Chiswick House & Gardens Trust has revealed plans that will create a new learning hub, volunteer facilities & artists’ studios and turn an unused and overgrown 17th century walled garden into a fruit garden, developed with local people to tell the story of our changing climate. The ambitious plans will enhance and encourage community, cultural and creative enterprise activity and generate vital new income for the Trust.
Image: Proposed Learning Hub
Cedar Yards, the new creative and community campus at the heart of Chiswick House & Gardens, will enable the Trust’s volunteering and community activity to grow and enhance the quality and accessibility of its public offer.
It will also create and sustain creative employment and support local entrepreneurship through the creation of affordable creative workspaces. These will offer a new source of income for the Trust, alongside a programme for schools and new spaces for community hire. Part of the Trust’s ambitious ten-year strategy (2022-32), this project aims to address the charity’s long-term viability.
A third of the project cost has been raised, underpinned by initial generous funding provided by the London Borough of Hounslow, through the recent Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grants, as well as funds from the Thriving Communities and Creative Enterprise Zone Grants obtained last year. The rest of the funds are being raised from charitable and private sources.
The Trust is committed to making a positive social impact and is already responding to some of the challenges faced by local people, such as isolation, loneliness and lack of access to green spaces.
In 2023 the Trust worked with over 50 community groups to support nature-based learning and wellbeing for over 2,300 local people, but demand for its popular community and learning programme now exceeds what the Trust can currently offer.
Taz Virdee, Chief Executive of C-Change West London and Director at Elevate Community Productions[1] said:
"Chiswick House and Gardens' remarkable outreach efforts have touched lives across our borough, bridging gaps and enhancing diversity. Local partnerships with community groups, schools and charities create inspiring spaces that nurture connections to greenery and heritage, elevating wellbeing and combating isolation. The new facilities of the Cedar Yards development will bring even greater benefits to our residents from Heston and Cranford, particularly the enhanced facilities for disabled and elderly participants. Special recognition to Harvinder Bahra for her exceptional support in uniting communities, with gratitude for the funding that made this possible. Thank you and we look forward to continuing working together."
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, said:
“We are excited to be re-working ‘back of house’ areas to fulfil local needs and bringing these historic spaces back to life. This ambitious project has been designed to directly impact the wellbeing of our local community as well as enhancing cultural and creative enterprise activity in London Borough of Hounslow. By creating more public green spaces for local people we can expand our learning and community programme which is currently running at capacity. With the introduction of affordable workspaces for artists and makers we will foster a local creative economy and generate much needed new income for the Trust.”
Following extensive community consultation and stakeholder engagement, including public events, focus groups and ‘meet the architects’ sessions (with appointed architects, We Made That), an application for planning has now been submitted to London Borough of Hounslow and the proposed designs will be available to view online.
Cedar Yards Community & Creative Campus consists of four key elements:
The creation of a Learning Hub, a new carbon-positive indoor space enabling horticultural and creative learning activities for 7000+ participants annually, alongside office and social space for staff, gardeners, and volunteers. An external spill out space will bring historic horticultural working areas back into use as a new outdoor learning and activity space.
Image: Proposed Learning Hub
A new Volunteer Base will provide a practical amenity space to support over 200 volunteers, who play a crucial role in maintaining the House and Gardens for the public to enjoy.
The Fruit Garden will transform a currently unused and overgrown late 17th century ‘secret’ walled garden to provide a new garden for local groups, schools, and families to participate in horticulture-themed activities throughout the year.
The Creative Campus will convert the currently underused historic back sheds and stables to create affordable workspaces for up to 100 artists and makers.
As the birthplace of the English Landscape movement, Grade-I listed Chiswick House & Gardens is internationally recognised as a place of significance in architectural and garden history. The designs for the new facilities respond with sensitivity to the historic context, providing new access routes and outdoor spaces whilst adopting sustainable materials and construction techniques.
A wall around the Fruit Garden will be reinstated and new planting will increase biodiversity, whilst referencing its historic use. In the Creative Campus, new roof insulation, heating and servicing will provide a more sustainable comfortable thermal environment, minimising the impact on the existing buildings and maximising flexibility for the artists and makers. Natural materials will be used for the new Learning Hub and Volunteer facilities with solar panels to generate energy all contributing to achieving the net zero carbon goal.
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust added: “I want to personally thank all the funders whose generous support has enabled us to reach this pivotal moment: London Borough of Hounslow through the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy and Thriving Communities Funds, GLA Creative Enterprise Zone and S106 funding, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Linbury Trust, the Foyle Foundation and the Architectural Heritage Fund. As a charity we rely on financial support from these sources, alongside ongoing support from our local community of Members and Patrons. Our regular visitors will be able to get involved in the next chapter of this exciting project when we launch our fundraising campaign later in the year.”
The proposals have been submitted to London Borough of Hounslow’s Planning Department and the Trust hopes to obtain planning permission by early summer.
[1] Find out more about Elevate Community Productions here https://elevatecommunityproductions.org/