Beaversfield Park Masterplan

Beaversfield Park is a public open space located in the Hounslow West Ward of the London Borough of Hounslow. Arkwood were appointed to develop a masterplan for the park following our previous masterplan in 2019, which since then the surrounding area has had a stark population increase. Our new design for Beaversfield Park is part of the borough of Hounslow’s green recovery plan, and will have a significant improvement to wildlife habitat and sports areas while providing improved informal grass and recreational areas. We are developing new features including biodiversity features and improved sports and play areas to better serve the community surrounding the park.

Client and Contract Period

London Borough of Hounslow

2024 – 2025

Project Objectives

Arkwood have been commissioned by London Borough of Hounslow to create a new masterplan for Beaversfield Park, where we are creating a new design for the park. The masterplan aims to create better cohesion between differentiated spaces for play, recreation, sports, space for nature and for the community to gather and socialise. Much of our design for the park has been informed by consultation with local residents, which is a core part of our design process for all of our public realm and open space projects.

Beaversfield Park functions as the largest greenspace for households in a 1km radius. In its current state, it has huge potential to increase biodiversity, and provide improved recreation, play and health and wellbeing benefits to the surrounding communities. Our masterplan sets out to improve sports and active recreation by including plans for artificial grass wickets, two tennis courts, two Multi Use Game Areas, two cricket nets, and improvements to the outdoor gym. A mini pump track is also currently being built in the park. There are also ‘play along the way’ trails located along the path that connects the local primary school to the surrounding housing areas to provide fun, informal activities to young children. The existing circulation path has remained the same since the park’s inception in 1935, and has markers along its length allowing people to measure how far they’ve travelled. We have taken inspiration from existing desire lines to implement new pathways to enhance access across the park. We are incorporating biodiversity enhancement into our masterplan, and will be protecting wildlife habitats and ecology during works on site.

Issues, Challenges, and Outcomes

Much like other parks and open greenspace in the UK, Beaversfield Park and its surroundings have a medium to high flood risk. To combat this, SuDS interventions such as swales and raingardens are planned to be implemented as part of the improvements to the park. Implementing SuDS features will add amenity value for local people as well as reducing the risk of flooding.

Beaversfield Park was not initially designed to promote biodiversity or climate resilience, but this will become an important feature of its future functioning as it forms a part of the borough’s green recovery plan. As the need for resilient, biodiverse greenspace greatens, there is an opportunity for the park to function as a haven for plants and wildlife, which will in turn benefit local residents that live around the park.

From our consultations held at the park and with local community ambassadors, we learned that there have been issues raised about antisocial behaviour. We have factored this in to our designs relating to path circulation, sightlines and where recreation activities, fencing and planting are located.

Services