London Pleasure Gardens 'to transform Newham'

A 15-acre site in Newham is to be turned into the London Pleasure Gardens.

As well as a 1,000-seater giant dome that will host various musical nights, the location will be able to hold 35,000 people. The grand opening is expected to be on June 30th and performers such as Groove Armada, Gary Numan and Baaba Maal are expected to make an appearance.

The development will place flats to rent in Newham at the heart of the city's social life because of the number of events that will be taking place. The Paradise Gardens weekend - featuring Roots Manuva, Alabama 3 and Jerry Dammers of The Specials - will mark the start of the celebrations. The BLOC electronic music festival will also be held at the venue and Orbital and Snoop Dogg are among those expected to showcase their talents.

Borough mayor Sir Robin Wales said: "Not only will it provide a spectacular venue, it will give jobs to Newham residents and generate revenue which will be invested back into the community. London is moving east and the gardens will highlight the incredible opportunities available to investors."

Some £5 million is being invested in the area through the scheme, £3 million of which came from Newham Council. Further redevelopment will take place on the site over the next three years as the location seeks to recreate the pleasure gardens that were a feature of London from the mid-17th to the mid-19th century.

As part of the overhaul, Pontoon Dock is to be turned into an artistic and cultural hub. Submissions are being requested before June 20th to adorn the area and ensure it is transformed ahead of the Olympic Games, which get underway on July 27th.

"The pieces may be interactive or purely visual spectacles, they can potentially incorporate elements of water or fire but they must be relatively durable and suitable for all weather conditions," according to the blog of the organisers.

Posted by Charles Mackay

Published 8th May, 2012

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