Lottery cash boost for Tottenham park

9:04am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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Plans to restore a 1930s Tottenham park to its former glory were boosted by a development grant of £235,000 from the National Lottery this week.

The award for Lordship Recreation Ground, in Lordship Lane, will contribute to Haringey Council's £6.2 million scheme to regenerate the park.

The plans include a new environment centre and a city farm as well as improving trees, paths, fencing and the park's lake.

Councillor Dhiren Basu, cabinet member for leisure, culture and lifelong learning, said: "I'm delighted that the Lottery has recognised the potential of our plans, which we hope will transform Lordship Rec into one of the most popular parks in north London.

"The park has some extremely unusual features, but it needs a major facelift to restore it to its former glory. I'm also very excited about the plans for the new environmental centre and the city farm."

The award was granted by the Parks for People initiative which invests in regenerating public parks in the UK. It is run by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.

Sue Bowers, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in London, said: "We're delighted that Haringey has been given the green light to develop their exciting plans.

"Heritage lottery money has already played a vital role in the renaissance of the UK's parks for more than a decade but there is much more to be done. This scheme is designed to get the local community really involved and to ensure a much-improved environment and standard of living for all those who use the park."

Debbie Pippard, head of the Big Lottery Fund in London, added: "The proposed improvements to Lordship Recreation Ground will mean that there will be something for everyone in the local community to enjoy. Green spaces are vital in London and we feel that this investment will really improve the local environment for those living nearby as well as provide a green lung for a very densely populated area of north London."

The rest of the funding is subject to a further application to the Parks for People scheme with the redevelopment expected to take place in 2011.