Sayes Court Garden network project

It’s one of the projects outlined in the Greening Evelyn Toolkit which explores how green spaces can be created, enhanced and managed with communities in Evelyn Ward for the benefit of residents.

Community engagement 

The project received funding from the Greater London Authority’s Green and Resilient Spaces Fund and Lewisham Council’s Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy to support an 18-month programme of community engagement, which took place between 2024-2025.

In collaboration with the National Trust, nimtim Architects and local partners, such as the Richard MacVicar Adventure Playground, we talked to Sayes Court residents via a youth engagement programme, community picnics, planting workshops, as well as surveys and door knocking to understand people’s priorities for the green space on the estate.

Residents selected 3 spaces that they wanted to see improved:

• site 1: Forest Floor (North of Prince Street)
• site 2: Social Space (Corner of Prince Street and Czar Street)
• site 3: A Garden (Base of Langford House)

The designs

The feedback residents gave us has been used to inform the improvement plans for the three sites, which include features such as: 

• seating and play equipment
• new entrances and paths to make the sites more accessible
• meadow and tree planting to improve biodiversity
• sustainable Urban Drainage to reduce flood risk in the area
• Nimtim architects developed the designs for the 3 sites which can be found here and illustrative street views can be found here.

Improvement works

Works to make improvements to Site 3, the green space at the base of Langford House, are planned to start from Spring 2026. Subject to securing further funding, works will begin in Sites 1 and 2 later in 2026.

Contact

For more information or to share any comments or concerns, please contact the Project Team via sayescourtgardennetwork@lewisham.gov.uk. If you're a resident, you can also get in touch by calling the Housing line on 0800 028 2028 and selecting option 7, then option 3, then option 4. 

FAQs

1. How are the works and maintenance being funded?

• the majority of the works will be paid for with money from external funders
• maintenance of the spaces will continue to be funded by Lewisham Council and residents will contribute via their service charges, as they already do for the current landscaping - while the spaces will require different maintenance support from the Council, our approach is to seek to contain maintenance costs and look to make efficiencies wherever possible

2. How will the spaces be maintained over time?

• throughout the design process the project team has worked hard to limit the amount of ongoing maintenance required by the revitalised spaces by tailoring the planting scheme and ensuring the materials used in the design features are robust, resulting in fewer damages and therefore repairs
• Lewisham Council’s Gardens Maintenance Team were also involved in the design process to help plan the care of the spaces; the team will receive training and skills development for appropriately caring for the spaces

3. Who are these spaces for?

• the green spaces have been designed to provide benefit to both people and the environment - they will be spaces where people can play, relax or meet with friends and neighbours, whilst also offering more diverse habitats and climate resilience through natural water drainage features
• as part of the consultation process, lots of people from the estate community shared their feedback - therefore, the sites will be primarily tailored to the needs of estate residents
• the project team would like to work on signage for these spaces in collaboration with the community - signage could include new site names chosen by the community, a set of fair use guidelines, and details of how the sites came to be

4. How were the spaces chosen?

A community picnic was hosted by nimtim architects on 20 July 2024 to hear more from people about which local green spaces should be improved and how. At the picnic, nimtim architects brought a large-scale map of the estate printed on a blanket. People were invited to place tokens onto the map to show how they currently use the spaces and which spaces they would like to use differently.  A model of the estate was also used to collect more detailed feedback on specific locations and to vote for areas to be re-designed.

5. Who have you consulted?

The project team has tried to talk to a wide range of people across the local community. As part of their design process, nimtim architects held multiple community events on the estate to discuss ideas and welcome feedback from residents. Feedback opportunities were also offered via online surveys after each event.

The events and surveys have been advertised through letters and flyers shared to all households on the estate. Posters and banners were also put up around the estate to advertise the project and engagement opportunities.

At the very earliest stages of our consultation, the project team recognised that there were groups of people whose voices we hadn’t already heard as part of our previous consultation in developing the Greening Evelyn Toolkit.

For this reason, we also held targeted engagement activities with Youth First (now Youth Services at Lewisham Council) and the Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network to enable people who might not have engaged previously to take part in a setting which feels comfortable for them.

6. How will you ensure the spaces are accessible?

To make the green spaces accessible to a wide range of people, the works will introduce:

• footpaths that ensure the space is accessible all year round and that are wide enough for wheelchairs and pushchairs
• areas of hardstanding around seating, picnic tables and features such as the table tennis table
• accessible play opportunities e.g. a basket swing
• on-street seating along Prince Street where currently there is none to provide a rest point

7. What are SuDS and why are they being included?

Sustainable urban drainage systems, or SuDS, are designed to mitigate the risk of surface water flooding and relieve pressure on existing drainage systems which overflow into waterways like the Thames.

SuDS work by providing areas of permeable ground, often planted with water-loving planted species, where excess water can soak away naturally into the ground. By introducing these features within the spaces, the works are reducing the risk of local flooding.  

8. What’s happening to the railings, and how has resident privacy been protected where spaces are being opened up?

• to help more people access and benefit from these spaces, a large portion of railings will be removed at site 1: Forest Floor; gates will be left open on site 2: Social Square, and new gates will be added and remain open at site 3: A Garden
• we’ve designed deep planting beds and hedging to deter people from coming close to shared boundaries and to prevent private garden areas feeling overlooked

9. Will opening the spaces bring anti-social behaviour onto the estate, and how will the use of the spaces be monitored?

• the project aims to create spaces that are loved and used by the community, and this is the best way to deter people from misusing them
• a Designing Out Crime Officer from the Metropolitan Police also helped to shape the designs to mitigate the risk of anti-social behaviour 
• existing reporting systems for any issues will remain - there will be inspections to ensure the safety of play equipment and he project team are working to support residents to create a “Friends Of” group or Tenants & Resident’s Association (TRA) to try and support the use of the green spaces and to monitor usage informally

10. Why aren’t improvements being made to the existing small playground off Czar Street?

• the grant funding that allowed Lewisham Council, the National Trust, and community partners to work together on this project was to support the creation of new accessible outdoor spaces, so the project has focussed on enhancing access and making improvements to the locked green spaces, rather than the existing play area

11. People usually let their dogs off lead and leave dog mess, will this change? 

• spaces have been designed without fully enclosed fencing so that while everyone including dogs are welcome, owners will not be encouraged to exercise dogs off lead - litter bins will be provided for any dog waste to be picked up and disposed of
• there will still be spaces on the estate which are fully enclosed by fencing where dogs can be exercised off lead, but any dog mess should always be picked up and disposed of responsibly

12. There are allotment planters and also fruit trees included in the designs for Site 3, at the base of Langford House, can I use these to grow my own food?

• yes, you will be able to use these to ‘grow your own’
• the project has also applied for funding for a Community Development Officer whose role will be to organise and deliver a range of activities in the newly enhanced spaces, which could include a range of green skills and growing sessions
• a “Friends Of” group or Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) could potentially support the organisation and basic care of these growing spaces if there were interest

13. Why are you introducing new hardstanding and taking away green space?

• to make the green spaces accessible to a wide range of people, the works are introducing areas of hardstanding, such as footpaths, to ensure the spaces are accessible year-round and to protect the ground from increased use - the designs aim to balance the amount of hardstanding with the amount of available green space to ensure this is not disproportionate
• by making the green spaces accessible, and enhancing them with additional planting and biodiversity features, the enhancements are designed to benefit both people and the environment

14. Why is money being spent on this, how will it benefit me?

The designs have been produced with the community at their heart. Hopefully, everyone will be able to find some benefit from the improvements, whether that is a new space to meet and connect with friends and neighbours, having an enjoyable place to rest on journeys around the estate, or offering children more play opportunities on their doorstep.  

15. How can I get involved?

• once the spaces are delivered, they will be freely accessible for residents to use at their convenience
• keep an eye out for more events and opportunities to get involved as work continues in these spaces, there is potential for involvement in planting, maintenance, green skills sessions, events to mark the opening of the spaces, and exercise classes - we’d love to hear from you if you have ideas about the spaces or would like to get involved
• to sign up for opportunities to get involved in the project, please email sayescourtgardennetwork@lewisham.gov.uk