We would like to say a huge thank you to the thousands of you who took time to give us your thoughts on the improvements you would like to see in Alexandra Park.

Here’s some highlights from the feedback and progress made so far.

WHAT YOU TOLD US

We carried out two separate pieces of engagement in 2024

• a survey asking for feedback on the types of improvements people would like to see around the Playground, Boating Lake and Skate Park areas
• a public engagement exercise led by architectural cooperative Unit38 and designers Studio Hyte, which asked for ideas for potential improvements in the Grove, culminating in a free event in June featuring music, performances and family-friendly activities.

BOATING LAKE, PLAYGROUND AND SKATE PARK

We had 365 comments for the Playground, Boating Lake and Skate Park survey – a snapshot of feedback is set out below:

•  41 comments were about coffee – better quality coffee, having a hatch for serving coffee, a speedier service and more coffee options
• 130 comments were about food – more options, fresher and healthier options, more affordable, a better queuing system alongside more options for children and for those with allergies
• 34 comments were about seating – more comfort, more indoor/ covered seating, better outdoor seating
• 33 comments were on queues – want less queues, better queue control, separate queue for pedalos

There were a huge number of comments on the Playground, focusing on the desire for new equipment that suits all ages, older children, girls specifically, and toddlers. Suggestions included new climbing frames/ropes, zip wires, slides, seesaws, football/basketball areas, balance beams, tunnels, accessible play, fitness play, floor trampolines and more space to play creatively.

And for the Skatepark, most people would like to see a larger skatepark, with a roof added for wet weather days. Other suggested improvements include ramps for beginners/younger children, flat areas for roller-skating, more planting, and some seating for spectators.   

THE GROVE

Nearly 1000 of you took part in the survey for the Grove, and 500 of you came along to the Shaping the Grove event in June. Suggestions for improvements included:

• More space for play, whether it be a natural place, dedicated equipment or indoors. Play should be accessible, in multiple locations and suitable for all ages and equipment should be designed to encourage social interaction
• There was a desire for more live music in the Grove, building on the performance events the Friends of the Park have been organising over recent years, including improvements to the bandstand
• A need for public toilets
• More and a wider range of seating options to make socialising easier including accessible and sheltered seating
• Improved safety including lower-level, consistent lighting to avoid glare and dark spots
• More planting, improved environments for wildlife and a community growing space. A desire for increased staff visibility, and opportunities for co-production on projects

PROGRESS SO FAR

Since collating the responses, we have used existing funding and worked with our partners and friends to make changes:

• Created the Alexandra Park Security forum, where tenants and Park user groups meet with the Alexandra Palace security teams to discuss concerns
• Enhanced our focus on dealing with graffiti – offensive graffiti has been removed, and extra patrols are planned to maintain vigilance
• Created e-bike parking bays on both the Grove and Dives car parks to combat e-bikes being discarded across the site – we worked in collaboration with Lime and Forest
• Taken over operation of the Boating Lake Cafe (including the pedalos) – the team are working hard on refurbishing the building, which will open again in early summer 2025 with a new menu
• Reshaped the corner shrub bed with gardening volunteers, including new planting
• Trimmed and tidied shrubs by the Grove Cafe and started a project which includes reshaping planting around the Muswell Hill pedestrian entrance, building a new planter, tidying up old vegetation, adding new soil and new shrubs
• Started refurbishing all the Park noticeboards across site
• Maintaining existing lighting whilst simultaneously investigating future improvements (LEDs) to reduce environmental and financial impact
• Installed new bollards by the Grove car park entrance
• Worked with the Friends of the Park and gardening volunteers to plant new bulbs in the spinney to improve the spring display
• And we’re planning to resurface a section of path along Lime Avenue soon

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Ally Pally is a charity and 75% of our work to care for the Park and Palace is funded by our supporters and visitors each year. We need to fundraise to unlock bigger changes for the Park and Palace and we are busy working on a site-wide capital plan and fundraising campaign, which will include both the Grove and Boating Lake areas, as well as the South East corner of the Park (Campsbourne).

There will be opportunities for park users to be involved in the next phases of our planning. If you would like to be kept up to date, please sign up to the Alexandra Park and Palace mailing list by clicking the button at the bottom of this page.

Thank you once again, and hope you are all enjoying the Park!