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Tim Newark of the Taxpayers Alliance in front of the £100,000 wall of dead flowers |
PARADISE LOST AS WALL WILTS
Vertical garden at children’s centre a costly ‘green extravagance’
A 30 - FOOT“floral wall” was dubbed “paradise lost” today – after the name of the Holloway park it adorns – because all the plants have wilted.
Taxpayers Alliance campaigner Tim Newark accused Islington Council of installing the “green extravagance” at a cost of up to £100,000 in Paradise Park, before they were sure that it would work.
More than 30 different plants, including strawberries, thyme and a host of flowering shrubs were held within a steel mesh against the wall, the first of its kind in Britain.
They adorned the façade of a £1.5million children’s centre overlooking the park.
The problem appears to have been caused by a failure of the experimental type of watering system, which was designed to spread moisture throughout the wall along tiny pipes.
Mr Newark said the vertical garden was a “wonderful” idea which has proved a costly waste of money.
“The architects should have worked out all the problems
before it was installed,” he added.” It really isn’t up to the council to experiment with taxpayers’ money. What about the extra tens of thousands which will no doubt be spent trying to make it work?”
Labour ward councillor Barry Edwards said when the installation went up four years ago it looked wonderful. He added: “Since then we’ve had problems. Now the wall seems pretty well dead.
“The fancy watering system has never quite worked. Either it overwatered or it underwatered the plants.”
Cllr Edwards added that he always believed that the cutting edge of innovation was not a good place to be. “It is always a good idea to let someone else try it first and experience all the problems,” he said.
An Islington Council spokeswoman said: “The green living wall at Paradise Park Children’s Centre was a pioneering feature and part of the council’s greener vision.
“The wall was the first of its type to be installed in the UK and, as with anything new, carried a certain element of risk. Of course we’re disappointed that, despite everyone’s best efforts, the green wall hasn’t thrived. It seems this could be down to its design and we are currently looking at the best way to restore it.” |
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