Wandsworth Park’s role in making a healthier River Thames celebrated with jubilee trees

Camberley, 10 May 2022 - An area of King George’s Park in Wandsworth celebrated the start of spring with new trees, as part of the Queen’s Green canopy initiative.

Tideway, the company building London’s super sewer to remove more than 95% of sewage pollution from the capital’s river, held the special tree planting ceremony within the corner of the park that has been supporting the work to clean up the river.

Once complete, Tideway will have connected the underground sewers beneath the park to divert flows into the new super sewer, playing a vital role in the improving the health of the waterway, and will leave behind a new area of seating and landscape for the public to enjoy.

The last of the Prunus ‘Accolade’ Cherry blossom trees, to complete the avenue of Cherry trees, planted as part of Tideway’s landscape works at King George’s Park, was planted by Colleen Harris, the Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London representing the Borough of Wandsworth.

Mrs Harris, MVO DL, said: ‘These trees will be a lasting legacy of the Queen’s Jubilee and will be here for the community to enjoy for generations. It’s fitting that this legacy sits alongside Tideway’s work to improve our river environment, contributing to the essential work we all must do to sustain our planet.’

Andy Mitchell, Tideway’s CEO, said: ‘It’s been an honour to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ within our works to clean up the River Thames, as the environment we live in is at the core of the work we do at Tideway. To start to see the area of the park come to life following its vital role in the super sewer project is hugely rewarding and we look forward to being able to hand back a beautiful green space to the community as soon as our essential work here is done.’

Tideway’s work at King George’s Park, which is being carried out by a joint venture of BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty Group, will see a new entrance to the park created on the north-eastern corner, with a seating area surrounded by a range of trees from Liquidambar to Flowering Cherry, and more than 5,000 bulbs.

To celebrate The Queen’s 70 years of service, Tideway has chosen to dedicate the trees being planted in the park to The Queen’s Green Canopy, a sensibility project set up to celebrate the jubilee.

Tideway is due to finish construction of the 25 km super sewer by 2025. To find out more about the site at King George's Park, click here.