Your vote will help secure £400k funding for Crane Park

Your vote will help secure £400k funding for Crane Park

1:49pm Friday 28th November 2008

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By Ian Mason »

United: Members of the Force group are leading a campaign to win the cash Deadlinepix CG0912

A Whitton park is in the running to win a £2m grant to transform it into a natural haven – and campaigners are calling on readers to help.

As part of the Mayor of London’s scheme to regenerate 10 open spaces, Crane Valley Park needs the votes of residents and park users to claim the cash. If it receives enough support and places in the top two out of a shortlist of 10 parks in the region, it will receive a grant of up to £400,000 over the next four years – with Mayor Boris Johnson and a panel of experts awarding one of 47 open spaces a £2m jackpot.

Crane Valley Park is being promoted by Friends of the River Crane Environment (Force), which has been working on this project for about two years. This competition provides campaigners an opportunity to make their plans a reality.

Secretary of Force, Frances Bennett, said: “The park would be a remarkable new asset for the community.

“It would protect and improve the green spaces along the Crane Valley, giving people of all ages somewhere to enjoy nature and exercise in the fresh air.

“New walking and cycling links will make it easier to explore the valley as well as providing a green travel alternative for many residents.”

MP for Twickenham, Vincent Cable, urged borough residents to back the campaign and vote for this “major environmental resource”.

He said: “FORCE has done a great job in mobilising community interest in the Crane Valley area and their proposal deserves enthusiastic support.”

Council cabinet member for environment, Councillor Martin Elengorn, explained that the money would be used to implement environmental improvements, including river restoration works and the creation of a bridge to link the two boroughs within the park.

Coun Elengorn said: “We need to show the Mayor of London the strength of feeling we have in Richmond about our parks and open spaces.”

Mayor Johnson and his team have split London into five sub regions, with two parks from each winning a grant – paid for by efficiency savings from the previous administration’s publicity budget.

Voting began on Tuesday, November 25.

Votes can be cast in one of three ways:

• Online – visit london.gov.uk/parksvote.
•Post – Request a postal vote form by calling City Hall’s Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.
•Text – Text ’parks’ and your postcode to short code 62967.
This will automatically vote for the closest park to where the voter lives in their borough.

Texts will cost 10p plus your standard network rate.

Crane Valley is competing in the south-west region against Norbury Park, Thornton Heath, Croydon: Wandle Park, Croydon: King Edwards Park, Kingston: Kennington Park, Lambeth: Spring Gardens, Lambeth: Ravensbury Park, Merton: Wandle valley with St Helier open spaces, Sutton: King George’s Park and Wandsworth and Latchmere Recreation Ground in Wandsworth.