Save our Sunlight: The People of Old Paradise Gardens

A few weeks ago, the Garden Museum launched a petition asking the London Mayor to guarantee six hours of sunlight for the city’s green public spaces. Current planning policy for London requires just two hours of direct sunlight on a park, playground or wildlife area (as measured on the equinoxes of 21 March and 21 September). This means that local neighbourhood parks could be overshadowed by a new development, or in darkness, for 22 hours a day. And in mid-winter, when the sun is even lower, parks and playgrounds can be in permanent shadow and still meet current guidelines. This two hour rule is about to become official policy in the Mayor’s new London Plan. At a time when London faces countless bids to build high-rise towers, that policy could plunge the lives of thousands of Londoners, plants, and bumblebees, into darkness. These guidelines were drawn up to apply to all spaces between buildings, from car parks to shopping arcades. But the Garden Museum believes that green spaces are different. We’re thrilled that over 7000 people have showed their support and signed the petition so far, and we’ve been joined in our campaign by London Wildlife Trust, London Skyline Campaign, SAVE Britain’s Heritage, Stop the Blocks, the London Gardens Trust, Lambeth Village, and the Metropolitan Parks and Gardens Association. Liberal Democrat and Green Assembly Members support the campaign and have pledged to raise the issue in the new mayoral term. SIGN THE PETITION HERE Garden photographer Rachel Warne, best known for her stunning photos in publications such as Gardens Illustrated, recently photographed our neighbours in their local park, Old Paradise Gardens. Here’s what they have to say about the importance of the petition to save our sunlight: