Dog walking area
During the many years of work on the Northern Line Extension (NLE), the dog walking area transferred from the (north) Kennington Park Place end of the park (close to the war memorial) to an area along the boundary of the Astroturf tennis courts, by the path that leads to the Camberwell New Road.
Following the completion of the Northern Line Extension work, it took some time for the dog walking area to be re opened. There was then the problem of the boggy area in the middle, FLO/TFL came back in late October to sort out the drainage. The area was re-seeded, but is still fenced off. It will be kept under review to see if the grass grows. We are still awaiting the promised benches and bins. The other issue has been the new trees in the meadow grass area along Kennington Park Place, these are not thriving. This has been taken up with FLO/TFL.
TfL have submitted a proposal to fix the dog area
View the planning application and relevant documents here
Project ref: 26/02254/DET
Deadline for comments: Tuesday 29 September
But before you submit your comments, The Friends of Kennington Park have put together a brief recent history of the dog walking area, to get you up to speed with what’s happening now.
Back in 2012...
Transport for London (TfL) were consulting Kennington residents about where to put the ventilation shaft for their new Northern Line Extension (NLE). Two possible sites were identified: Kennington Green, and the old park keeper’s lodge at the northeast corner of Kennington Park. TfL chose the park keeper’s lodge, which was at the time home to Bee Urban. TfL would transfer Bee Urban to new premises behind the park café, and pay Lambeth £800k for use of the dog walking area during the period of the construction.
2017...
TfL submitted their planning application for the “erection of a head house at Kennington Park in connection with the extension to the northern line together with associated landscaping, airborne noise and vehicular access details.” The Friends of Kennington Park (FoKP) objected to the new head house – its location in a heritage park, the brutalist design, and losing a corner of the park. But permission was duly granted by Lambeth Planning. Barnaby and the bees were moved to their new home, at TfL’s expense. The lodge was demolished, and the adjacent dog area (the park’s main dog walking area) was requisitioned for contractors for the duration. Plans for reinstatement included tree and meadow planting.
Fast forward to 2021...
When the hoardings finally came down, in late 2021, we saw that fencing was being installed around the new tree and meadow area along Kennington Park Place. We pointed out to Lambeth that since Covid, there were many more dogs in Kennington than there had been before lockdown – so the dog area needed to be bigger, not smaller. Trees: good. But a meadow, behind a fence? Not useful. ‘Could Lambeth simply instruct the contractors not to install the fencing?’ we asked. No, we were told – it was in the plan, and must go ahead. If we wanted to get rid of the fencing, it would have to be at a later date.
Fence installed, new trees were planted and wildflower seeds scattered. The dog walking area (now much smaller) was turfed, and after a few months of ‘settling’, the area was reopened to dog walkers. It was a wet winter. Very quickly, the dog area became waterlogged and muddy – and all but the most intrepid dog walkers abandoned it. On several occasions, remedial work was done by TfL’s contractors, but to this day, drainage issues remain, and the surface is now bare and rutted with holes.
Lambeth Parks staff have never had access to the ‘meadow’ area – without water, the new trees died. FoKP have counted three or four replantings, each of a dozen large saplings. They all died. The meadow planting failed to thrive, and the area fills up with litter (still no access) and remains an eyesore. On behalf of Kennington Park’s many dog walkers, the Friends of Kennington Park have complained to Lambeth again and again – and again – over the years since, about the state of the dog area.
2025...
Last year, TfL finally agreed with Lambeth to sort out the mess. They tested the soil and found it was compacted. The trees had died because they had been poorly planted and not watered.
2026...
On 6 July, FoKP were invited to a site meeting in the dog area with representatives from TfL, Lambeth Council and Lambeth Trees Team personnel. TfL told us there would be new tree planting: 16 resilient species, capable of coping with climate change. They would address the soil compaction, improve soil condition and reseed the whole area. We told them we needed them to reseed the meadow – with grass – and remove the dividing fence. So as to restore the dog area to its original full width. And we also asked them to reinstall the third gate out of the dog area – in between the two existing gates.
The planning application is now available to view on the
This is what FoKP told the planners:
The Friends of Kennington Park welcome the planting of new and appropriate saplings. We are happy with the species selected, which will add variety, and are happy that they will be protected by tree guards.
We welcome the proposed arrangement whereby once the remedial work is completed, Lambeth Parks will be responsible for the maintenance of the trees and grass in the dog area.
Our concerns, highlighted at the meeting on 6 July 2026, and reiterated in an email of 8 July, relate to:
The ‘meadow’ area – The planning application says: “Longer term, Lambeth’s Parks Development Team are looking into the potential to expand the dog walking area to encompass the existing meadow adjacent to Kennington Park Place, as requested by FoKP”.
This area has never flourished and is fenced and locked off from the rest of the grassed area. From the start, it was unclear whose responsibility it was to mow and remove litter, and Lambeth Parks did not have access. Since Covid, there’s been a huge increase in the number of dogs in Kennington: there is great pressure on the space in the dog area – while the ‘meadow’ area lies dead and unused.
So no, actually – we don’t like ‘longer term’. We told them that this needs to happen at the same time as all the other work. Because if it doesn’t, we’re worried it won’t ever get done.
FoKP urge the Council: please – tell TfL to reinstate the whole dog area, as it was prior to the NLE work. Removal of the fence is not mentioned in TfL’s current application. We request that this is addressed.
Gates – The dog area was to be reinstated as it was before the NLE work. There were previously three gates into the dog area, TfL put only two into the fence line. This is not mentioned in TfL’s current application. We request that the Council tell TfL to ensure a third, central gate, is installed.
Concrete – There is a large rectangular area of concrete (5 x 7m) in the dog area close to the locked double gate into the head house compound. We understand this is so that large vehicles can reverse into the dog area if necessary. This was not there prior to the NLE work, and should be reinstated as grass. The original planning application showed it as “reinforced grass”. We request that the Council tell TfL to replace the concrete with “reinforced grass”.
Manhole covers – There are several manhole covers in the grassed area. At the site meeting, TfL agreed to confirm what services they are associated with and whether they can be lowered, or whether the landscaping can be designed around them. This is not mentioned in TfL’s current application. We request that this be added.
Timescale - We hope that the new trees can be planted over this year’s winter planting season, but we do have concerns that, overall, the work will require the large dog area to be closed for about a year.