Clarence Gardens, Camden

Comprising low-rise apartment blocks, Clarence Gardens is a housing area within the Regents Park Estate. Alongside Munster Square, Clarence Gardens was also recently part of an improvement works scheme by Camden Council to upgrade the local park and green space in the area with new amenities in order to improve community engagement and increase biodiversity through introducing more diverse species of plant life.

With the construction of High Speed Two, 2 hectares of public green space will be lost in the area. As well as making the parks brighter, safer and more enjoyable for the local community, the works are seen as an essential means of mitigating these losses. They have also helped to resolve accessibility issues, including a lack of seating for people with limited mobility and a need for more level and firmer access paths. Alongside enhanced seating and the creation of a new path network around the park, Clarence Gardens now benefits from outdoor chess tables, as well as an upgraded dog exercise area with agility equipment.

Appointed by Camden Council to complete these landscaping improvements were Blakedown Landscapes, a multi-award winning landscaping company with half a century of experience in sectors from local authority to high-end luxury developers. The company has previously provided landscaping works for projects such as the Natural History Museum and Boston Manor Park in Brentford.

Working with Blakedown Landscapes as part of the improvement works scheme, metroSTOR were engaged to provide an effective screening solution for loose bins in the Clarence Gardens park area. Communal bin storage areas are often challenging environments for landscape design, with factors such as loose and haphazard bins potentially generating side waste and litter, acting as strong visual determinants that can harm community pride and encourage anti-social behaviour.

Providing a modular screening solution, the metroSTOR E-Series was selected to ensure effective visual concealment of the loose bins, with neat containment of the 4no. 770L – 1280L bins were achieved through the unit’s integral divider frames, ensuring that the bins are used for their intended purpose.

The E-Series compares well in terms of price with traditional timber fencing, while providing a longer service life, higher resistance to damage and can be customised to suit site-use and the surrounding environment.

New planting along the edge of the screens will additionally achieve further screening of the bin area over the time, helping to contribute towards a greener, safer and more welcoming environment for Clarence Gardens, and establishing a strong sense of place for the local residents.