Wanstead Park could be transformed by a £5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, if an ambitious bid by the City of London Corporation succeeds.
At the Friends of Wanstead Parklands AGM last month, Wanstead Park Project Officer Alison O’Connor told members and supporters that the Heritage Lottery Fund is actively encouraging an application, though the process will be lengthy. The first step is securing a £250,000 development grant by late summer 2026, which would fund options appraisals for the park’s Grotto, Temple and long-broken lake system, as well as an 18-month project officer post. If all goes to plan, restoration works on the ground could begin in 2028.
“The park has sat on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register since 2009. This lottery bid represents the best opportunity yet to finally start to change that,” said a spokesperson for the Friends.
