Work to bring overgrown park areas back into community use has begun. 

Stabmonk Park, off Seymour Road, Chalvey, which had recently had people living there in tents, has had a makeover, with major tree cutting and waste clearance.

Work at Montem Park, off Newbury Way, Chalvey, included clearing some bushes and removing flytipping.

Multiple teams at the council worked together to address the complex issues at Stabmonk Park, including enforcement, housing, parks and environmental services. 

Several tons of waste was removed, ranging from trees and weeds to furniture, compressed gas canisters and even human waste. This has helped to improve the overall environment and made the park area safer and brought back into use. 

Six people who were experiencing homelessness have been successfully housed, three others were moved on following the issuing of notices and one young person was provided with employment and housing in a different borough. 

Councillor Gurcharan Singh Manku, lead member for environment, environmental service and open spaces said: “There were various challenges to completing the work, including physical threats to our workers, and difficult access for heavy equipment. However, our teams persevered and cleared a huge amount of waste.

“Substantial progress has been made, with additional work to do to enhance security measures. There is a long-term maintenance plan under development, which will go out to community consultation at some point.  

“Thank you to all involved. The works have significantly improved the condition of the parks, and the lives of those affected by homelessness, and we hope residents will enjoy using the open spaces for recreational activities.”

Pic: Stabmonk Park before (below) and after (above).