Children's Playground: Currently putting in remains of trees and shrubs. General tidying through. Carrying on with fencing and making good.

Community Greenhouses: Working on completion of new kitchen and toilets. General clearance nearly completed.

The Temple.: Ceilings completed and made ready for plastering. Internals making good. Temple disabled toilets. Putting in all the tiling. Frontage work has stopped because of heavy rain at present.

Walled Garden: Some work carried out with the installation of a water pump and other plumbing being fitted. Paving works. Stopped at present waiting for new paving to arrive.

Pond 1/2: Work stopped waiting for stone work to arrive. Clearance work on hold at Pond 3 as birds are nesting

Lido area: Main Sewer being installed at present time. Drainage work being connected as well. All trenches being backfilled and made good

Norwood Lodge : Old metal railing taken out. Self sets removed

Norwood Lodge to Rosendale: Currently installing wood edging and making good

Land drains: Proceeding well through the main sports field This work has been stopped for the last two days as the field is currently waterlogged and machinery would damage the ground. Once conditions are drier we will commence again.

Next week:

• Children's Playground: Continue on snagging up. Installation of other components.
• Community greenhouses: Continue completion of kitchen and work surfaces
• The Temple: Continue tiling of internals. Making good. If weather is better continue working on the outside making good.
• Walled garden: If all stone work comes in we will start to pave the last long path. Work on the fountain and pond area. Continue clearing.
• Pond 1/2: Install new cascade. Possibly start other works. Still waiting for materials to arrive such as the coping stones to go on the edge.
• Lido Area: Continue installation of the main sewer and all connections. At the present time we hope all works in the Lido Car Park will be completed for this round. Current weather conditions are making this construction work extremely difficult.
• Norwood Lodge to Rosendale Road: Continue putting in wooden edging boards. Making good to path edges. Reconnection of all drains to sewer.
• Land drains: If the weather gets better we will recommence these works. This will work its way across to Herne hill and greatly improve the existing water problems in Brockwell Park

Apologies for not being able to use the Lido Car Park at the present time.
This work will greatly benefit Brockwell Park users by alleviating existing drainage problems

Children’s Playground: Fencing currently being erected. Trees have been planted. Shrub beds currently being planted. Minor repairs being undertaken. Grass protection measures being installed.

Walled Garden: Paving being laid at present. General clearance of site.

Community Greenhouses: All base tarmac now laid. All wooden edging has been completed. General clearance of debris off site. Events container moved and relocated. All water pipes installed. New stands for water pipes being installed.

The Temple: Exterior refurbishment being carried out. Rendering being undertaken to both the front and back elevations. Internal plastering being carried out. Back of Temple repointed in lime mortars to match.

Pond 1: Cascade for new waterfall dug out. Base installed and has now been concreted in.

Tree planting: Various trees have been planted around the Park this week.

Land drainage: Work continuing on installation of land drainage across the sports area behind the Changing Block.

Brixton Water Lane: Road now tarmaced. Small amount of tarmac to complete.

Brockwell Park Gardens to Norwood Road Lodge: Road has been excavated and a new base installed and rolled ready for tarmacing. All drains now connected.

Dulwich Road: All original fencing now removed.

Next week:

• Children’s playground: Continue erecting fence. Complete all tree and shrub planting. Other minor works.
• Walled Garden: Paving on hold waiting for more paving to arrive. Possible start on the pergola construction and laying the summerhouse tiles. Continue to clear up the gardens and making good.
• Community Greenhouses: Continue to work on the new building. Finish off minor repairs.
• The Temple: Finish off plastering. Continue external rendering and making good. Timber work: installation to doors etc.
• Pond 1: Install new cascade for the waterfall. Possible start on the coping stones which go round the edge of the pond.
• Brixton Water Lane: Complete all asphalting.
• Dulwich Road: Start installing plinths for the new railings.
• Brockwell Park Gardens to Norwood Road: Lay tarmac base
• Land drains: Continue installation of land drains across the sports area behind the Changing Block.

NB. We will be starting on the final sewer installation near the LIDO. This work will take approximately one month.
On April 24th 2012 the Lido Car Park will close for approximately one week as the sewer goes across the entire side of the car park. I apologise for any inconvience. The finished works will be worth the wait.

Children's Playground: All the base tarmac has now been completed. More turfing has been carried out. New tunnel installed today. General clearance work and shrub pruning has been carried out.

Community greenhouses: Electrical rewiring finished. Various trench works carried out and backfilled. More insulation being put in the new kitchen. New concrete base installed as an entrance to the kitchen.

The Temple: Roofing work carried out. New flashing being installed. Slate tiles being repaired. Outside walls being cleaned up and old paint removed. Pillar structures are being sanded and filled ready for new paint work. Paving removed to investigate floor. Internally making good. Replastering inter rooms. Installation of new land drains at the front.

Pond 1: Erecting shuttering for concrete walls. Repouring new walls in concrete. New gabions being installed. New base dug out and being made ready for deck promenade. Excavation work. Additionally all rear area cleared of scrub to encourage birds to breed.

Pond 2: Removing old stumps of trees. Removing top layer of various plants and making good. Preparing for new planting.

Lido: Installation of new land drains to alleviate wet areas. Making good to areas affected by machinery.

Next week:

• Children's playground: Complete all turfing and water in. Possibly start fencing after Wednesday. Potentially start laying rubber protection to turf. Clear more debris from main stack. Tidy up area.
• Community greenhouses: Put on roof and clad sides. General clearance of debris. If main community new building is completred, potentially start grounds works clearing current area of tarmac and excavating for new base. Complete rewiring. Lay new water mains to Secret Garden Greenhouses.
• The Temple: Continue working on the roof with various repairs making good. Working on exterior walls preparing for new painting. Internally new plastering. Making good and preparing for new doors and new windows.
• Pond 1: Complete all wall concreting. Clear silt away. Possibile start on promenade. Start to install base to outside.
• Pond 2: Complete shrub clearance.
• Pond 3: Start shrub clearance.
• Land drain works - possibly start but still waiting for Planning. Connect new works such as the lido land drains into new sewers. Connect the temple land drains into sewers.
• Road repairs: Possibly next week there might be a start to roads repairs to Brixton Water Lane. All necessary preliminary work such as the shrub pruning is now completed.

Children’s Playground: Tarmacing paths with a base coat. Installation of path edges. Importing soil and reshaping mounds. Preparation of grass areas for turfing. Clearance of debris.

Community Greenhouse: Continuing the construction of new kitchen and toilets. Installation of drainage continues. Clearing debris. Installation of new trench work.

The Temple: Plastering walls. Preparing joists for plasterboards. Making good to walls. Cutting out for new doorways for disabled access.

Walled Garden: Installation of rope edging. Digging out for new paths. Relaying York stone. Making good. Brushing in pointing.

Pond 1: Construction of new gabions and using faggots for new edging. Digging out silt and staking. Making good to walls where damaged. Pumping out water to remove last of silt.

Changing Block: Installation of new sewer run. Installation of new road drains.

Brixton Water lane: Removing various shrubs. Reshaping and pruning of shrubs. Preparing old shrub beds to become grassed areas.

Next week:

• Children’s playground: Continue laying turves. Construction of paths. Pruning shrubs. Clearing debris. Various tarmacing works
• Community Greenhouse: Work on the construction of new kitchen. Putting on new roof and cladding. Fill in trenches. Possibly start on ground works for future tarmacing.
• The Temple: Continue rewiring. New plastering. New ceilings possibly going in
• Walled Garden: Continue digging out for new paving. Installation of sub base. Relaying York stone. Making good.
• Pond 1: Construction of new gabions. Repairing concrete floor and walls. Removal of silt. Cleaning pond linings. Repairing concrete walls.
• Changing Block: Continue putting in a new sewer which will head toward the tennis courts. This is to enable Blakedowns to connect up some of the new land drains across the main field.
• Shrub pruning: Various locations across Brockwell Park

Children's Playground: Currently turfing main area. Continuing putting in path edges. Various clearance work. Toilets rewiring and making good.

Walled garden: Excavation of paths. Laying of base for paving. Relaying York stone. Brushing in pointing.

Community Greenhouses: Rewiring main Greenhouse. Constructing new kitchen. Started on new drainage work and installation of new water supply for water feeds around various parts of the allotment area.

Temple: Chasing out for putting in new electricity supply

Pond 1: Continuing to break out concrete surrounds and checking for condition of pond walls and floor to ensure no leaks are there.

Next week:

• Children's Playground: Continue laying turf. Constructing paths. Clearing debris and making ready for laying new paths.
• Community Greenhouses: Continue construction of the kitchen area. Rewiring main greenhouse. General clearance. Laying new drains. Installation of new water pipes.
• The Temple: Installation of new wiring. Preparation work. Working on new toilet areas.
• Pond 1: Continue to clear area of concrete and prepare for next phase.
• Shrub work: Clear some old shrub beds towards the latter part of the week.

Children's Playground: Sand pit completed. Now filing up with sand. Paths being created. Tree pits being dug out. All soil sculpturing completed with final topsoil to be added.

Walled Garden: Rope edges being concreted in. Internal paths being laid in York stone. All York paving joins are being filled in.

The Temple: Old window removed. New doorway created to gain access to the Walled Garden. Various electrical works being carried out. Both external doors have been widened to allow for Wheelchairs etc.

Community Greenhouses: New kitchen started construction this week.

Pond 1: Drained down this week. All fish moved to Pond 2. Silt being removed. Various debris cleared out.

Planting: Shrub beds to the Temple and up past the Community Greenhouses have had all shrubs removed except for one section. All old tree roots removed. Ground cultivated for planting. Old fencing removed to make way for new fencing.

Herne Hill gate: New sewer run started.

Future works - next week:

• Children's Playground: If the weather holds we hope to start turfing. Paths created. More soil worked around. Various pruning undertaken.
• Walled Garden: Paths dug out. Possibly start digging out the long path on the right hand side. Install more rope edgings.
• The Temple: Making good. Installing new doors and frames.
• Community Greenhouses: Complete new kitchen area. Possibly start electrical work in main greenhouse.
• Pond 1: Start checking concrete lining of Pond.
• Planting: No work planned.
• Herne Hill: Complete excavation and backfill. Start installing road drains.

Children’s Playground: Excavation of paths. Installation of path edges. General clearance work. Joining up drains

Walled garden: Laying York stone. Excavation of paths.

The Temple: Chasing out for new electrical installation.

Community greenhouses: General excavation work

General: Pruning and removal of shrubs from Arlingford Gate to Brixton Water Lane; Setting out of works. Planning new sections of the HLF work

Pond 1: Install Heras fencing around whole pond for protection. Friday start pumping out pond 1.

Future works - next week:

• Children’s Playground: Installation of paths.
  Turfing rear banks if weather will hold and dry out existing area
• Walled garden: Continue excavation of paths.
  Lay new base and firm.
  Lay York paving
• The Temple: Installing new electrical wiring.
  Chasing out walls.
  Making good
• Community greenhouses: Start construction of new walls.
• Pruning: Continue pruning in Brockwell Park
• Ponds: Continue pumping out pond 1.
  Inspect pond lining.
  Setting out of works.
  Move fish to Pond 2

Children’s Playground: All play equipment now installed. Work carrying on creating new sand pits.
New paths being created to come from the new asphalt path which was installed last October.

Walled Garden: Work progressing digging out old paths and reconstructing these with base material. Currently concreting-in knot edging.
Edging round the old pond has now been completed.
Lay York stone around pergola now completed.
Work is carrying on re-laying paths around the pond

Community Greenhouses: All demolition work now completed. Old boiler house cellar now filled in up to ground level. Currently laying concrete footings today

The Temple: Currently rewiring the Temple.

Other works: Five sewer runs completed. Still some tidying up to do

Christmas break.: All works to complete today (22nd December) with a complete shutdown until January 2nd when work will recommence.

January works:

• Children’s Playground: to continue
• Walled garden: Continue construction of paths. Refurbishment of buildings. Restitch brickwork on Old Walled garden to make safe.
  This will give an opportunity to open this ancient gate on Holy days and high days
• Potential tarmacing works but unclear of actual dates. Will confirm as soon as I know.

Brockwell Park Gardens: Installation of sewer run. This work should complete today.

Norwood Lodge: All current work completed.

Children's Playground: Currently installing furniture. Working on soil shaping. New bridge installed. New log now installed. More earth sculpturing has been going on to create mounds and hollows to create a more exiting playground.

Walled Garden: Currently excavating paths and reconstructing with compacted base material. Some of the rope edging has been reinstalled including concerting in. Main path to the rear of the Walled Garden and the West Arbour are now completely re-laid in York stone. Drainage work also being carried out and new water mains being installed.

Forthcoming works:

• Children's Playground: Soil restructuring going on. Sand pits being dug out.
• The Temple: New sewer runs being put in from the Temple up to the tennis courts and connected to sewers installed in early October.
• Walled Garden: Continuation of excavating paths and relaying new base. Installation of rope edging. Continuation of relaying York Stone. Removal of some shrub roots in the raised planters.
• Top of Arlingford Gate corner to Brixton Water Lane: Removal of one unsightly shrub bed. Partial pruning of second shrub bed to encourage new growth. Pruning works to happen on the third section. This will greatly improve this shrub bed.
• Brixton Water Lane: Resurfacing works - at present we await confirmation on timing.

NB. Blakedowns will complete all current construction works by December 22nd 2011. Recommencement of new works will occur after January 2nd 2012.
The walled garden remains closed to the public while works continue.

Children's Playground: More new equipment installed over the last two weeks. Now getting ready to install a small bridge. Earth sculpture done as well. Well ahead of schedule.

Walled Garden: A large part of the York paving has been lifted and this work continues. Started to excavate spoil out and preparing to start laying the base for putting York paving back in in place. Existing drains are being dug out and inspected for future use.

The Temple: Removing all existing ceilings and preparing for an all-new electrical installation.

Community Greehouses: All structural work to the base now completed and all concreted in.

Norwood Lodge to Brockwell Park Gardens: Good progress with sewer links and road drains. Some clearance to the front of Norwood Lodge completed.

Park Shelters: Currently undergoing refurbishment. Metal panels removed to lower shelter number 1. In the top shelter all new wood is now in and starting to be repainted with the existing Brockwell colour scheme.

Other investigation works are also going on prior to new works starting.

New works:

• The Norwood Road to Brockwell Park Gardens sewer works will be completed next week.
• All sewer connections including new road drains should be in place and tested by Saturday 3rd December.
• Ongoing installation of new equipment in the playground.
• Continuing to strip out old panelling in the Temple making ready for rewiring.
• Potential road construction at Brixton Water Lane - although at the present time we are unsure whether this will happen. (If it proceeds you will see warning notices of park road closure. This will be implemented down to the Lido to prevent the public going to Brixton Water Lane to find another way out.)

NB Brockwell Park Gardens vehicle gate will have to close for essential works from November 29th 2011 until December 3rd 2011. Please use either Herne Hill Gate for deliveries or by foot use Norwood Lodge Gate. Apologies for any inconvience

Children’s Playground: As you may have seen, a great deal of children’s play equipment has been put in place already. This work is ahead of schedule

Norwood Lodge: Some new connections have been made and the majority of sewer pipes have now been installed

Brixton Water Lane: All sewer pipes including land drains have now been installed. Trenches have been reinstated to make safe.

The Temple: Exploratory works ongoing.

Community Greenhouses: This work is progressing very well. All the sixteen holes have been dug ready for steel work to go in. This will be used for strengthen the brick pillars stop the weight of the structure collapsing. There has been additional demolition work on removing the old boiler house structures. One drain run has been started plus some exploratory work had been carried out to investigate existing surfaces on site

Walled Garden: This is a week behind schedule. Staff have started to remove the twisted edging. These are being stored on site and will be cleaned up and reused. All pruning by other staff has been completed in enable Blakedowns to use the area for storing materials on site.
The walled garden is now closed to the public.

Forthcoming works:

• Children’s Playground:
  Completion of all play equipment where possible for near completion. Sand pits will be excavated to house new structures. Excavated materials currently being taken away. Other exploratory work will be ongoing to put in drainage to link up with existing services.
• Norwood Lodge:
  New sewer runs being installed. It is expected to take three weeks to complete this work. This sewer run will connect up with Brockwell Park Gardens.
• Brixton Water Lane:
  Construction work may be undertaken here in the next two weeks but not confirmed as yet.
• The Temple:
  Various works to be carried out.
• Community Greenhouses:
  Steel fixing on the Community Greenhouses to be completed. Other works pending to be carried out not in programme as yet.
• Walled Garden:
  Remove York paving starting from the West Pergola and working downwards. Excavation work also to be carried out.
• Pond areas:
  Work will start in about two weeks and there may have to be a closure of one path for contractors leaving one path for the public. Paths closed will have signs indicating which way to go.

The Walled Garden is now closed to the public until early spring. There will also be small closures of park roads for limited periods to install drainage systems.

This week has seen the completion of the drainage works to Brixton Water Lane. This will lead to a dramatic benefit to stop flooding of this area in winter time.
Blakedowns have also been working on sewer links at Norwood Lodge and have finally found an interceptor which means the drainage in this area can be connected.

Other works have been the start of drainage works near to the tennis courts of a notoriously wet area.
The Community Greenhouses are progressing very well with demolition works. This is on track.
The Herne Hill Gates to Rosendale drainage works has also been completed.

Works next week:

• Continuing work on drainage runs at the tennis court to the Temple.
• Works on the drainage works from Brockwell Park Gardens to Norwood Lodge ongoing.
• Work will start on the Temple.
• Work will also start on the Walled Garden.
• Work continues on the new children's playground.

NB. The Walled Garden will be closed from October 31st until early spring. There will be small closures of park roads to install drainage systems.

Paul Carter is on holiday this week. His report last week (below) covers two weeks.

This week Blakedowns have continued with work on the new playground. All the old equipment has now been removed and will be reused if in a good condition. Some of the areas have already started to be broken out. The work is ahead of schedule which is pleasing. Work is continuing on the new sewer run from Herne Hill to Rosendale Gate. This work should be completed early next week.

Work for the next two weeks:
Blakedowns will be completing the sewer run from Arlingford Gate to pond 4 next week including all connections.
Other work will include continuing work on the new Children's Playground getting this area prepared for installation of new playground equipment.

Other works will include working on the new sewer pipe run from Brixton Water Lane to the fork of the road leading to the BMX track. My apologies for any inconvience by having Brixton Water Lane gates shut. It is a Health and Safety matter to ensure safety of the public. As soon as this work is cleared the gates will reopen.

Forthcoming work:

• Temple closes October 30th.
• Temple Toilets close October 30th.
• Community Greenhouses accessible through a side gate from October 10th.
• Walled Garden closes on October 30th.

Nearly all play equipment has been taken down and removed from the Children's Playground. The playground's exterior fencing is now coming down and will be reused around the pond areas. Excavation work has now commenced and will continue. A new path to the exterior has now been completed and a top coat will be applied to this later on.

The Herne Hill sewer work is progressing well with a new long section put in this week with road drains being coupled in as well. This was all tested today and works very well. The run will be backfilled and reopened to the public once safe. Some small sections of fencing will remain as various coupling and manholes remain to be completed - these should be finished by the end of next week.

The Brixton Water Lane gate is likely to be be closed from next Monday - possibly Wednesday. It will be closed for about a week while a sewer run is implemented. Blakedowns will do their best to re-open the gate as soon as possible. Signs will be put on roads to warn the public that there is no access to Brixton Water Lane.

Works reminders:

• Community Greenhouse will close the top section on October 10th 2011.
• Temple will close October 30th 2011.
• Temple toilets will close October 30th 2011

This week the new sewer pipe was completed from Arlingford Gate. There is still some remedial work to do. The Children's Playground has been fenced off and work will be commencing shortly.
Blakedowns have started a new sewer run from Herne Hill back to Rosendale which has been tested successfully.

There's been a great deal of testing work throughout Brockwell Park. There are test holes around Brockwell Park Gates and near to Norwood Lodge to locate existing sewer pipes. These will be replaced making these areas much drier than for some considerable time.
The new section of the recirculation pipe which will run between Ponds 1 to 3 is now completed in trench work and all the ground has been reinstated.

As the trenches sink they will be topped up with fresh soil. There will be a pump in Pond 3. That still remains to be connected. Once connected you will be able to see the cascade working.

Blakedowns are continuing well. The sewer connection from Pond 4 to Arlingford Gate is now all completed and backfilled with soil. There are some connections to make then will all be completed. Some willows had to be removed to get the pipe work in.

Blakedowns have also been excavating from the walled garden to Pond 3 to put in a new return pipe. Trenching is now completed. The new pipe will serve Ponds 1-3 on a recirculation pump. This will go through the cascade and assist greatly in the oxygenation of all three ponds. The land drains have now been completed to the rear of the new Wet play area.

These land drains will collect a great deal of water that would otherwise have been wasted. The land drains connect with the existing drains within the Wet Play area and will fed into Pond 1. This is a great use of water resources in Brockwell Park and will make considerable savings in tap water.

Next week Blakedowns will be completing some of the pipe connections leading to Arlingford gate. They will also be starting at Brixton Water Lane putting in the new sewer pipe connection from Brixton Water Lane up to the fork in the road leading to the BMX track. This will greatly assist in the current drainage problems in this area.

Blakedown are continuing very well with the HLF work. The new sewer run has now been put in and tested including two main drains. This pipe now goes up to the willow trees at the One o' Clock club.
The first section from the Arlingford Gate has now been backfilled and there's one more connection to make which will link the drainage to the children's Playground.

The section from the Arlingford Gate to the playground will start to be filled in and hopefully by Saturday will be completed.
This work will continue next week by taking the sewer run through the One o' Clock Club and connecting it to the sewer from the Ponds. This work will take all of next week to complete.

Work has also started on the land drains running behind the new Wet Play area. One section was linked into the main sewer and then work continued around behind the yew hedge.
This work is now approximately 40% complete.
All this trench work will be allowed to sink naturally. Once natural settlement has occurred we will reseed these trenches making good.

The great thing about these land drains is the problems of flooding in this area should stop with this containment.
The other good point is that we can then recycle all this natural rain water saving the use of tap water.
Next week we hope to get all this work completed.

The new path leading from Pond 4 to Arlingford Gate was tarmaced this week. Blakedowns have also dug out the second section which will connect to the path between Ponds 3 and 4. This has been very careful work which has protected the roots of some very old trees. This path will be slightly raised to take the tree roots into account.

Blakedowns started work on the new sewer run which goes from Pond 4 to Arlingford Gate. Progress has been good and some of the pipe work was going in today. Hopefully by this time next week the sewer will all be connected to the original manhole. This will put an end to constant flooding in this area.
The pipe work runs through the One o' clock club and used to flood it so the children will be much relieved to be able to play outside more often after heavy rainfall.

Next week the work will continue linking other drains into this system which will also help make flooding in this area a thing of the past.
Much of the work carried out is grouped to make it more convenient and less disruptive to park users.

The new footpath behind the playground is getting closer to completion. The backfilling of soil is nearly completed and the entire base is in and rolled.
Blakedowns have just started tarmacing the base of this new path, after that they will move all the Heras fencing to the front of the playground.

Next week Blakedowns will start on the new sewer relay. This will go from Pond 4 and run into the existing run of pipe work.
This work will alleviate the flooding at Pond 4 - everyone knows how bad this gets in the winter.

The works will involve a temporary road closure between the back of the one o' clock club and pond 4. This is for health and Safety reasons. The new road will be about 300mm higher than at present. This will prevent future flooding.

There has been a site meeting going through proposals for the Community Greenhouses. New proposals about starting times and realigning the present timetable should allow the contractors to get the work done more quickly and finished this side of Christmas.

This week Blakedowns are digging out the new footpath which runs behind the playground. This will eventually run from Pond 4 to the road at the Arlingford gate.

The new path will enable you to cut across the back of the playground. This will eliminate a lot of muddy feet during the winter and when it rains.

Blakedowns have nearly excavated this ground and are now putting in new wooden timber boards. They will be starting to put in MOT type 1 which is the base of the new footpath.

Once the path has been completed they will be starting on drainage works going from Pond 4 and running to Arlingford gate. This will alleviate present flooding problems - lots of local people will welcome this!