Working parties

by

Successful Volunteer Event in Historic Park

We had a wonderful work day in Bromley Palace Park on Saturday 15th February. With a good number of volunteers there, we were able to achieve a lot. Installed; ornamental grasses, ferns, and a couple of small trees in the Fernery. Also re-sited another bench here, which combination has transformed this small peaceful area. Elsewhere further bramble, ivy etc was cleared back along the Carriage Drive, in preparation for much shrubs to be planted. We have some 80 such shrubs to be planted, so a lot still to plant!

Volunteers also installed some spare paving stones. This, along with improved signage, has improved the path to the Rafford Way entrance. Preparations for the later installation of interpretive boards was also undertaken.

So thanks to all the volunteers that turned up. This included; Kerry, Phil, Jan, Jeff, Moira, Kristen, James, and all the rest…….. Much remains to be done.! Our next work party takes place on Saturday 8th March, anytime 10 am – 4 pm. Part of our ‘Love Bromley Palace Park’ project. So please come along and make a difference.

by

A Big Catch on Glassmill!

In the second Thames21 work party on Glassmill Pond 22nd November, we had quite a haul recovering 3 shopping trollies and 4 traffic cones! Some 8 volunteers braved a sunny but very cold day to carry out more vegetation management, as well as picking up rubbish including even small bits of plastic polluting the pond.

However the biggest items of rubbish were undoubtedly the trollies and cones. The former were well stuck in the silt and required a lot pulling on the ned of a rope, up to four people in one really difficult case. Some intrepid volunteers also waded in and collected up to 500 golf balls from the river bed. We estimate as many still remain to be collected. These have been identified as coming from an upstream golf driving range, and the site owners have been contacted by Thames21, about halting this source of pollution.

Others were heavily engaged in clearing some dead trees and other invasive vegetation. This is necessary in order to encourage suitable vegetation to have space to thrive, and so enhance the local biodiversity.

Much remains to be done, so why not take part? The next work party is scheduled for Sunday 8th December 10am-2pm. To find out more and book a place please click HERE.

by

Bromley Palace Park: present & future

This is the least known public park in Bromley town centre. With the council sell off of most of the Civic Centre grounds for future building development the importance of this site, and especially the retained park area, is even more important. Also critical is continued access to this park, and details of questions to the council, and their answers on this are included later in this article.

Five photos showing current beauty of park, taken by Kerry Hood.

Led by Kerry Hood (who took the above photos), Friends volunteers are working hard. Their aim is to improve the sites biodiversity, and the settings for its Grade 2 listed features. This involves them cutting back encroaching vegetation, etc. The team have also ‘rescued’ some memorial benches and decorative flower post, and re-sited them within the park.

As part of our ‘Love Bromley Palace Park’ project, we will improve the interpretive signage in this park, and link it into a wider ‘Bromley Town Centre Parks Heritage & Biodiversity Trail’. This will assist people to better navigate their parks, while learning more about them and what they should mean the community. This project is funded by a Bromley council grant from their Platinum Jubilee Fund.

We recently asked questions about our concerns on the retention of public access to this park, both during and after construction work on the rest of the site.

Here are our questions and the councillors’ replies-
From Kerry Hood to the Portfolio Holder for Resources, Commissioning and Contracts Management 
The Friends are worried about future vehicular access to Bromley Palace Park. We are especially worried about being able to get heavy vehicles on the site for maintenance work. Access is required from both Rochester Avenue and Rafford Way. Please can you advise how access will be maintained going forward?
Reply: As a part of the sale agreement, the purchaser has committed to construct and maintain an access route for large vehicles from Rochester Ave to the park, including an area for two tipper trucks to be parked, for the purpose of regular maintenance. In addition, they have committed to provide a route for specialist vehicles and equipment to access the lake for projects or maintenance on an infrequent basis, should this be required in the future. Following a previous disposal, there is no vehicular access to the park from Rafford Way; this is not required by the Council for maintenance vehicles. Pedestrian access is provided. 

Supplementary Question: That is very reassuring that it is in the deeds of the sale, because just having it as a verbal assurance is not quite the same. The pedestrian access from Rafford Way can be locked, which is bad news if you happen to want to go there on a Saturday afternoon. There is a practical alternative to this as there is a gateway that is seized up that could be used instead. We are anxious about the pedestrian access from Rafford Way; we want the Park not to be a dead end, which would encourage antisocial behaviour. So, if you could look into that we would be very grateful. 
Reply: I have nothing further to add, but Cllr Rowlands may have something to add.  Cllr Rowlands, as Portfolio Holder for Environment, confirmed that this was something that could be looked into. 

Additional Supplementary Question from Cllr Sam Webber: Just to clarify, the Rafford Way entrance is closed due to building work now, but it sounds like it will be re-opened for pedestrians as part of the new set-up once construction is finished? 
Reply Yes, I confirm that.

L.B.Bromley Council Meeting 14th October 2024- Questions & Replies

We will continue to keep this under review.

You can find out more about this project HERE

by

Brooming Lovely!

The Broom plant (Cytisus scoparius), after which Bromley is named, is now in full flower on Martins Hill. This despite ongoing encroachment from the more vigorous Bramble. It is sometimes confused with the more widespread Gorse, but unlike it Broom only flowers in late April and May. So now is the very best time to see it.

In order to manage this, and encourage the Broom to thrive, we were recently helped out by volunteers from Thames Water, as part of that companies ‘Giving Back’ scheme. Some eight enthusiastic volunteers, cut back a large area of encroaching Bramble. Despite the day being very hot they achieved a lot as can be seen in the following before and after images.

Bramble before & after work party

The Thames Water team (see below) had a good time while carrying out this important work. They were restricted in what we could do, in order to avoid nesting birds, and we intend to carry out more work like this later in the year.

Subsequently on Saturday 11th May we, along with Bromley Civic Society, organised an exhibition in The Glades entitled ‘Broomtime’, celebrating this plant and its continuing importance locally. Besides information boards there was an arbour for photographs, various children related activities, and walks to the site. Small sprigs of the plant were handed out to attendees. The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress also visited us, and were presented with a a Broom plant.

It was a successful event, despite ‘competing’ with the nearby noisy celebrations by Bromley FC of their promotion success. We hope to have a larger celebration next year. In the meantime you can find out more about Martins Hill and its Broom HERE.

by

Project Funding Approved

We have just heard that our application, for nearly £20k funding for our ‘Love Bromley Palace Park‘ project has been successful. We had applied to Bromley council for this from the borough-wide Platinum Jubilee Fund. It is the intention to make this park, with its historic features and wonderful setting, better used and appreciated by the public. With the council selling the rest of the site this is even more important, as is preserving good public access at all times, including during any construction phase. All Bromley council staff will have moved from here to the new Civic Centre later by end of 2024.

Below is the view across the Lake towards historic Bromley Palace, taken in 2015. This view is now obscured by tree saplings. We aim to restore views such as these as part of our project .

Items to be installed include-

  • Park sign on Rochester Avenue
  • Waymarker posts around parks
  • Lectern style information boards
  • A new Persimon tree – replacing one that will be lost
  • Leafy and flowering plants
  • Picnic table and benches – transferred from other parts of site.

In parallel with this we will be organising monthly volunteer work parties, in which we will improve the biodiversity of the park, and enhance the setting of various Grade 2 listed features*. You can find details of these work parties on our Events page.

*The repair of these listed features are not part of this project.

To find out more about our project please go to Campaigns/Bromley Palace Park