Children of all ages hang out in the seating area. One group of teenagers from a local school called the sunny bench between two planters their “chill spot.” One family sits out on a shady seat with the baby on warm evenings. People eat their lunch on the benches. Chosen and installed by the local community, the planters are a tiny but thrilling example of what can be done with a quietly radical policy that is being tried by a few councils.
When Newham council first proposed the idea of a “participatory budget,” a fund for which local people could propose ideas and receive funding as long as other residents approved, it seemed impossible to imagine what might emerge.
The idea was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989 but is still relatively uncommon in the UK. But for the past two years, Newham has allocated £800,000 for projects such as funding play equipment, a “community wardrobe,” and litter picking. The idea is to give people a say in improving their communities and setting local priorities. The council says there is nothing like it on this scale in the UK, though a handful of similar projects have preceded it, including in Govanhill, Glasgow.
In Newham, one project turned a previously unloved cut-through to a railway footbridge into an enchanted woodland walk. Food growing and tree planting are also featured. Manor Park community garden was awarded £20,000 to revitalize the space in a former car park and improve accessibility.
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