About Us
Who are savebishopspark.com?
We are effectively a website. Founded in September 2005 by concerned local residents who opposed Fulham FC Community Sports Trust’s application to Hammersmith and Fulham Council for planning permission to install a full size floodlit Astroturf football pitch, complete with 2m high fencing and floodlighting to cover the majority of the open space in Bishops Park. There were also plans to erect gates blocking the riverside walk as well.
The whole issue awakened the awareness that the park is in a state of poor neglect and highlighted the need for real investment which resulted in the council’s announcement of capital investment and the proposed master plan. Following this announcement, the website has been re-developed to reflect the new situation and to provide the community with a platform to lobby and influence both the council and Groundwork so that the community gets the park it wants.
We are only as strong as the people who we represent. We are a non-profit self funded group manned by volunteers. Our activities are focused around the website. At a later stage, once the masterplan is formed to our community’s satisfaction, we will consider charitable status in order to enable us as a community to apply for outside funding.
If you would like to become a member of this website please click here
If you would like to contribute money to the cost of website maintenance please click here
For more about the history of Bishops Park please click here
The Serious Stuff
It had to come somewhere, so here it is, what we believe in. savebishopspark.com is committed to establishing Bishop’s Park’s place at the forefront of Urban Park Development and its importance in creating a cleaner, safer, greener community.
We believe in developing Bishops Park into a higher quality physical environment restoring it to its original purpose and function to:
- contribute to the health and well being of local residents
- attract a greater number and diversity of people
- improve the quality of the recreational space
- protect biodiversity of our green space
- improve the air quality of our environment
Some Stats on Bishops Park
- LBHF has least amount of open green space of any borough in London.
- Bishop's Park in Fulham was donated to the people of Fulham to provide a green open space by the Bishops of London in 1873.
- Bishop Park was voted Fulham’s favourite park (Borough Profile 2002 council survey). 80% of residents visit park
- Bishops Park is a conservation Grade II listed park, Metropolitan Open Land, a Conservation Park and subject to the Thames Riverside Strategy restrictions.
- LBHF population 165,500 approx
- Electorate Fulham 8 wards in 2002 council elections 56,801
- Total voted in last council election Fulham 19,179
- Astroturf opposition petition total 18,276 – 9,376 paper and 8,900 online
- Petition to oppose Astroturf was largest petition submitted in Fulham in last ten years. Previous was 8,000 for Fulham Library re-opening.
Big Thank You
To everyone who took part in the Astroturf campagain, you should all feel very proud. The initial response we got from people was that they were amazed democracy had worked. That such grass root action had worked. It is a sad statement of our times that we are all so jaded with politics that we seem to have lost the belief that we – or an individual – has the power to make a difference. But you got the proof that it can and did – now you get the chance to build something from it – a cleaner, safer, greener space for the community today and tomorrow.
Click here to have your say in the forum
Our Dream
Well everyone needs one, right? So if we could do anything and everything then this pretty much sums up how we think it should be done:
- To consult local residents and visitors, developing programmes that meet users needs in different areas of the park and ensuring that investment is uniformly spread so that all interests are addressed
- To raise money through public and private means and ensure that every penny is allocated to specific projects within the park with complete transparency and accountability
- To restore and enhance the historical features of our grade II* star listed park as well as protecting and increasing the flora content of the park
- To increase the opportunity for people to have access and enjoy Bishops Park
- To instigate a sustainable maintenance and management plan for the park that will safeguard investment and improvements in the park for future generations of users
- To instigate better educational use of the park and encourage active participation and interest in wildlife in parks
- To increase the level of voluntary work in the park, both in terms of capital spending and helping to maintain the park
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