Where are you commenting on?

Preservation of the Gower Street Gardens (privately owned) which back onto Chenies Mews, Ridgmount Gardens and Ridgmount Street.

What are you commenting on? (You can select more than one or add your own with 'Other'. If you want some suggestions, we've put some questions on the 'About' page to get you started).

• Green Space Management

• Habitat Improvement

• Gardens/Gardening

• Urban Greening

• Trees

• Biodiversity Enhancements

• Green Roofs/Living Walls

• Habitats

• Wildlife

• Plants

• Access to Nature

• New Developments

How does it make you feel?

Negative

Why do you feel this way?

I am delighted to see that you show the private gardens at Ridgmount Gardens as green space. But I want to point out that Ridgmount Gardens are part of a larger green corridor which includes the rear gardens of the Gower Street houses and runs from Store Street to part way along Chenies Mews. You can see them in an aerial photograph. These rear gardens are gradually disappearing under extensions and need protecting from further development, or this enhanced green corridor located around Ridgmount Gardens will be lost. I think it is important for wildlife but also, because of its mature trees, hugely important for the street scene in this part of Bloomsbury.

What can Camden Council do to help?

I think it would help if Camden would give this corridor a name, I suggest 'Ridgmount Green Corridor', then ask Camden Planning to recognise it and protect it from further piecemeal development by the individual Gower Street houses. What has happened in some cases is that the owners have been permitted to cover the entire garden, or half of it, with a single storey extension, blotting out nature. It would also help if a tree preservation order was put on all significant trees in this corridor.

What can you do to help?

I already keep an eye on planning applications to develop these Gower Street gardens. I object to all applications for extensions, but am very upset that 87 Gower Street has been permitted to take over half their garden with an extension. However, the planners did reduce its width slightly and include a planning condition that they had to protect the roots of a tree in the next door garden. It's a bit sad and effortful having to try and protect this corridor in this way.

During the coronavirus lockdown, have local green and natural spaces become more, or less important to your health and wellbeing?

More important

What have been your main reasons for visiting green and natural spaces recently? (select up to three)?

• To connect to nature / watch wildlife

• For physical health and exercise

• For mental health and well being

Where are you commenting on?

Underplanting the trees

What are you commenting on? (You can select more than one or add your own with 'Other'. If you want some suggestions, we've put some questions on the 'About' page to get you started).

• Biodiversity Enhancements

• Plants

• Wildlife

How does it make you feel?

Neutral

Why do you feel this way?

I love the trees that line the street, but feel like there's a missed opportunity without wildflowers underplanted.

What can Camden Council do to help?

Add or encourage residents to grow wildflowers or other plants with the trees. It seems like it could be a low-cost way to add more greenery, but also to support wildlife.

What can you do to help?

Volunteer!

During the coronavirus lockdown, have local green and natural spaces become more, or less important to your health and wellbeing?

More important

What have been your main reasons for visiting green and natural spaces recently? (select up to three)?

• For physical health and exercise

• For mental health and well being

• Spend time with friends

Where are you commenting on?

Coconut Grove community garden should be allowed to exist

What are you commenting on? (You can select more than one or add your own with 'Other'. If you want some suggestions, we've put some questions on the 'About' page to get you started).

• Community Projects

• Gardens/Gardening

• Urban Greening

• Access to Nature

• Habitat Improvement

• New Developments

How does it make you feel?

Mostly negative

Why do you feel this way?

Over the past year, the community has started regenerating the previously trashed vacant lot across from the Lord Palmerston & next to Somerset House, but it was recently chained and locked up with no explanation

What can Camden Council do to help?

Deem that the space should be a community green space as long as there are no other permitted plans for any other type of development on the lot. The owners have tried multiple times to apply for planning permission since the 1960s, but was never approved as this space (looking back at old maps) was always deemed to be a community green space. We should be allowed access and a place to grow food while there are no other uses, rather than letting it collect rubbish and be fenced off by graffitied panels and chain link fencing. Most people who walk by when we were working in the lot, including immediate neighbor’s on both sides and across the street, have always said they were so happy to see the land turned into a useful green space and many have even joined the effort to help out themselves! It would be such a shame for this to end and see it go back to being just another urban tip.

What can organisations, community groups and businesses in Camden do to help?

Come lend a hand or donate soil woodchip or plants!

What can you do to help?

I’ve been volunteering my time to pick litter and grow food, herbs and other bulbs and plants in the space

During the coronavirus lockdown, have local green and natural spaces become more, or less important to your health and wellbeing?

More important

What have been your main reasons for visiting green and natural spaces recently? (select up to three)?

• For physical health and exercise

• A break from TV / other electronic devices

• To get fresh air

• To take a lunch break / break from work

• For mental health and well being

• To connect to nature / watch wildlife

• Learn / explore something or somewhere new / challenge myself

• To walk a dog

Where are you commenting on?

Some waste land that group of loca people turned into a community vegetable garden

What are you commenting on? (You can select more than one or add your own with 'Other'. If you want some suggestions, we've put some questions on the 'About' page to get you started).

• Biodiversity Enhancements

• Urban Greening

• Access to Nature

• Habitat Improvement

• Community Projects

How does it make you feel?

Negative

Why do you feel this way?

This plot of land was full of rubbish and some local came and turned it into a community vegetable garden. Then the owners closed it off.

What can Camden Council do to help?

Give local people the rights to take over neglected spaces for the community Inform local gardening groups about who owns these neglected spaces This saves local groups having to spend money doing searches on the Land Registry. Support local groups in transforming these neglected spsces

What can you do to help?

I am part of a guerilla gardening group that transforms these green spaces

Where are you commenting on?

Local green space

What are you commenting on? (You can select more than one or add your own with 'Other'. If you want some suggestions, we've put some questions on the 'About' page to get you started).

• Green Space Management

• Habitats

• Nature Surveys

• Access to Nature

• Habitat Improvement

• Trees

• Gardens/Gardening

• Biodiversity Enhancements

• Urban Greening

• Wildlife

How does it make you feel?

Mostly positive

Why do you feel this way?

Happy but concerned!

What can Camden Council do to help?

Buy the land to secure its future as green space/nature reserve and permaculture-inspired community garden. Residents of Chetwynd Road and local community gardeners' group as well as tenants of the adjacent buildings have enjoyed this green space, which always has been a much needed breathing space and the only "gap" in otherwise densely built up Chetwynd Road. There is no other wild green space along the entire road, which is the busiest residential road in the borough and has problems with heavy-traffic.

What can organisations, community groups and businesses in Camden do to help?

We need support to continue to use this space for wider community benefit and biodiversity enhancement of the area.

What can you do to help?

Garden for wildlife and volunteer my time.

During the coronavirus lockdown, have local green and natural spaces become more, or less important to your health and wellbeing?

More important

What have been your main reasons for visiting green and natural spaces recently? (select up to three)?

• For physical health and exercise

• To connect to nature / watch wildlife

• To get fresh air

• Learn / explore something or somewhere new / challenge myself

• Advised to by GP / health professional

• For mental health and well being