Hammersmith Grove Gains Four New 'Parklets'
Green spaces with trees and seating first step towards creating low emission zone
Hammersmith Grove has gained four new 'parklets', small green community spaces with trees and flower planters plus wooden seating and cycle parking.
H&F Council says the parklets, which were officially opened this month are the first step in a bigger plan for pollution-busting environmental improvements in Hammersmith town centre.
As we reported in March, other ideas being developed include more electric vehicle charging points, better cycle facilities and more tree-planting to create a local low emission neighbourhood.
Other options are a taxi rank for electric taxis only and a 'last mile' courier club to reduce the amount of polluting delivery journeys by switching to pedal power, or electric vehicles, for the final leg.
The new project in Hammersmith Grove was supported with financial backing from local business Medidata, based at 12 Hammersmith Grove, HammersmithLondon BID and the Mayor of London’s air quality fund.
"The parklets project is a great opportunity to make our office surroundings greener and to give back to the H&F community," said Christian Hebenstreit, Medidata General Manager & Senior Vice President EMEA.
"Hammersmith has been Medidata's European headquarters for many years, as it provides superb access to talent, a world-class infrastructure and the UK life sciences ecosystem. Providing the best and most sustainable working environment is something we, and our more than 200 London-based colleagues, focus on every day."
The Hammersmith Grove parklets also include new electric vehicle charging points. The council says Hammersmith & Fulham already has more electric vehicle charging points than any other borough and an increasingly popular electric car club.
The new additions follow the installation of the borough's first parklet, outside Brackenbury Deli in Brackenbury Village, which won Best Innovation at the Healthy Streets Awards 2017, an event which aims to promote healthier communities.
As he cut the ribbon on the new additions, Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of H&F Council said: "These parklets not only offer green respite for workers and shoppers, but also provide vital food and homes for wildlife; so it’s great to see people, bees and butterflies are already using them.
"By providing better facilities for cyclists, and making it more pleasant to be out on foot in our town centres, the parklets are also helping to improve our air quality, so everyone stands to benefit. Watch this space, as we’re going to deliver more."
You can see more pictures of the new parklets in the council's Flickr gallery.
July 6, 2018
