New campaign aims to revamp former chemical site

An eyesore located in the heart of East London could be transformed into an area of natural beauty, thanks to recent announcements.

London mayor Boris Johnson and photographer David Bailey have backed the Cody Wilds campaign - which could see the chemical site located close to Cannon Town and Bow transformed into an area of woodland and a wild flower meadow.

If it gains sufficient public support in a national competition, it could win £120,000 to move the plans forward.

One of the main organisations to get behind the scheme is a Newham-based charity called Gasworks Dock Partnership (GDP).

It is trying to gather the support of 60,000 Londoners to cast their vote, which would release the funding to make the changes to the site.

Simon Myers, chief executive of the charity, said: "We've just got support confirmed in the last 24 hours from Boris Johnson, who said he will tweet about it, and photographer David Bailey, which is fantastic news.

"Our project aims to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for communities to make a real change to their own environment, and to harness the collective energy of the many thousands of people who stand to be connected when the Leaway opens."

The Cody Wilds site was built in the 1870s to hold gas and chemical works. If successful, the funding would come from the Big Lottery Fund, which is designed to help local communities transform their area through Grow Wild, a UK mass participation programme.

It is part of a national project to inspire communities across the country to  transform local spaces, by sowing, growing and enjoying native wild flowers.

Commenting on the Cody Wild initiative, Stephen Shiell, creative projects manager at GDP, said: “This new parkland will provide a vital green corridor, giving wildlife moved on by surrounding development somewhere to re-root, and will enable the many people living in this otherwise urban environment somewhere to re-connect with nature.”

Published 23rd October, 2014

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