Impression of the human sundial
A £500,000 makeover of the canalside of the Paddington Branch of the historic Grand Union Canal will transform it into a landmark site.
It is expected that the canalside, unloved and poorly used for nearly half a century, will provide a strong community and educational focus.
The Westbourne Green Canalside Open Space, which stretches from Harrow Road to St Mary Magdalene’s Church, will boast a new and attractive cycle route and network of pedestrian paths to provide safe and easy access to the area.
It is hoped the improvements will help encourage more people to take up cycling, which has seen a recent boom in popularity across the city.
The site will also host an interactive Green Campus that is set to provide a range of environmental learning activities including at its hub a ‘human sundial’ that shows the time when someone stands in the centre of the circle, outdoor classroom opportunities and a butterfly garden for more formal learning.
Other key features include a mooring point for an educational barge and, for future phases of the scheme a recycling education area to teach visitors about the best practices for recycling, composting and energy usage and a community garden.
"This is an incredibly exciting project which will transform an unloved and unused part of the city into a valuable green space for everyone to enjoy,” said Dr Leith Penny, Westminster Council's director of environment and leisure.
"We are keen to bring open spaces into public use whenever possible and assist in working with the local community to improve the environment, which helps improve the quality of life for both residents and visitors and helps encourage biodiversity."
The Grand Union Canal is a historic waterway route that offers many attractions ,pubs, cafes and shops along the way. Transport for London have provided £150,000 of funding to the project as part of a Cycling on Greenways Grant.
Westminster Council is working in conjunction with environmental charity Groundwork and the Westbourne Neighbourhood Forum to complete the transformation which is expected to be completed by July 2008.
