Two Brent parks plagued by drug takers, drinkers and litterbugs and set for a makeover after the project was given funds of more than £600,000.
Brent Council has given the green light to transform the two parks in Alperton, which will include new children’s playgrounds.
One Tree Hill and Mount Pleasant will get the much-needed investment required to improve the park areas, following approval by the Cabinet at a recent meeting (September 5).
The works will include colourful artwork, new trees and shrubs, as well as upgrades to both playgrounds.
Alperton is experiencing the second fastest population growth in the borough, with its population estimated to reach 30,000 by 2041.
Its ward councillor, Anton Georgiou, says this makes it ‘crucial’ for the council to invest heavily in the area.
Cllr Georgiou has ‘welcomed’ the news, pointing out that residents living close by are experiencing ‘heightened antisocial behaviour’, such as drug taking and drinking, with the parks becoming ‘regular dumping grounds’ for some individuals.
He said the investment will be important ‘both to guarantee that residents who have recently moved here or plan to are able to enjoy living in their new area, but importantly to also ensure that existing members of the community do not feel that their area is simply being taken over by tower blocks’.
Cllr Shama Tatler, cabinet member for regeneration, planning and growth, said Alperton is ‘one of our designated growth areas’ and that it is fundamental to have the right infrastructure in place ‘to support both our residents of today and tomorrow’.
She added: “We know how important green spaces are to our community and we are delighted that with funding from local development we’re able to transform two more parks here.”
The latest investment comes following the recently completed works to the nearby Alperton Sports Ground and Heather Park, where similar makeovers took place. However, Cllr Georgiou said more budget is needed for the maintenance of the One Tree Hill and Mount Pleasant makeovers after issues with the previous renovations.
He said: “The report sets out 10 per cent contingency in the budget, as well as 10 per cent for future maintenance costs. I fear this is too low, given the experience at Alperton Sports Ground, where within days equipment had been tagged and graffitied on and where rubbish continues to pile up in that open space.”
He added: “Therefore, I would recommend that more is allocated to future maintenance costs, in order to ensure the effort that the council will be making is not wasted and to guarantee local residents will see improvements long into the future, rather than just as works are completed.”
