Why is Vauxhall Park still closed following the St Jude storm a week ago?

Message from Friends of Vauxhall Park:

There are now only two tree teams in the whole of Lambeth.  They had hoped that the park would be open last Wednesday but had to prioritise Ruskin Park, where the helicopter ambulance lands for King's College Hospital, and Brockwell Park, which is hosting a fireworks display tonight.  The team also had to deal with a tree that fell on a block of flats in Norwood.  They are hoping to be in Vauxhall Park tomorrow and that it will open on Saturday 9 November 2013.  However, Parco Cafe is still open and it would fantastic if you could show your support for them at this difficult time by visiting.  Their takings suffered badly over the half term week when visitors were not in the Park.  The tree team will also start clear up the debris, such as that on Fentiman Road, near the Cafe, very soon.

Although the Friends of Vauxhall Park understand the current priorities, as we have two businesses in the park as well as the One O'Clock Clock Club whose closure would have particularly affected parents with children on half term last week, we have asked our Councillors and MP to make representations to the Council that, in a similar situation, Vauxhall Park's reopening has a higher priority.  The storm affected six Lambeth Parks and Vauxhall is the last to be dealt with.

On a happier note, the new plaque to commemorate Millicent and Henry Fawcett's gift of their house and garden to form Vauxhall Park will be unveiled at 11am on 7 December.  We hope that a member of Boris Johnson's family, who are descendants of the Fawcetts, will do the honours.  The plaque has been engraved by a young sculptor, working in Brockwell Park and is extremely beautiful. The piece of Italian grey slate she has used was donated by Marmi and Granito, to whom we are also very grateful.  We hope that it is a fitting tribute to this very generous and enduring gift of the Fawcetts.  We will also be asking Councillor Sally Prentice to officially raise our new Green Flag.