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The Park itself

Brent River Park (Tokyngton Recreation Ground/'Monks Park', St. Raphael's Open Space and the northern extremity known as 'Area 5') is a public park with a 3 mile (4.8 Km) long perimeter covering around 55 acres (22 Hectares) and stretching approximately 1.25 miles (2 Km) along the banks of the river Brent from near the junction of the Harrow Rd (A404) and NCR (A406), to Atlas Road on the Wembley Stadium industrial estate.

Unlike any other park in the borough, it has a significant river running through it. The 18 mile (29 Km) long River Brent, which starts in Barnet, feeds the Welsh Harp Reservoir, flows both over ground and under ground along it's route, finally flowing into the Thames at Brentford. In recent years, efforts have been made to improve and regenerate the river, the 'naturalisation' of the southern section through the park is part of this scheme.

It is a mixture of formal grassed park land, shrubberies, sports pitches, children's play areas and semi-managed nature/wilderness areas, all served by a network of footpaths and a cycle way which is part of the London Cycle Network (LCN) Ealing to Barnet Route 85.

Three pedestrian bridges cross the river allowing easy access to both river banks for most of it's length through the park.

It serves the communities of both the Tokyngton and St Raphael's areas, some 28,000 people, it also provides a respite area for pedestrian visitors to Wembley Stadium and Arena on event days. The park is the nearest green open space to the 2012 Olympic venue of Wembley Stadium and Arena, being less than a ½ mile walk away.

The park has a wide range of users, with people keeping fit by jogging, walking and cycling, owners walking their dogs, organised clubs using the football pitch and changing rooms, children of all ages using the play areas and families playing games and picnicking on the open areas. The paths through the park are an important pedestrian route for residents to gain access to schools, clinics, community centres, transport links, religious centres, library and shops.

Because of it's makeup, varying from formal shrubbery's to sports pitches to complete wilderness, it's proximity to residential, industrial and uninhabited areas adjacent to roads, the river, it's close proximity to one of the 2012 Olympic venues, it is perhaps unlike any other park in the Borough, and as such requires special consideration when it come to it's management.

 

The Council have acknowledged internally amongst senior staff, that without the full time Warden this park is doomed, it will suffer serious vandalism, be overrun by criminals and gangs, become unsafe for users, and yet still they push ahead with removing the Warden!