The Rattray Road Parklet
From guerrilla parklet to Brixton’s green oasis
The Rattray road parklet in Brixton is another example of a parklet that was galvanised by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Jon Bromwich attended the Living Streets national conference in early 2020 shortly before the pandemic and was inspired by the story of Brenda Puech’s guerilla parklet and how it influenced Hackney Council to eventually implement an official parklet policy.
A few months later, when the pandemic hit, Jon contacted Lambeth Council to request permission to create a parklet outside his home to reduce isolation and enable people to enjoy connecting with their neighbours in a safe, socially distanced manner. Jon and his wife Diana regularly consulted with their neighbours, writing to them personally to inform them of the plans to set up a temporary parklet whilst awaiting permission for a permanent one, and inviting feedback on the idea. After receiving no response from the council, they went ahead and installed the parklet in January 2021, using pallets, potted plants, plus a table and chairs.
Whilst the council’s Sustainable Transport team were supportive of the parklet, there was no legal mechanism in place for a community parklet at the time, and the Parking Enforcement team were legally obliged to remove it. The temporary parklet was in place for six months, during which time Jon and Diana collected testimonials via a Visitors’ Book, which included photographs of visitors to the parklet and letters of support. Community events at the parklet included a vigil for Sarah Everard after her murder in nearby Clapham and a Windrush commemoration event on the parklet’s last day before it was removed.
A visitor to the temporary Rattray parklet during the pandemic said: “This wonderful space was a respite on my long lockdown walks and, honestly, in these trying times it has given me hope for the future.”
The success of the temporary parklet as ‘proof of concept’ helped to build momentum towards Lambeth’s Kerbside Strategy and Parklet Policy, which launched in January 2023. This portfolio of evidence doubtless contributed to the success of Jon and Diana’s application for a permanent community parklet, which was approved and installed in 2023.
The new Rattray parklet is a remarkable community resource, including a mini greenhouse, a little library, a wide variety of plants, a wheelbarrow, toolbank, and a community bike. There have been no reports of anti-social behaviour in and around the parklet.
The extensive community engagement has led to a WhatsApp group of more than a hundred local residents and a number of other urban greening initiatives in the immediate area through Lambeth Council’s Freshview neighbourhood improvement and greening programme. The group has secured funding for these subsequent projects through the local Living Streets group, removing the administrative burden of setting up a new formalised group.
Lambeth Council’s commitment to greening its streets has been an important factor. Jon also acknowledges that the skills he learned as a theatre producer – fundraising, project management, problem solving, demonstrating impact – has enabled him to develop one greened-up parking space into a hyper-local grassroots urban greening movement, transforming local streets, building social capital and sharing skills.
Interestingly, Jon did not make much use of social media platforms or groups such as Instagram or Facebook to build support for the parklet, preferring to focus on direct grassroots community engagement.
You can read more detail in Joan and Diana’s ‘Guide to Setting Up a Community Parklet here, which is a useful resource for anyone wanting to take similar action.
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