Pop-up Parklet Set Up in Little Ealing

Campaigners reclaim part of road for live music and children's activities

The parklet provided a space to meet neighbours. Picture: @little_greening

Three parking spaces outside Little Ealing Primary School were converted into a parklet this Wednesday (21 September) as part of a campaign for safer streets.

The group 'We Are Possible' set up the triple-bay and hosted performances from local musicians, children's activities and refreshments. There was an opportunity to find out more about the Car Free London campaign, the parklets campaign and the Green Little Ealing parents’ campaign for safer streets in Little Ealing.

Campaigners say that a fifth of the population or 13.4 million people have no access to a private garden and the proportion is much higher for some ethnic minorities. They would like to see one parking bay on every residential street to be turned into parklet to enable people to meet, rest and socialise with their neighbours.

There are significant difficulties in setting up community parklets at the moment, with residents required to take out costly public liability insurance simply for installing a bench and table in the street and permission is rarely given.

Pop Up Parklets Day takes place on Sunday 25 September and will see people reclaim parking bays and transform them into mini-parks with activities like tea parties and book clubs.

The first People Parking Day in September 2021 saw 20 pop-up parklets created across London, this year the campaign is going national. The best designed parklet stands to win a prize of £100 with judging by leading designers at the V&A Museum, Sam Brown and Heather Whitbread.

Other events include a 'Flower Power Parklets Bike Ride' - a family bike ride with @IBikeLondon to parklets starting at Upper Ground near Waterloo Station on Saturday 24 September

The Parklets Campaign, which is made up of volunteers, is working with the charity Living Streets to encourage everyone across the UK to take up part in the activities, being held just after World Car Free Day (22 September).

Three parking bays near Little Ealing School was used. Picture: @little_greening

Brenda Puech, a founder of the Parklets Campaign, came up with the idea of reclaiming car parking spaces for community use while recovering from a serious collision when she was knocked off her bike by a motorist who ran a red light. After being refused permission for a parklet she set up a guerrilla garden outside her home in London Fields, Hackney in a parking bay. The ‘People Parking Bay’ was a patch of artificial grass with cycle parking, flowerpots, a bench and a sign that read ‘You’re welcome to park yourself in the bay.’

She said, “People used the Bay as a resting point on the way back from shopping or cycling; mums used it to feed their babies; locals watered the plants. One couple had their first date there.

“You’d see complete strangers smiling and talking to each other. The reaction of residents was astonishingly positive. At first, I’d find feedback on bits of paper sellotaped to the bay, so I decided to leave a visitor book on the table. Five books filled up within four weeks!

“My guerrilla parking bay was immensely popular. Though Hackney Council made me remove it within a few weeks, a year later they launched a parklet permit process, allowing all residents to apply to create a community parklet on their street. Many have now been created across Hackney.

Jeremy Leach, Chair of London Living Streets, said, "London Living Streets is delighted to support this light-hearted and creative event to create pop-up parklets on residential streets. Mini street gardens provide essential socialising and breathing spaces for people. We look forward to seeing many more of these permanently established to create living streets for people. Behind this is a serious question about who our streets are for and asking what is a fair balance between cars and people. Swapping parking spaces for more parklets is a key step on the road to creating streets that residents and visitors will want to spend more time in."

September 21, 2022