Do London Differently podcast

Ep.22 Coulsdon Station Pocket Park

How do you turn a station car park corner into a green, welcoming hub for cyclists, commuters and neighbours, on a shoestring budget and with recycled materials, then measure the social value it creates? Emily visits a brand-new community garden by Coulsdon South Station, in the borough of Croydon, to hear how Community Rail Network, maintenance teams and local volunteers collaborated to build a space that adds joy to the daily commute.

Station gardens, social value and community action

Hear how a simple idea to give a local cycling group somewhere nicer to gather grew into a shared garden and outdoor classroom, with rail safety tours for Cubs, Scouts and adults with learning needs, seating made by the maintenance team, fencing rescued from other stations and plans for wildflowers, pick-your-own herbs and community art. We also dig into how GTR reports social value using the Real Social Value Tool.

Who is on the mic

 

  • Dean Underwood – Station Manager with GTR, 25 years on the railway, focused on building community through stations
  • Rob Whitehead – Community Engagement Manager, GTR
  • Gill Hickson – Local resident, vice-chair of the residents association, active member of the Hive Community Garden network

Key themes

 

  • From car park to community space – why the garden started with cyclists and coffee, and quickly widened to all station users

  • Education and safety – short rail safety sessions, local trips to nearby stations, building confidence to use the railway

  • True collaboration – recycled fencing, in-house planters, realistic scope setting to keep under a tight budget

  • Social value that counts – using the Real Social Value Tool, proximity to new accessible greenspace, mental health, reduced NHS demand and other benefits

  • Planting for climate and wildlife – guidance from Kew Gardens, native and drought-resistant choices, a chat about buddleia and invasiveness

  • Everyday joy for commuters – ideas for pick-your-own herb beds and tomato planters that lift daily journeys

  • Volunteering that sticks – WhatsApp groups, micro-tasks and phasing the project so there is no fixed end date

  • Walking and wheeling links – ramblers and the Vanguard Way, making stations gateways to circular walks

Highlights and takeaways

 

  • A small, low-cost start can unlock big community energy – build phase one, invite ideas, iterate together

  • Reuse is powerful – fences and materials recovered from other stations saved money and carbon

  • Social value matters – attaching a credible pound figure helps decision makers understand the impact of gardening and volunteering

  • Design for real users – seats for cyclists and commuters, raised beds that schools and clubs can use, accessible routes where needed

  • Plant for the future – drought-tolerant, low maintenance and native species support climate resilience and pollinators

Links mentioned

 


More From This Series

This is a new season of the London National Park City Podcast – we’re calling it Do London Differently. Hosted by Ranger Emily Langston. Produced and co-hosted by Michael Shilling.

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