Mayor of London opens new 32-acre park in the NHS’s Springfield Village
The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, today opened the new 32-acre ‘Springfield Park’ in Wandsworth, South West London.
As part of the celebrations, the Mayor led a special opening ceremony at Tooting’s Springfield Village, a new community integrated with the park, and co-located with Springfield University Hospital.
With a pavilion café, play areas, trim trail, an amphitheatre, areas for informal sport, ponds, and hundreds of new trees, the park is the largest created in London since the 2012 Olympics.
During the event, the Springfield Park Community fund was launched, a small grants programme to help local groups bring Springfield Park to life through inclusive, community-driven projects that promote wellbeing, connection, and nature.
Commenting on the park opening, Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan said:
“I am delighted to join the local community and pupils from my old primary school to open this incredible new park, which is the largest to be created in London since the 2012 Olympics.
“Springfield Park is a great new facility and a key part of the transformation at Springfield Hospital that is providing much-needed affordable homes and green spaces for local people. Access to nature and secure, affordable housing are vital foundations for good physical and mental health, helping Londoners to live well and enabling our communities to thrive. It is a wonderful example of partners working together as we continue to build a fairer, greener and healthier London for everyone.”
Following speeches from local leaders, and members of the community, the Mayor was joined by pupils from Fircroft Primary School in unveiling a commemorative plaque and planting the park’s 700th tree.
The event marks the latest milestone in the redevelopment of Springfield University Hospital’s Victorian-era estate. This has seen the 92-acre grounds transformed with a £150m investment to create state-of-the-art mental health hospitals, as well as the development of more than 1,200 new homes, a third of which are classed as affordable.
Springfield’s transformation is part of the local NHS’s Better Communities Programme which is enabling more than £1bn of investment across mental healthcare and urban development in South West London up to 2028.
Vanessa Ford, Chief Executive of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust said:
“This is a huge moment for our Trust, our patients, staff, the Springfield Village partners, and our whole community here. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped to create this unique parkland and our vibrant, inclusive new village. We are also excited to be launching the Springfield Community Park fund today to support local groups and spark new projects and activities across the park.
“By opening up our hospital to the community in this way, we take another huge step in breaking down barriers, supporting access, and breaking mental health stigma. This is about being open and unashamed in how we think about mental ill health, and it is so important that our environments, and the world around us, reflects these values.”
The ‘stigma-breaking’ Springfield Village has opened in stages as derelict NHS land has been converted for residential and community uses. Created over the past four years, the park has been designed to support the health and wellbeing of local residents, patients and NHS staff, as well as boosting local biodiversity.
The estate’s wider redevelopment has enabled the creation range of facilities and amenities to support the new village community. This includes a new public square, shops, cafes, a gym and a new care home, plus new bus routes to support accessibility for patients and residents.
Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said:
"It was a real honour to join the Mayor of London in opening Springfield Park today, a historic moment for Wandsworth and for the people of Tooting. This beautiful new green space, the largest to open in London since the 2012 Olympics, will make a lasting difference to the lives of local people. It offers space to breathe, play, exercise, and connect with nature, right in the heart of our community.
"Wandsworth is proud to be one of London’s greenest boroughs, and Springfield Park is a fantastic addition to our extensive network of parks, commons and open spaces. We’re investing in even more high-quality play areas and green spaces this year as part of our Year of Play, because we know how vital they are for children, families, and everyone’s wellbeing."
Harriet Gladwell-Phillips, Project Lead for STEP, a joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Venture and Kajima Partnerships Ltd, and the Trust’s development partner, said:
“Springfield Park is a shining example of what can be achieved when healthcare, community, and nature come together. We are proud to have supported South West London and St George’s and the London Borough of Wandsworth in creating a park that not only enhances mental health and wellbeing but also enriches the local neighbourhood.”
