When we say \u2018Wormwood Scrubs\u2019, what comes to mind is probably the prison, which over the years has held notorious prisoners like Ian Brady,\u00a0Charles Bronson and even Pete Doherty.\u00a0But what if we told you that the Victorian jailhouse shares its namesake with one of London\u2019s biggest open green spaces, and it\u2019s about to undergo a massive transformation?<\/p>\n
Wormwood Scrubs, a massive grassy plain in Hammersmith<\/a> and Fulham, is to get a \u00a33 million makeover, focusing on improving biodiversity and drainage, including the creation of a Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme (SUDs). Hammersmith and Fulham Council wants to add\u00a0new ponds, meadows, trees and grasslands to the 190-acre site which houses the prison on its southern edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n The council was funded \u00a33.8 million for the project by HS2,\u00a0and is currently seeking a supplier to carry out the works. In a written tender, the council said it intended to \u2018enhance biodiversity on the Scrubs and at the same time improve drainage across the site to better manage surface water and improve access\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Scrubs meadow was recently given protected status as a Local Nature Reserve. The Scrubs project was funded as an agreement between the local council and\u00a0HS2 to ensure ecological improvements were made to the area following major HS2 construction nearby at Old Oak Common.\u00a0<\/p>\n The tender is expected to run for 10 years up to 2036, which will include maintenance of the new park. When it begins, the council expects work to take place for six to eight months.\u00a0<\/p>\n The River Thames is getting a brand-new embankment in central London<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Could the DLR be extended beyond Thamesmead and even further into southeast London<\/a>? Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0<\/strong>follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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