22 Jul The Energy Garden – An Innovation Project in Chingford
Energy Garden is the world’s first citywide combined community energy and gardening project. By engaging with local communities, landowners and businesses, the project is creating a network of interconnected, community Energy Gardens across 50 London Overground stations. 
The project is a partnership between Repowering London, Groundwork London and TfL and is funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery.Energy Garden is facilitating the regeneration of historic spaces on Overground rail stations, like that at Chingford station in Waltham Forest, by creating community gardens that are unique to people and to the local area. The objective of Energy Garden is to provide communities the means to develop a relationship with London’s infrastructure and a sense of ownership of their local area. It’s an exciting opportunity for Londoners to be involved in a modern take on civic participation and helps to connect local people to key sustainability issues such as energy and food.The gardens will be supported by solar interactive notice boards, solar water pumps and solar powered lights. In the long term the gardens will be supported by large renewable ener
gy stations off site which will generate a revenue stream to support the gardens into the future.Chingford station is set to be one of the first and finest Energy Gardens in the 50-station-strong portfolio. Work begins at Chingford in the next few weeks, following some engaging public consultations with local Councillors, community gardening groups like Organic Lea, keen gardeners, station staff and local residents. An exciting and bold gardening plan has been designed for the station encompassing their collective ambitions for the station.Scott Davies, Station Delivery Manager for Chingford station has been a driving force for the project, engaging the community and pushing forward designs to help bring the station back to its former Victorian glory.” When I first heard about the Energy Garden Project my excitement was palpable as I had a vision of what Chingford station could look like in the future. Working closely with the Repowering & Groundwork teams, I soon realised their passion for community gardens and a real ambition to revitalise stations on the Overground network. It is a fantastic way to bring the Chingford community together and create something wonderful at the station”. Scott Davies, SDM on the West Anglia line.It is with the help of dedicated community champions like Scott that projects like this get off the ground. With the support of others like Scott, Energy Gardens are now springing up all over London. The first Energy Garden was officially completed last week at Brondesbury Park in West London and the team are on track to complete dozens more before the end of the summer. Next up are Enfield Town, Hackney Downs, Bush Hill Park, Southbury, Crystal Palace and Dalston Kingsland Station. If you would like to get involved or find out more information take a look at the website www.energygarden.org.uk.
