Exciting news for the Vine Road Project

Richmond Council's Parks Teams and Barnes Common Friends are delighted to announce that they have secured funding from the Council’s climate emergency fund, to enable the designs for the Master Plan for Vine Road Recreation Ground to be developed into a formal Planning Application, which is the next key stage in this exciting project. 

The Master Plan received massive support from the Community following informal public consultation in 2021, and it has since then received support from the Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee.

Councillor Neden-Watts, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said:

"I am delighted that Richmond Council are supporting this exciting and innovative proposal. Working together with the community to build resilience and foster wellbeing, while facing the increasing challenges of climate change."

The Master Plan sets out new facilities including water play for a wider age ranges, a skateboard pump track, community growing, re-landscaping to improve amenity, flood resilience and biodiversity, and a new Social Hub with café. 

Hildesley, Chair of Barnes Common Ltd, said:

"It is so encouraging to receive good news in these times of uncertainty. Moving forward to Planning is a significant step towards realising the fantastic Master Plan for this much-loved park."

It is proposed that the Social Hub is designed so it can also serve as a refuge for at risk members of the community during climate-related emergencies, such as flooding due to extreme rain, heatwaves or extreme cold snaps. The plans are believed to be one of the first in the UK designed with this facility, bringing together climate resilient building design alongside other benefits to wellbeing offered by a park environment.