Parks and gardens

 
 

Improvements in Paddington

The Paddington BID is working with Westminster City Council to make a number of improvements to Talbot Square, off Sussex Gardens, in the Bayswater Conservation Area.

The square is a public garden but is poorly used due to lack of awareness, since there is not an entrance visible from Sussex Gardens. The planting has become rather tired and monotonous, and the smaller, perimeter trees are rather overcrowded in places. Its railings were removed as part of the war effort and since then a chainlink fence has been enclosing the square.

Westminster City Council is leading the project to replace the railings around the square and to make some further landscape improvements. Partnership funding from the Paddington Business Improvement District and English Heritage have enabled the environmental improvements. The full scope of works will be dependant on cost and the priorities established through consultation feedback and include the following:

  • Replacement of the chain link fence with traditional railings
  • Creation of a new entrance to the Sussex Gardens end of the Square
  • Possible new entrance at the other end of the Square, near to the University Hall of Residence.
  • Re-paving of the central circular feature, with possible removal of the weeping ash and creation of a central artwork
  • Improvements to the accessibility of the two existing side entrances
  • Planting improvements to refresh the plant beds around the square
  • Removal of some of the perimeter trees that are either in poor health, or are in inappropriate locations, to allow more light into the square
  • Miscellaneous small repair and improvements

Once the views of local people and businesses have been gathered from this exhibition, proposals will be developed further, and presented for approval by Westminster City Council and the key stakeholders. We aim to commence the project by March 2008, with completion by Autumn 2008 at the latest.

To see the draft proposals please click on the following link to open a pdf (acrobat) formatted document detailing the proposed works.

Talbot Square draft proposals