Project timeline

In March 2009 it was announced that Burgess Park had won £2 million from the Mayor of London. This received match funding of a further £4 million from the Aylesbury New Deal for Communities.

Since then Southwark's parks team have been busily working on turning the £6 million into visible improvements to one of London's most deserving open spaces.

What has happened so far?

2008

• December 2008 onwards - members of the public shared their ideas and suggestions for how to improve Burgess Park through the facebook group 'Back the Burgess park bid - we need Boris's millions'.

2009

• March 2009 onwards - stakeholders have been consulted through various meetings and discussions.
• May 2009 - the formal OJEU (Office Journal of European Union) procurement process began to identify which company will design an outline vision for the park.
• July 2009 - key stakeholders attended a bidders' day where they shared their views on how the park should look with the five shortlisted companies. The companies then produced their plans for the park.
• 6 October 2009 - the project board (made up of senior council staff, the Greater London Authority and the New Deal for Communities) whittled the five shortlisted projects down to two.
• 17 October 2009 - members of the public were invited to see the two shortlisted designs, meet the companies and ask questions at an event in Burgess Park
• 16 November 2009 - LDA Design announced as the winning design and awarded the contract to undertake the project

2010

• November 2009 to July 2010, consultation on the overall design took place.

2011

• August 2010 to February 2011- further work on the detailed design to ensure it reflects the feedback we've received.   
• February 2011 to March 2011 - planning permission granted and tree and scrub removal took place. Work on the programme to ensure project finished on time.
• April 2011 - preparation works ahead of work starting.
• May -  preparation works begin on site. Hoardings and fencing begin to be erected. 
• August 2011 - hoarding and fences put up across the park . Certain areas will remain out of bounds until the completion of transformation works in summer 2012.
• September 2011 to January 2012- preparation of soil and earthworks throughout the site.
• October 2011 - lake works started.
• November 2011 - work to the new playground started. First tour of the park took place, 30 people attended. 
• December 2011 - paths and walkways started to be laid out. Zip wire in new playground installed.

Project completion in 2012

• January 2012 -  entrance works start at Old Kent Road and Camberwell Road. Lake extension and bridge works take place, lining fitted to lake. First trees planted in St George's Gardens. 
• February 2012 - entrance screens installed at Old Kent Road and Camberwell Road entrances. Table tennis tables installed by the sport's centre, tennis courts and new playground area.
• February to March 2012 -  seeding of 92,000 plants will take place throughout these months. Paths and walkways will be completed. A tour of the park will take place 11 February. Installation of park furniture such as benches and bins will take place.
• March 2012 - playground and car park to be opened.
• March to June 2012 - allow trees, plants and seeds to grow and establish. 
• Summer 2012 - transformation works will be completed. Park will re-open.

Further work

The first phase of the transformation of Burgess Park will be completed by summer 2012.  In the meantime we will be seeking additional funding to enable us to deliver more changes in the park and give it the makeover it truly deserves.