Council Leader, Cllr Peray Ahmet, joined Cabinet Members and the community to celebrate the official opening of the co-designed facilities today.
The open space now boasts a children’s play area, Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and outdoor gym after 80% of respondents from three local schools supported the designs.
Visitors will also benefit from the Football Association ‘Playzones’ after the council secured £250k from the Football Foundation as well as a new Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), soft landscaping, footways and park furniture.
The Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, said:
“I was delighted to open the fantastic, co-designed facilities in Wood Green Common today and it was lovely to see people of all ages smiling and enjoying themselves at this new play space in the warm weather.
“We know just how much our residents value the parks and open spaces in Haringey and are committed to creating a fairer, greener borough for all.
“One of the key priorities for this administration is our children and young people and ensuring they benefit from accessible and inclusive play spaces, where they can develop, make friends, relax and socialise in a safe and secure environment.
“As well as these great amenities at Wood Green Common, we’re also investing £1.5m as part of an improvement works project in eight Haringey parks across Tottenham and Wood Green. Those improvements will all be implemented by next Spring.”
This afternoon’s activities and events began with a mixed, seven-a-side football tournament between Alexandra Primary and St Paul’s Catholic Primary teams.
Cllr Ahmet presented every participating schoolchild with a medal at the end of the tournament during this launch event, which was also attended by fellow Cabinet Members Cllr Ruth Gordon (Placemaking and Local Economy), Cllr Emily Arkell (Culture and Leisure), Cllr Zena Brabazon (Children, Schools and Families), Cllr Ajda Ovat (Communities) and Cllr Mike Hakata (Climate Action, Environment & Transport).
Wood Green Common is part of a set of council-delivered projects to improve the biodiversity, ecology and facilities within local green spaces, promote walking and cycling and tackle poor air quality.
Other such projects that have already been successfully completed include the refurbishment of Caxton Gardens and the School Streets at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School and Noel Park Primary School.
One element of this collaborative initiative that has proven particularly successful has been the plant fostering scheme, with the flowers beds in the playground having been looked after and planted by pupils from Alexandra Primary and St Paul’s Catholic Primary and Heartlands High students.
Haringey Council would like to thank a range of external partners and stakeholders – including the three aforementioned schools, Black Rootz, Collage Arts, the Friends of Alexandra Palace Station and the Youth Ambassadors from Down Lane Park – for helping to turn this collective vision into a reality today.
