PROJECT UPDATE
Our Story So Far...
Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, we started work on clearing the conservation area (the site for the Community Garden and Café). We engaged with over 50 residents during the clear up and held a community consultation – discussing and planning our garden and legacy plans. A few months later, we started the process to dig up the site and level the ground, preparing for the foundations. However, when the pandemic struck, our plans were put on hold. During this period, we worked on our planning application for the garden, but due to challenges finding a planning consultant, our plans were again on hold.
Another year passed, we finally recruited MZA Planning Consultants to support us with our planning application. We submitted our pre-planning application in January 2022 with Hounslow Council and after a lengthy battle with the planning department, we received feedback on our application. A few more assessments were required before we could submit for planning. These included: ecological, water and sewage and environmental reports.
February 2025 Update:
We are delighted to share that, in December 2023, we received planning permission from Hounslow Council, marking a significant milestone for our community garden project in Cranford. Currently, we are in the process of appointing an organisation to assist us with the tendering process, ensuring a smooth transition to the next phase of development.
Our timeline is as follows:
- Phase 1: Soft furnishing is planned to begin in July 2025, with the garden and café expected to open by spring 2026.
- Phase 2: Construction of a play area, outdoor kitchen, and theatre space is scheduled to commence in summer 2026.
We have already raised £50,000 from the London Borough of Hounslow towards this project. However, the total estimated cost is around £150,000, meaning we need to raise an additional £100,000. We are actively seeking match funding and other grants to cover these costs.
We aim to launch Phase 1 by July 2025, even as we continue to work on securing the remaining funding.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
If you are a local business interested in sponsoring this community garden initiative, we would love to hear from you. Sponsorship opportunities are available, offering a unique chance to contribute to a transformative project that will serve the entire community.
For more information, please contact our Chief Executive Officer, Taz Virdee, at taz@ccwl.org.uk. Together, we can bring this vision to life and create a vibrant community space in Cranford.
These developments represent exciting progress towards realising our vision for the project, and we look forward to working closely with our community and stakeholders to bring these plans to fruition.
Our Community Garden and Café will be match-funded by Hounslow Council. We have also received a small grant from Heathrow Airport to support with the development of our raised beds.
GET INVOLVED TODAY
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