TALACRE NEEDS YOU
The campaign to transform Talacre from a ‘blitzed’ area into a community garden started in the 1970s. Hundreds of residents managed to convince a reluctant council to turn the unsightly site into a park of sorts. Until the early part of 2000’s, it was derelict and often used as a dump for broken vehicles. Nevertheless, it was for the 11,000 residents of Haverstock Ward, who mostly lived in social housing and had no gardens, their only precious open space.
In 2002-3 Talacre struck lucky when a utility company paid a large sum of money to use the land temporarily for engineering needs. The funds were used to landscape the area.
With gentrification came the threat of private developers wanting and getting permission from the Council to build a lorry road across the park. This prompted local residents to launch the Friends of Talacre Gardens on the 29th of May 2007. 52 members of the public attended apart from the Parks and Open Spaces Department officials, Go Partnership representatives and the press. The membership quickly grew to over 200.
Together they campaigned to have the park registered under national legislation as Town Green as a means of ensuring its protection from speculators and others. Finally in 2010, after a fierce three-year battle, they succeeded. The open space became Talacre Town Green, the first and initially only London open space to be so registered under to the Commons Act 2006.
With government austerity cuts constantly in the news, the London Borough of Camden has no pledge to maintain public open spaces. Accordingly, a vigilant body of local residents and others who work locally are essential for Talacre’s welfare. This is where the Friends group is vital. Funding comes from the Council’s coffers augmented by external levies such as Section 106 funds. Every penny is spent frugally with the Friends willing to apply for grants where possible and offering voluntary labour. Those who have ‘ideas’ to enhance the Green are to be welcomed.
Luckily, the initial years of the Green have seen reasonable funding and visitors have praised the choice and scale of tree planting and quality of overall maintenance. The summer of 2017 has seen the arrival of a water supply. What now needs to be addressed is finding how to promote Committee membership among the Friends.
The Friends’ Annual General Meeting is due on Monday, 11th of September at 7:00pm sharp at the Talacre Community Sports Centre, Dalby Street NW5 3AF, off the Prince of Wales Road, right next to the Talacre Town Green. Everyone welcome.
Http://TalacreGardens.googlepages.com/