Camberwell Green closed to the public on Monday, in preparation for major redevelopment works. It'll next open sometime in spring 2016.
So, what's going on? The Southwark council website tells us the project is part of Revitalise5 Camberwell, a £11m scheme of improvements to the town centre. Plans have been under public consultation since 2012, and were finalised in 2013.
The changes to the site include a new play area, more trees and wildflowers, more green space, and improved lighting. The current playground is being moved from the east to the north side, and made significantly larger. The four major entrances to the park will be framed by feature walls. And those readers who are used to viewing the Green from the top decks of the various buses that queue along Camberwell Road will be able to survey a new wildflower meadow while they wait.
And there's good news for fans of Camberwell's Urban Farmers’ Market: Camberwell Green's south east corner is being pedestrianised and made into a permanent 'market square'. While work continues on the square, the market has been temporarily relocated to Datchelor Place, outside the Pigeon Feed. (Datchelor Place has also been recently pedestrianised, as part of the Transport for London-funded Pocket Places project.)
Just outside the Green, look out for a new pedestrianised zone on the north east of the square, a welcoming entrance to Camberwell's new library, also part of the Revitalise5 Camberwell scheme. The new library opens on 4 November, after a long delay.
