Hammersmith & Fulham Council is investing £2.5 million to improve the open spaces in West Kensington and Gibbs Green.
Throughout the next five years, a series of landscape improvements will focus on communal areas, play facilities, public spaces, as well as upgrading the green spaces for the benefit of local residents.
The project will also consider interventions to improve the routes (wayfinding) through the estate, with better signposting and lighting. We invite you to continue to leave comments here: Have Your Say – West Kensington and Gibbs Green.
Consultation and feedback
This project has been informed by an area assessment, a comprehensive report called 'Residents engagement and enjoyment of the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estate, March 2025' co-designed with local residents.
This report recommends nine interventions for enhancing the quality of the estate through improving the quality of the public realm and incorporating the wider principles of quality public-spaces, including providing a meeting space for residents, increasing biodiversity and tree-planting, alongside enhancing both the quality and experience of play.
Ivatt Place Playground
Earlier this year we asked you for your feedback on Ivatt Place Playground. Here are some of your comments.
What you told us about the playground
This initial concept has been shaped through resident consultation and co-design. Feedback highlighted a desire for:
- More natural play features to enhance the playground experience
- A welcoming, intergenerational landscape that encourages socialising and spending time together
- Additional planting to support biodiversity and improve the environment
- Improvements aligned with broader community priorities, including:
- Better walking routes and wayfinding
- Enhanced lighting
- Measures to reduce anti-social behaviour
This proposal reflects the community's vision for a safer, greener, and more inclusive public space where children can play.
Stage two concept
Download a high-resolution version of this image: Ivatt Place Playground concept drawing (JPG, 1.34MB).
Improving Ivatt Place Playground was highlighted as a main priority for local residents, and subsequently, Jan Kattein Architects were appointed in April 2025, to lead on the redesign of this important facility.
We now have an ongoing programme of local engagement and consultation underway to collate the thoughts of local residents.
Our proposal aims to deliver the following objectives:
- Establish separate areas for natural play, and for public engagement activities, creating a new, quality, public space that will encourage inter-generational use.
- The separation of these two areas will be defined by a newly illuminated pathway through the playground, providing opportunities for active play and transitions through different landscapes.
- The introduction of this new north-south route through the estate, will also feature improvements in signage and wayfinding to help residents and visitors navigate the estate.
- A new civic square offers places to rest and socialise, with evening illumination.
- The introduction of strategically placed planting will provide a separation from vehicles and provide shade for users and visitors. These measures will encourage biodiversity through additional planting and improve the quality, look and feel of the local landscape.
- Natural play equipment will invite imaginative, educational play for children
- New fences and rear gates to resident gardens may be considered, creating an identity for the playground and active boundary.
- Enhancing an existing public space adjacent to the playground, to create a location for positive social activities.
Architects presentation document with more details about the proposed improvements
More details can be found in the Ivatt Play Playground improvements document prepared by the architects working with us on this project. We are aware that the document is not fully accessible and we have provided a summary of the proposals on this page but if you need us to discuss other ways to access the information please contact us.
Please tell us what you think of these proposals
We invite you to share your thoughts on this stage one concept via email wkgg@lbhf.gov.uk