Children will be able to enjoy nature activities throughout cold winter after a Burgess Park community garden got plans for a new outhouse approved.
Southwark Council gave the go-ahead to Glengall Wharf Community Garden’s proposal to build a fifteen-square-metre timber building on Monday, September 12.
Located at the eastern end of the park, next to Glengall road, it has a herb garden, forest garden, ponds, wildlife, chickens and bees.
Currently, the site has no indoor space to conduct activities in the colder months. It has a shed, covered shelter and shipping container for storage but little else.
Mariama Abudulai, chair of Glengall Wharf Garden, formerly known as the Burgess Park Food Project, said: “One of the primary reasons for wanting this classroom space was to enable us to accommodate more courses and more people on a year-round basis because at the moment we’re at the whim of British weather which is not the best position to be in.
“We’re really passionate, especially with the year that seems to be incoming. With the cost of living crisis and people recovering from a very difficult two years, we’re really keen to make sure the community has as many opportunities as possible to come to the garden and get involved and be together working, learning.”
Founded in 2012, the garden is volunteer-run and hosts environmental workshops on food-growing, conservation, woodcraft and more.
The new building will increase the site’s rainwater harvesting capacity by 5,000 litres and be powered by a single solar panel.
Its construction is being funded through a crowdfunding campaign and the Mayor of London’s Make London funding.
The site is on Metropolitan Open Land so new developments must meet strict requirements to get approved.
Because the building will help serve the site’s current function of outdoor recreation, the planning sub-committee approved it.
To find out more and get involved with the Glengall Wharf Community Garden visit their website HERE