks can be used as part of wider plans to reclaim the pavement edge to put people before cars.

Deputy Leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said:

“Our Big Shift Community Parklet program is already transforming streets to make them more beautiful places where there is more space for people to enjoy the area they live in, rather than it being dominated by parked cars.

“Parklet Keepers are vital to ensuring these spaces can be enjoyed by everyone and provide an essential public service by carrying out maintenance and reporting repairs.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested to talk to your neighbors and get their support to bring a Big Shift Community Park to your area.”

For more information, visit the Big Shift Community Parklet page.

(This article first appeared on Love Lambeth and is reproduced here for informational purposes)