A campaign to protect a London eco-beauty spot is gaining support after local residents embarked on a David versus Goliath battle to save the idyllic riverside location.
Campaigners say the capital's King's Stairs Gardens, a site of ecological importance and home to wild life, river birds and mature trees, has been unfairly targeted because more suitable 'brown field' sites are owned by wealthy property development companies.
Thames Water announced plans for a seven-year project to construct a “super sewer” to reduce the problem of excess sewage flowing into the river following rainfall.
It is currently undergoing a 14-week consultation period to select locations to construct sections of the 20-mile long Thames Tunnel.
However, project chiefs have identified King's Stairs Gardens, one of the last remaining riverside parks in London, which provides an unbroken green corridor from Surrey Quays to the Thames, as a potential construction site.
King's Stairs Gardens is home to scores of mature trees and provides an important mix of habitats which is important to local wildlife. It boasts nearly 700 years of Royal history from when King Edward III used the stairs to access his manor house on Bermondsey Wall East.
The park's Jubilee stone, which is situated by the riverside, was unveiled by the Earl and Countess of Wessex on 5 July 2002 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. It replaced an earlier stone unveiled by The Queen herself on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee in 1977.
A spokesperson for the Save King's Stairs Garden campaign, said: “Although Thames Water claim to have arrived at their current shortlist of 22 construction sites by applying a fair and equal site selection methodology, they simply cannot find available sites in this region of the Thames for the more major elements of the scheme.
“Brown field sites such as Chambers Wharf, near Tower Bridge, and Convoys Wharf in Deptford with at least a quarter-mile of open river frontage, are owned by property development companies, so Thames Water have published proposals for the utilisation of a Metropolitan Open Space - Kings Stairs Gardens - a beautiful and unique small riverside park with an abundance of wild life, river birds, mature trees, restored 'capability brown' style hillside vista, church, childrens playground, nursery, educational resource centre, local neighbourhoods, all of which will be lost or very seriously affected by an alienating industrial process for 7 years, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“To maintain the excellence of the Thames water quality is of vital importance but to destroy natural landscape in doing so is totally counter productive, while greedy property companies are allowed free reign to build yet more expensive real estate along the river which only contributes to the perceived threat of over population in the capital, and obstructs vital infrastructure projects for the management of the Thames.”
In an open letter, leading conservationist Dr David Bellamy, wrote: “As I was born and bred in London and learned to swim in Old Father Thames, I am not questioning the need for a £4b ‘super sewer’ to further clean up the river.
“However, when a brood of e-mails pointing out some problems with Thames Water’s plans flew in, I got onto the telephone.
“A group of locals from Southwark were up in arms at the fact that a whole string of the proposed construction sites included gardens, parks and playgrounds.
“Shock, horror even their beloved King’s Stairs Gardens was on Thames Waters’ not so little list - despite the fact that it is a designated site of ecological importance, a valuable habitat for wildlife and a significant urban green corridor
“Thames Water wants to turn the gardens into an industrial zone for seven years felling its mature trees. The chosen access point would be slap bang next to a church and a children’s playground.
“The children will lose their park and playground for the best part of their childhood and families will be forced to live on a construction site.
“Oh – and when Thames Water has finished, they’ll leave behind a large maintenance building and a five storey high sewage vent.”
A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: “At this stage no decisions have been made. We want to listen to the views of local people before we go any further with our proposals.
“We encourage everyone with any interest in this project or who lives close to any of our proposed construction sites to take part in the consultation and visit one of our local exhibitions.”
Glenn Benson, Bermondsey around 1 year, 6 months ago