by Bethany Vann | 03 Jun 25 | Commercial Landscaping, News
Following a full refurbishment designed to accommodate contemporary urban living, London’s first ever public park has reopened with a refreshed look.
Finsbury Circus Gardens – the largest open green space in the Square Mile – has undergone a major transformation, with major improvement works to its public accessibility and biodiversity.
The park was first opened in 1815, with a formal layout designed by George Dance the Younger.
Now in 2025 accessibility has been improved to the Grade II-listed site, as well as the instalment of additional seating and an overhaul of the central lawn.
New landscaping elements established include 12 additional tree species, over 13,000 plants, and more than 6,000 bulbs.
The design by Realm, which worked with Studio Weave to incorporate a new Parks Office, is led by the City of London Corporation’s goal to attract new businesses, workers, and visitors to the Square Mile.
Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, Chris Hayward notes that “green spaces play a vital role in making Square Mile a welcoming and attractive place to live, work, and visit”, adding that this project is a step towards making London a more “inclusive, innovative, and sustainable city.”
James St John Davis, chair of the City Corporation’s Natural Environment Board, adds:
“Our open spaces are a lifeline in the City, supporting people’s health and wellbeing, and playing a vital role in climate resilience and biodiversity. From birds and butterflies to bees and insects, places like this provide essential habitats while helping to cool the urban environment and improve air quality.”
by Bethany Vann | 16 Apr 24 | Commercial Landscaping, News
The City of London Corporation has revealed new images showing how London’s oldest public park will look in the future.
The finished scheme at Finsbury Circus Gardens, which is due to complete later this year, will see improvements made to the Grade II listed site’s seating and pathways.
New planting areas will be established around the central lawn, introducing a wide range of species and habitats for birds, bees and bats.
Finsbury Circus Gardens is the largest green space within the city and is just one of over 180 individual square mile sites, owned and managed by the City Corporation.
Among them are 10 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation in the City, designated for their importance for wildlife and for people to engage with nature.
Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Natural Environment Board, Caroline Haines, says: “Not only are City open spaces hugely important for people’s health and wellbeing, they also play a vital role by increasing the Square Mile’s resilience against climate change and enhancing biodiversity by creating habitats for a number of birds, butterflies, and insects.”
A recent report into the value of the City Corporation’s green spaces within the Square Mile revealed their worth at £126.8m every year in benefits to society, with a present value of £3.6bn over 50 years.
Data showed that for every £1 spent on maintenance gives a return of £87.70 in public benefits.
by Bethany Vann | 30 Jan 24 | Nature & Biodiversity, News
A new report shows that the network of internationally important open spaces managed by the City of London Corporation is worth £282.6 million each year in benefits to society, equating to just over £8bn across 50 years.
The report, published by Natural Capital Solutions calculates the value of the benefits deliverable to the public by these open spaces, including recreational, health and wellbeing, air and water quality and carbon removal benefits.
Festival Gardens St Paul’s Cathedral
It found the overall benefit-to-cost ratio to be 16.4 – meaning for every £1 spent on maintaining and protecting these spaces, they deliver £16.40 in ‘natural capital benefits’ for the public.
Protecting over 11,000 acres of parks, forests, heaths, gardens and historic open spaces across London and southeast England, the City Corporation spends £38m a year on maintaining these spaces.
Many of these sites include a variety of important wildlife habitats, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, and National Nature Reserves.
While over 60% of the organisation’s sites comprises Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath- collectively welcoming over 18m visitors a year.
Hampstead Heath was found to be providing creational and health benefits worth almost £50m a year, while the Epping Forest’s carbon removal capability was recorded to be worth £4.5m annually.
West Ham Park
The report found the two sites to be the City Corporation’s highest-performing sites in regards to delivering natural benefits to the public, inclusive of creational and health benefits and carbon capture.
In total, the organisation welcomes almost 50m visitors annually, with their open spaces being recognised by the London in Bloom competition in 2023, and a further 15 taking Green Flag awards.
Chair of the City Corporation’s Natural Environment Board, Caroline Haines says these numbers show “just how much our green spaces mean to the tens of millions of people who enjoy them every year.”
Policy chairman, Chris Hayward adds: “These sites not only have hugely positive impacts on community health and wellbeing, but crucially, they combat climate change, and underpin London’s offer as a leading global city.
“The capital needs to keep pace with this investment in nature and parks to make it a city renowned for its living standards as well as its business prowess.”
The report comes after the City Corporation also announces four new broader environment strategies designed to protect, enhance, and maintain its sites.
by Bethany Vann | 25 Jan 24 | Commercial Landscaping, Nature & Biodiversity, News
Work commences on transforming Jubilee Gardens into a ‘greener’ and ‘more inviting’ open space in the City of London.
The £620,000 project aims to boost the City’s biodiversity, climate resilience and protection against flooding.
Improvement works include the planting of 15 new trees, as well as shrubs and perennials to create habitats for pollinators and other wildlife.
New log and stone piles will also be created, providing habitats to the space’s invertebrates.
In an effort to reduce the project’s carbon footprint, paving materials from the existing site will be re-used.
“The improvements to Jubilee Gardens will provide a green and inviting space,” says chair of the City of London Corporation’s Streets and Walkways Sub-committee, Graham Packham.
Chair of the City Corporation’s Natural Environment Board, Caroline Haines adds: “Open spaces in the City of London are not only hugely important for people’s health and wellbeing, they also play a vital role in increasing the Square Mile’s biodiversity and resilience against climate change.”
The gardens will be closed throughout the project’s duration which is expected to take approximately 10 months to complete.
by Bethany Vann | 16 Aug 23 | Commercial Landscaping, Grounds Maintenance, News, Topics
A public consultation has been called for changes to one of 10 livery gardens remaining in the city.
Barber-Surgeons’ Gardens, one of the largest green spaces owned and managed by the City of London Corporation in the Square Mile, is set to undergo improvement works. A public consultation to kickstart phase one is open until 27 September.
Chair of the City Corporation’s natural environment board Caroline Haines says: “We want to hear from everyone who uses the gardens to ensure they are welcoming and inclusive, recognising the importance of green space to our health and wellbeing.”
The present garden was created in 1987 atop a derelict bombsite and features several historic structures, including parts of the Roman London Wall, and the remains of the London Romance Fort.
The online survey can be found here.
