Tavistock Gardens

NAME Tavistock Gardens
LOCATION All Saints Road/Portobello Road, London, W11
MANAGING ORGANISATION Tavistock Improvement Group and Notting Hill Housing Trust managed the improvements; RBK&C manages the Gardens.
CONTACT Sarah Harrison, NHHT T. 020 8357 5046 E. SHarrison@nhhg.org.uk
WEBSITE www.rbkc.gov.uk/ParksAndGardens/TavistockCrescent

USED TO BE...
Known as 'Dog Poo Park'. Tavistock Gardens was surrounded by a metre-high brick wall and overwhelmed with dense undergrowth. The area was known for street drinkers, drug dealers and only the laziest of dog walkers.

STORY
Seven years ago Tavistock Gardens was derelict and dangerous, there was desperate need for action but little sign of interest from the local council. In 1997 the All Saints Road Business and Community Association decided to reclaim the area. They formed the Tavistock Improvement Group and circulated a petition outlining their proposals. The local press were approached one paper ran a front-page story drawing local attention to the issue. In 1999 the council allocated between £100,000 and £200,000 to improve the park, and a working group member was awarded £2,000 by the Scarman Trust (link). The group have also recently secured an additional £150,000 (two grants) from the Western Environmental Fund (link).

NOW A...
A park with a play area at one end and an open green space at the other, people now walk into Tavistock Gardens rather than round it.

WHY IS IT SPECIAL?
A project closely linked to the community - local residents were involved in nominating members to form a management committee and also voted to select the architect.

"We decided to get the park cleaned up.Once inside you couldn't be seen from the street or surrounding houses, it was frightening to be there."

James Caplin, local resident