New Playground - Dulwich Park

[daveybigpotatoes]

Playground a disastrous muddy mess today. Big bog in the middle, much unusable for kids. The expensive rebuild was a huge missed opportunity - worse now than before the works.

[rupert james]

Even getting to and around the exercise machines is the same. Water and mud.

A complete balls up

[Earl Aelfheah]

It is a pretty poor design. The tunnel seems to have been broken for most of the time it's been there. The walk way just seems a bit pointless. Both Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye are crying out for a decent playground.

[redpost]

Seems to be permanently waterlogged. Ironic giving the neighbouring works to improve rain water management, don't know enough to say if related or not.

[Earl Aelfheah]

TImthink the point of the works was to ensure water gathered in the park. It seems to have been successful unfortunately

[Burbage]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> TImthink the point of the works was to ensure

> water gathered in the park. It seems to have been

> successful unfortunately

That's exactly right. Without the new defences, The Village, and the less unfortunate bits of Herne Hill, would be faced with a potential repeat of the 2004 flood horror, which forced them to tap their insurers for over ?1m. In the wake of this terrible hardship which, though apparently a one-off, had a tragic effect on premiums, the council, the Environment Agency and Thames Water proactively conspired to draft a mitigation plan - of such complete and utter sense that it received almost no objections - suggesting the least the local tax- and bill-payers could do was to stump up ?4m for 'bunds' and 'geocellular tanks', and partially sacrifice use of the park.

As promised, the loss of amenity has been only partial. Although some parts are swamped, the Gallery end, containing the car park, cafe, bowling green and tennis courts, has remained delightfully dry, and those who have to use other entrances can still make use of liberal areas of hard standing. Moreover, the degree of swampiness is highly weather-dependent, and it's expected that the pitches, exercise areas and other amenities used by those without au pairs or gym memberships might dry out completely given only a few weeks of drought. In the meantime, the lake is harbouring a good many ducks, including shovelers, who are relishing the moist conditions and may be viewed (but not fed) by suitably-clad visitors just as soon as the boardwalk's been salvaged.

[spider69]

Perhaps the 2004 flood horror could have been prevented if the drains and sewers had been maintained. Unfortunately they were not, hence overload.

From childhood I can remember the drains etc being sucked and cleared and this problem never existed, does it ever happen now?

[Penguin68]

I can certainly recall routine suction drain clearance/ maintenance in Underhill last year (and in previous years). I had though the 2004 flood was the consequence of a water main burst overwhelming 'normal' drainage - as might have been expected. I don't think poor maintenance (which might additionally have been contributory) was the significant cause of the flooding, but simply an overwhelming volume of water which, once away from the drainage system (i.e. in people's basements) was 'unreachable'. Surface water drainage is only engineered for a maximum of 'heavy downpours' - worse than that and it will never cope, however well maintained.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The 2004 floods were indeed the result of a burst water main, so not related as far as I know.

The works to ensure water gathers in the park was in response to some wealthy houses in the Village having their basements flooded and the inevitable lobbying of the council that ensued, I believe. Maybe James B can shed some light on the exact circumstances.

[mikeb]

2004 floods were caused by rain. Looks pretty wet here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ostbren/Oliver/Flooding/index.html

2013 floods were a burst water main: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23598335

Southwark's idea is that, in order to stop floods like 2004 where water rushed from all over Dulwich through the 'Herne Hill Gap', the solution is to hold water back in Dulwich and Belair Parks, and elsewhere. Reminds me of George Monbiot's flood prevention ideas: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/07/hide-evidence-storm-desmond-floods-paris-talks

I don't so much mind the park being a bit boggy in winter, as I do the utter lack of common sense and imagination in the design of the children's playground. It is physically impossible for anyone to use the climbing wall as such, it's just too short. But it's more than tall enough to be unsafe when kids walk along the top. The tunnel collapsed in weeks. The new slide drops kids off exactly into the bog. It is a real waste of the potential presented by a good sized space.

[rupert james]

Perhaps the 2004 flood horror could have been prevented if the drains and sewers had been maintained. Unfortunately they were not, hence overload.

Could there be some truth in the above comment someone made earlier?

[Earl Aelfheah]

... or if Southwark stopped granting drop kerb applications and encouraging people to pave front gardens.

Anyway, we're getting off the point. The real issue is the playground both here and in Peckham Rye. We should be able to do better.

[spider69]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3442542/I-ve-away-railings-expensive-90-year-old-book-shows-inventor-children-s-playground-complete-disdain-health-safety.html

Perhaps we should revert back to these.

I can remember these in Ruskin Park when I grew up.

Magic. H & S what is that?

[apbremer]

Complete quagmire this Sunday am. Useless.

[edhistory]

Posted by barniepage 19 September, 2013 14:00

Hi John K,

We've been in consultation with a landscape architect and the park management who all felt that there would be no issue with drainage. Owing to the proposed position, which is at the higher end of the park, the gentle slope should allow the water to run off freely. There is an area of lower ground nearby which, we have been told by the park management, has never had a problem with drainage. So we feel positive that the area will remain a groundwork and not a water feature!

=========================

Posted by david_carnell 19 September, 2013 14:55

Ignore John. He's the forum's resident grinch whose raison d'etre is to pour scorn and shout folly at anything new or innovative.

==========================

[Caesi01]

Haven't searched much around, but does anyone know what the plan is about the fenced off structures on the dulwich park playground?

I only remember quite a bit of work until the new playground was finished and now it is half closed again because I imagine the rain and consequent muddy grass. Just a shame for the kids who don't get to use the new facilities.

[richard tudor]

edhistory Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Posted by barniepage 19 September, 2013 14:00

>

> Hi John K,

> We've been in consultation with a landscape

> architect and the park management who all felt

> that there would be no issue with drainage. Owing

> to the proposed position, which is at the higher

> end of the park, the gentle slope should allow the

> water to run off freely. There is an area of lower

> ground nearby which, we have been told by the park

> management, has never had a problem with drainage.

> So we feel positive that the area will remain a

> groundwork and not a water feature!

>

> =========================

>

> Posted by david_carnell 19 September, 2013 14:55

>

> Ignore John. He's the forum's resident grinch

> whose raison d'etre is to pour scorn and shout

> folly at anything new or innovative.

>

> ==========================

Not a grinch but someone who speaks the truth. The area around the exercise machines is a bog and walking across the grass you sink

Never happened before. A muddy bog all over

Did no one think this might happen