Local consultation on circuit path in Lyttelton Playing Fields

The first meeting of the new Friends of Lyttelton committee took place in early January, with representatives of key stakeholder groups including the HGS Trust, the RA, Keren’s Nursery, Barnet Council & Bishopswood Bowls Club, and chaired by Dominic Rose, founder of Britain’s Biggest Living Garden.

The collective ambition of the Friends Group was agreed as being to improve the development and management of the park to make it of better use and interest to the local community and park users and also more wildlife friendly - recognising that this 24 acre park should be a thriving asset for people and creatures alike at the hub of our unique community. This ambition is in line with the broader parks strategy for Barnet Council, which is currently in draft stage.

The committee brought forward for discussion their key ideas and suggestions for the development of the park, and reviewed those ideas submitted by park users and members of the wider Friends Group, established through recent community planting sessions.

A top priority suggestion from the committee, in line with inputs from other park users, was the development of a circuit path around the playing fields to:

  • Create a full walkable surface around the full playing fields area

  • Connect the Linden Lea entrance to the rest of the park

A large number of reasons were put forward to support the development of such a path:

  • This huge park space (24 acres) is very much under-utilised for the majority of the time, owing to the inaccessibility of large parts of the path (especially in winter), and therefore the majority of the park space delivers little value to park users and the local community

  • Large swathes of the park are not accessible to those with reduced mobility or with buggies etc, who are unable to walk on the grass surface to access the wider parkland

  • Entering the park from the Linden Lea entrance is unsurfaced and requires crossing the grass, particularly affecting parents from the Nursery who would prefer to take their children to and from nursery through the park, rather than walk by roads

  • A circuit path would be of great use and value to the many dog walkers, runners and visiting families, especially those with young children on bikes or scooters. A measured 1km “circuit” trail would be encourage more exercise and training in the park, and be of use to local schools and community groups.

  • The development of “wild corners” and meadows on the outside of the path would be of significant benefit to wildlife, in line with the biodiversity ambitions of the local area and be of great interest and inspiration to the visiting park users who would be able to see first hand how to improve the wildlife in their garden spaces, and the impact that it can have

The proposal:

  • Development of a pedestrian path to extend around the park, connecting the Norrice Lea entrance, with the Linden Lea entrance and around to join the main path close to the entrance to the children’s playground

  • A minimum width that will allow two parties to pass each other in opposite directions, without having to step onto the grass, also allowing sufficient space to allow small children on scooters and bikes without danger to other path users

  • Path to be constructed of porous material, with edging

  • During the planning phase, the potential to include some adjacent “natural” bumps and ramps along the path in a few spaces, to create a “scooter” park of use to small children, will be explored

  • The location of the path to be set to be as far away from the park perimeter as possible, whilst maintaining a safe distance from the two cricket pitches

  • The “outside” of the path to be allowed to grow wild (i.e. mowing ceased) and/ or converted into wildflower meadows - to improve biodiversity, increase interest and discourage any usage on the outside of the path

  • Distance of the full circuit to be set to be exactly 1km, so as to provide the potential for a training track and trim trail, as exists in other Barnet parks

  • During development, potential to add other trim trail equipment around the circuit would be explored

Very rough sketch showing the potential route of circuit path (in blue), connecting to existing surfaced paths at both ends. Credit: Google Earth

The consultation:

  • The Friends committee is aware that circuit paths have been explored before, and particular concerns were raised by local residents whose gardens back onto the park

  • We believe that those concerns have been mitigated as:

    • The path will not directly abut the perimeter boundary, and will be located as far as possible away from the boundary, whilst maintaining a safe distance from the cricket outfield. We expect this will be a minimum of 5m at all times

    • The outside of the path will be allowed to grow long as either grass or wildflower, which will reduce the accessibility of the areas directly beside the perimeter vs today

    • The pathway will not be lit, and so not encourage any use after dark

    • Increased family and exercise usage on the path may discourage current levels of anti-social behaviour in the far edges of the parks, by bringing greater visibility

    • Concerned householders can choose, should they wish, to raise the height of their boundary at the end of their garden for enhanced security

    • Several households currently back onto high use sections of the park, and we are not aware of any resulting security issues arising beyond those experienced across the wider area

  • We wish to take to the Council a fair, full and evidence based representation of the views of local residents, stakeholder and park users and so believe that a local consultation exercise is necessary

  • All stakeholders are invited to express their support, objection or indifference towards the circuit path proposal along with any commentary they may choose to add. This will be submitted in full to the Council

  • The Friends group plans to host some in-person meetings to discuss the path proposals and hear views

To note:

  • This consultation exercise is being run and managed by the Friends of Lyttelton and is not done in conjunction or collaboration with Barnet Council

  • No funding has yet been secured for the development of this path, nor detailed plans developed

  • The purpose of this consultation is to show the balance of local sentiment, and to then be taken to the council for their consideration and review in line with their principles of park development and community engagement