Westminster City Council has approved plans to refurbish Pimlico Gardens, an underused Grade II listed park in Central London, adding a café and public toilets. The 1.5-acre green space, located in Pimlico, will see an existing gardener's shed converted into a takeaway café, along with new toilet facilities, tree planting, and landscaping to enhance the area.
Residents' long-standing demands addressed
Locals have been calling for better facilities at Pimlico Gardens for several years. Labour Councillor Jason Williams, representing Pimlico South, championed the plans. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It's a really fantastic development for residents who have been fighting for a number of years. I've been working with residents and backing it from the start. It's going to be really fantastic because the park was really underused."
River viewing platform scrapped due to flood risk
Original plans included a river viewing platform for Thames views, but the Environment Agency raised concerns about potential flood risk, leading to its removal. Some locals objected, with one written complaint stating the development would "dominate this small garden, changing its peaceful nature." However, support was strong, including from the Chairman of the St George's Square Residents' Association and Pimlico FREDA, who expressed "keen delight" over the plans.
Timeline for work not yet confirmed
Westminster City Council has not announced when construction will begin. The project aims to make the park "much more welcoming" for residents, according to Councillor Williams.
