TRANSFORM
FORM YOUR SPACE
Wasteland to
wonderland
A community
i off railway
il
cottages in
i an industrial
i d
i l
heartland in Acton has transformed an urban space
into a green haven, thanks to funding from a council
scheme. You, too, could apply for money to improve
a neglected corner of your neighbourhood.
T
he Island Triangle
Residents’
Association
(TITRA) won
£75,000 from Ealing
Council’s Transform Your
Space fund to turn the
fenced-off, fly-tipped
Before – some of the
It has made an
eyesore in Stephenson
Transform Your Space project was one
dumped rubbish
enormous difference
Street into a popular
of the reasons she and her husband
already – fly-tipping
Woodland Oasis project.
were encouraged to do so.
has stopped and residents
First, the residents had to raise
Marisa said: “My grandad was a
have been enjoying their new ‘forest
£1,000 through crowdfunding. Then,
guard on the trains and moved in here,
garden’. Money has been set aside to
helped by council park ranger Jon
and then my dad was born here and,
maintain the area, to make sure it is a
Staples and the larger funding, the
consequently, I grew up here too. It used
sustainable project.
residents set to work. An incredible 11
to be more rural but it has long been an
Marisa Merry and Claire Physsas are
skips of rubbish, and an ugly stretch
island surrounded by industry. We used
at opposite ends of the scale in
of fencing, were removed. Then
to stand the other side of the fence
the close-knit community
contractors Ground Control were
and daydream about what this
of around 200 Victorian
employed to carry out the vision of a
strip of land could become
leading landscape designer to revive the homes. Whereas
and I was determined to
Marisa was the
110-metre strip of land.
leave something green
third generation of
Many edible plants were used to
behind for future
her family to live
provide a harvest of produce for the
children to enjoy.”
in the old railway
community, including blackcurrants,
Claire said: “Since
workers’ cottages,
strawberries and gooseberries; and
moving in, my
Claire only moved
trees will bear apples, kiwis, plums and
husband and I have
Before – just before
in last year – and the
pears. There is even a pecan tree.
had a son, Oscar. I walk
work started
28
around ealing
Winter 2016/17