Old Farm Park COVID Memorial
There are approximately 4000 parks and green spaces in Greater London. Bexley Borough alone has over 100. Public parks and green spaces are vital to modern cities, providing essential health, environmental and social benefits. They boost physical and mental wellbeing by reducing stress and providing a place for exercise. Furthermore they enhance urban sustainability, mitigate heat, and provide a sustainable environment for a wildlife. Parks are often a venue for social activities and events and as such are an important part of the local community. Going to the park has always been a part of my life. I live next to Old Farm Park in Sidcup and have made use of this recreational space throughout my life. I used visit with my parents in the seventies, when I was a child. Thirty years later my son, father in-law and I would fly kites there. Now I take my grandchildren to Old Farm Park as it now has a playground.
Because there is an abundance of parks in the UK, they can sometimes be taken for granted. They’re often seen as local resources that you use and you don’t really think about beyond the fact that it is there. However, as these green spaces are frequently in prime locations in urban areas they are often targetted by property developers. In 2019 Bexley Council decided to resolve its financial issues by selling off one of its parks. It was a controversial decision and it was strongly reisted by residents of the borough. Even the local MP at the time, thought it unwise policy. Despite concerns, the council decision was final and Old Farm Park was selected to be sold. Fortunately, due to an access road running behind some of the houses that back onto the park, only half of the land was bought by property developers. Hence in early 2020 Old Farm Park was partitioned and building began on sixty homes in the eastern half.
Up until 2020, Old Farm Park was effectively just a field with trees around the edges Some areas were specifically left unmaintained to accommodate “rewilding”. When the park was partitioned it was decided to landscape the remaining area and build a path to circumnavigate it. Exercise areas and a children’s playground were also added. Areas of rewilding were kept and a pond was built with decking looking out over it. No doubt this redevelopment of the park was undertaken to increase the desirability and marketability of the new housing estate. Residents opinions on this makeover were mixed. The quality of some of the work was questionable and as a result, the paths have been repaired several times already. The pond was not correctly constructed and as such, has never maintained a body of water for more than a few day. Yet despite these short comings, Old Farm Park is a pleasant and safe environment.
The pandemic and the accompanying lockdown was certainly made more manageable by numerous parks in this borough. The provided a degree of freedom from the confines of our own homes and a means to meet family and friends in a safe fashion. Therefore I was both surprised and pleased to see that a decision was made by the council to redevelop the failed pond in Old Farm Park and repurpose it into a rock garden and COVID memorial. The work was carried out towards the end of February and the memorial was officially opened on Sunday 8th March. During 2020-21 over 720 people died COVID-19 in Bexley Borough. My father passed away in hospital in September 2020, although not from COVID. However, due to the lockdown, I only visited him once. Hence this is a matter close to my heart and I am pleased that there is now a place of remembrance locally. It is important that the pandemic is not quickly forgotten, so this is a welcome addition to Old Farm Park, which is itself an invaluable community asset.
