Young People in Parks and Open Spaces

Opens 11 Aug 2025

Closes 5 Oct 2025

Contact

020 8891 1411

parks@richmond.gov.uk

Overview

Have Your Say on Parks and Open Spaces!

The Parks Team wants to hear from young people about how you feel about parks and open spaces in Richmond borough.

We ran a similar consultation in 2023 (you can read the report here), and we're doing it again to build on what we learned and to hear fresh ideas. Your feedback will help us improve parks and open spaces—making them more welcoming, fun, and accessible for young people in Richmond.

We’ve listened to what young people told us – and here’s what we’ve done!

Click each heading below to see the improvements we've made based on your feedback.

More places to be social / more cafes

  • Added new picnic tables at Hatherop Park, Murray Park, Cambridge Gardens, St Luke’s Open Space, and Westerley Ware to create more social seating areas.

  • Trialled mobile cafe at Heathfield Rec and Murray Park

More toilets

  • Heathfield Rec: toilets now open 7 days a week.

  • Murray Park and East Sheen Common: toilets open on weekends.

More play for older children and teens

  • Installed a basket swing at Orleans Gardens

Improvements to play areas

  • Kings Field: new sand pit added.

  • Raleigh Road Rec: new widget boards and play panels.

  • Accessible roundabouts installed at Heathfield Rec, Orleans Gardens, Worple Way, and North Sheen Rec.

  • Church Road, Chase Green: new play panels, plus new surface and a play spinner at Church Road.

  • Kneller Gardens: added an accessible roundabout, trim trail, and play panels.

Improved and new sports & fitness facilities

  • Kings Field gym: added 3 electric charging bikes.

  • Barn Elms Southside: brand new outdoor gym, including a charging bike.

  • Cambridge Gardens: new outdoor gym installed.

  • Murray Park: new football pitches.

  • Westerley Ware & Kneller Gardens: introduced pétanque pistes.

More biodiversity

  • More pollination stations across parks.

  • Bug hotels and loggeries added to various green spaces.

  • Hatherop Park pond improved with dead hedging, planting, and a wider boardwalk.

  • Hampton Common: now a hedgehog release area and extended tree corridor.

  • Compass Hill: turned into a wildlife garden with bird boxes, bat boxes, bug hotel, and logger.

  • Urban meadow planted at Twickenham Green.

More drinking fountains

Added to:

  • Terrace Gardens

  • Broom Road

  • Murray Park

  • Radnor Gardens

  • Crane Park

  • Champions Wharf

More community growing spaces

Created at:

  • Hounslow Heath

  • Cambridge Gardens

  • Jubilee Meadows

More community activities

  • All-ability cycling sessions at Kneller Gardens, including family-friendly options.

  • Community planting day at Hounslow Heath.

  • School and family planting event at Hampton Common (new oaks and bulbs), plus a Friends group session to build bird and bat boxes.

  • Supported the Police Youth Project with multi-skills activity days at Kneller Gardens, Palewell Common, Broom Road Rec, Kings Field, and Udney Hall Gardens.

  • Festive fun with Christmas tree decorating and carols at Diamond Jubilee Gardens.

Have your say!

Please give us your feedback using the Online Survey link below. If you need to request a paper questionnaire or any other format, please contact Parks@richmond.gov.uk or call 0208 891 1411 quoting Young People in Parks and Open Spaces survey.

Give us your views

This activity will open on 11 Aug 2025. Please come back on or after this date to give us your views.

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Young people

Interests

  • Richmond Borough