Islington Council launches Islington Greener Together, so residents can ‘green up’ unloved spaces

People in Islington can transform unused and unloved places near their homes, to create great community spaces including tree pits, parklets and rain gardens.

Islington Council has launched the second round of Islington Greener Together, a scheme to encourage local people to come forward with ideas to improve biodiversity, build climate change resilience and create more attractive neighbourhoods.

Residents, businesses and community groups can submit ideas to create green spaces, including on-street planting, tree pits, rain gardens, and parklets. The council will help to design and build the idea; residents just need to dedicate the time to maintain the space and keep it flourishing.

Applicants don't need to have any gardening knowledge or experience to take part, just the enthusiasm and commitment to look after the planting. As part of the scheme, applicants will be automatically enrolled as Islington Greener Together Champions, run by council partners Groundwork London, who will provide the training and support needed to maintain the green space.

Cllr Rowena Champion, Executive Member for Environment and Transport said:

'Islington Greener Together is the perfect opportunity for residents, businesses and community groups to get involved in improving their neighbourhood, planting up areas to create a corridor of biodiversity for pollinators and other wildlife right across the borough.

'By reimagining public spaces in this way, local people will be helping to create a more attractive, greener, healthier and biodiverse borough for all of our communities to enjoy.

'This is in line with our other efforts to green the borough, including planting 900 trees this year, our continued work on people friendly streets, and our annual horticultural competition Islington in Bloom, which launches in May.

'We want to encourage residents to get creative, get involved, and get greening!'

Applications are open until 12 April 2024, and successful applicants will be contacted in June. The design and delivery of ideas will be complete by the end of 2025.

More information about the programme, and details of how to apply can be found at www.letstalk.islington.gov.uk/igt