Earlier this year we asked the St Johns community what you want to happen to the neglected patch of land next to St Johns Station? We’ve had a really big (for our community) response – Over 113 of you took the time to share your views, and the message came back loud and clear.
Almost everyone agreed the site needs to change. More than 80% said improving it was either important or very important. And when it came to what you actually wanted to see there, the answer was consistent: nature first. 88% want the space to be better for wildlife. 87% want it to look better. More than half want it to feel safer. Native planting, wildflowers, somewhere to sit, a space that feels loved and looked after.
So that is what we are working towards.
The vision is a small but genuinely biodiverse community woodland: paths winding through native planting, seating for picnics and quiet moments, bird boxes, log piles, insect hotels, and a space that pulls people off the road and into a greener, calmer corner of St Johns. One that gives this neighbourhood, as someone put it in the survey, a shared heart.
This summer we are using a newly completed topographic survey to sharpen up our designs and get a realistic handle on costs. That feeds into funding applications we plan to submit this autumn. We are also working through the process of securing a license from Network Rail, who own the land. Progress has been encouraging, though nothing is signed off yet.
Following suggestions from the consultation we are now having conversations about whether a small, community-minded local business might be able to set up a pop-up on the site, like a small coffee stand that can be removed from site at the end of the day. This would potentially provide a service to help keep the woodland maintained and get a bit of community involvement.
So, a genuine thank you to everyone who filled in the survey. You told us what you wanted and we are doing our best to make it happen.
And for more updates, join the St John’s Community WhatsApp here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/